Free Prompt Level Data Sheet
A free printable prompt level data sheet for tracking prompt fading. Record the prompt used and whether the response was independent, or type into the fillable PDF, then export to Excel to chart the trend.
- Prompt Level / Fading
- Default criterion: 2 or fewer prompts in 4 of 5 sessions
- Free printable PDF
- Fillable in browser
A prompt level data sheet records how much help a learner needed on each try, so you can watch support fade from full prompting toward independence. Note the target or step, the prompt level used, and whether the response was independent. This prompt level data sheet keeps the language of a prompt hierarchy, from a full physical or model prompt down to a gesture, a verbal cue, and finally no prompt at all.
A shared prompt hierarchy is what makes this data comparable. Agree on the levels and their order before collecting, and write the key on the sheet so a gesture prompt means the same thing to every staff member. Record the least intrusive prompt that produced the response, and mark independence honestly, since a response that needed a nudge is not yet independent even if it was correct.
Read the prompt column across sessions and the trend shows whether the learner is climbing toward independence or stalling at a level. A behavior stuck at model prompts for two weeks is a signal to change the teaching, not to wait longer. The default criterion here is two or fewer prompts across four of five sessions. Export to Excel to chart prompt level over time and time your fading to the data.
When to use it
Use a prompt level sheet whenever a skill is taught with prompting and the plan is to fade that help, which covers most acquisition programs. It suits BCBAs and instructional staff who need to know not just whether a response was correct but how much support it took.
Customization tips
- Write the prompt hierarchy and its order at the top so every observer codes the same way.
- Record the least intrusive prompt that worked, not the first one you tried.
- Use the fillable PDF when staff prefer to select a prompt level on a screen.
- Export to Excel to chart prompt level across sessions and plan each fading step.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a prompt level data sheet?
- It records how much prompting a learner needed on each response, using a shared hierarchy from full assistance to independence. Tracking the prompt level, not just correct or incorrect, shows whether support is fading as intended.
- What is a prompt hierarchy?
- It is an ordered set of prompt types from most to least intrusive, such as full physical, partial physical, model, gesture, and verbal, ending in no prompt. Teams use it to fade help gradually. Writing the hierarchy on the sheet keeps everyone coding consistently.
- What does it mean to fade prompts?
- Fading means gradually reducing the level of help so the learner responds more independently over time. Prompt level data tells you when a learner is ready for less support, which is safer than fading on a hunch.
- How do I record the prompt level?
- Write the least intrusive prompt that produced the correct response, and mark whether the response was truly independent. A response that needed even a small cue is not independent yet, and recording that honestly keeps the data useful.
- What criterion should I use for independence?
- A common target is a low number of prompts, or fully independent responding, across several consecutive sessions. This sheet defaults to two or fewer prompts across four of five sessions, and the team sets the real criterion in the IEP goal.