What type of teaching allows learners to practice skills within a natural setting?

Incidental teaching is designed to allow learners to practice skills in a natural context, which is crucial for promoting generalization of learned behaviors. This approach leverages everyday situations and interactions to create opportunities for teaching, supporting the integration of skills into real-life experiences.

In incidental teaching, the instructor or practitioner sets up a naturalistic environment where learning can occur spontaneously. For example, when a child shows interest in a toy, the educator might seize that moment to ask questions or prompt speech related to the toy, thus facilitating learning in a way that is meaningful and relevant to the child.

This approach contrasts with more structured methods, which involve direct teaching and predefined scenarios that may not reflect real-world situations. While one-on-one instruction and group lectures have their own merits, they are often less focused on organic learning opportunities that arise in daily life, which incidental teaching harnesses effectively.