Progressive ABA: Practical instruction @ home & school: What Should Be Our Priority to Teach?

During a recent visit to a preschool special education classroom, I observed a scene that is a recurring challenge across early learning and special education settings. The classroom was bright, filled with toys, dedicated staff members, and a group of three- and four-year-old students - all with individualized education programs (IEPs) and a range of needs including autism, intellectual disabilities, and orthopedic impairments.

The lesson for the day was about magnetism. The students were expected to sort objects as “magnetic” or “not magnetic.” However, the activity quickly revealed a much deeper issue. Many students resisted sitting at the table, others cried at the instruction to join, and some appeared completely disengaged or unaware that a lesson was even occurring. A few exhibited self-injurious or aggressive behaviors. Nearly every student required full prompting to complete the task despite the staff’s best efforts and care.

When I suggested pausing the task to first help students regulate and engage, the teacher hesitated. Staff felt required to complete the mandated lesson. This hesitation didn’t stem from lack of insight or compassion but from good intentions and the heavy pressure educators face to “stay on track” with curriculum goals.

But here’s the truth: if children do not have the foundational “learning how to learn” skills, they cannot access the curriculum in a meaningful way. Skills like attending to instruction, following directions, tolerating transitions, and engaging with peers and teachers are not simply behavioral expectations-they are the stepping stones to every academic success that follows.

We do children no favors when we push forward with academic content before they are ready to learn. A child crying through a lesson on magnetism is not learning science. They are learning that school feels stressful and confusing. By contrast, when we pause to explicitly teach learning readiness-how to sit, attend, request help appropriately, and participate etc.-we set the stage for real, lasting progress.

It’s not about abandoning the curriculum; it’s about sequencing our instruction so that students can truly benefit from it. Once a child learns how to learn, every moment of teaching that follows becomes infinitely more effective and enjoyable. We cannot afford to wait to teach these foundational skills-this is the curriculum for many learners. Their life quite literally depends upon these skills.

Call to Action: Shifting Our Focus

The need to teach “learning how to learn” doesn’t end in preschool-it extends into every grade level and every educational environment. Across elementary, middle, and high school settings, students continue to struggle when foundational engagement, regulation, and participation skills are weak or never fully developed.

As educators, administrators, and families, we can make a collective shift:

Step back and ask, “Is this student ready to learn this content?”
Prioritize teaching behavioral and learning foundations explicitly when they’re missing.
Advocate for the flexibility and support teachers need to focus on readiness before content coverage.
Help children develop a love for learning.

By realigning our priorities, we empower students of all abilities to thrive-not just complete lessons, but truly learn from them.

That’s where meaningful progress begins.