When teaching a new skill to CS1 students, what approach is recommended?

• A. Demonstrate first, then give short, clear commands
• B. Give only verbal directions
• C. Let students figure everything out without demonstration
• D. Use only written notes

Answer: (A)

Showing how to do the skill before asking students to try it gives them a concrete reference to imitate and a clear picture of what success looks like. A demonstration builds a mental model of the steps, the order, and the timing so learners can anticipate what comes next. Then offering short, clear commands during practice gives targeted guidance that keeps the task manageable and helps students chunk the steps into recognizable actions. This combination supports guided practice and a smoother transition to independence, especially for beginners who benefit from both seeing and hearing the procedure.

Options that rely only on verbal directions, let students explore without a model, or use only written notes miss the essential visual cue and the explicit structure learners need, making it harder to understand and reproduce the skill accurately.