Back-chaining

Back-chaining is a useful technique in teaching oral language skills, particularly when it comes to polysyllabic words. Suppose, for example, you are teaching someone to pronounce the name ‘Mussorgsky’. First, you get them to say the last syllable, ‘-sky’; then to repeat it, with '-sorg-' attached before: ‘-sorgsky’; and then all that remains is the first syllable: ‘Mus-sorg-sky’. This technique is easier for the learner than the more obvious front-chaining, starting with the first syllable, as it requires the learner to put the new element first, where it is less easily forgotten.