What is NET?

Teaching in the natural environment, centered around a child's interest, is a key component of the Natural Environment Training (NET) approach. This method emphasizes the importance of engaging children in their everyday settings, using materials and interactions that are relevant to their lives. By focusing on a child's interests, instructors can create more meaningful and motivating learning experiences, which can enhance a child’s willingness to participate and improve retention of skills.

When teaching in a natural environment, the goal is to facilitate learning in contexts that are familiar to the child, allowing them to acquire skills in real-life situations. This approach often involves using spontaneous interactions to teach various skills rather than relying solely on structured lessons or rote memorization, which can be less engaging for children.

Options that refer to more traditional or structured teaching methods do not capture the essence of NET, which prioritizes learning in context and personalized engagement over formalized instruction. This emphasis on the child’s interests and the natural setting helps promote generalization of skills, making them more applicable and useful outside of the training environment.