P ION TEACHING
VOLUMEEIH
Editor Leap Ups: acceleration of learning through increasing material difficulty 29 Patrick McGeegr Marie Eaton Vauhn Wittman Consulting Editors Has PrecisionTeaching madean impact in the field Peggy Albrecht of education? 34 Beatrice H. Barnett Sheila Fox Ray Beek Walter R. Beran3 The effect of restricted television viewing on the Eugene "'%kip9'Berquam violent remarks of a five year old boy Carl Binder Tracey Mucci Marie Blackburn William Evans Bob Bower Abigail Calkin Learning in an early intervention preschool Marie Eaton Caryn Robbins Susan Evans William Evans Losing grip on my neurosis--or how Precision Sheila Fox Teaching changed my life Edward Framer Janean E. Holden Henri Goettel Stephen Graf Eric Maughbn Hemianopsia Rehabilitation Marilyn Nefferm Trudy Miller Jim Johnson Charles Merbitz Nancy Johnson Carl Koenig Mother and daughter learning together Steven Krmb Bob Bower Harold Kunzelrnann Catherine Hildebrandt Sarah Kyrklund Ogden W. Lindsley Celtic pride: a functional definition Thomas C. Lseitt Charles Merbtz Jim Pollard Dagmar Neal Kevin O'Keefe Together we can do it- we proved it Charles P. Blander Mary Ellen Strobl HS. Pennypacker Mr. and Mrs. Theron Deshazer Susan Reiter Jim Rudsit Susan Ryberg The effect of number of math drills per day on math Ann Starlin performance Gene Stromberg Sharon Raggio Owen White Stephen C. Bitgood William D. Wollung Deborah Wood About PT EDmORIAL POLICY
The Journal of Precision Teaching is a mult i-disciplinary j ournal dedicated to a science of human behavior which includes direct, continuous and standard measurement. This measurement is composed of standard units of behavior-frequencies--which are colected and rwmded on a standard scale-the Standard Behavior (Celeration) Chert, Collections ~f frequencies are summarized on this Chart using a standard measure of behavior change--eeleration. Frequencies and c eler ations displayed on the Standard Behavior (Celeraticm) Chart f osm the basis for Chart-based decision-making and for evaluating the effects of independent variables.
The purpose of the Journal of Precision Teaching is to accelerate the sharing of scientific and practical information among its readers. To this end, both formal manuscripts and informal, Chartsharing artides are considered for publication. Materials submitted for publication should meet the following criteria: (1) be written in plain English, (2) contain a narrative that is brief, to the point and easy to read, (3) use the Journal of Precision Tegc?hw Standard G1058&~47and Charting Conventions, (4) contain data displayed on the Standard Behavior Chart that justify conclusions made, (5) be submitted in qu&ruplicate to the editor, and (6) include one set- of original charts or hand-drawn copies. Each formal manuscript w2E be reviewed by one consulting editor and two reviewers, two of whom must approve it prior to publication. The Journal of l?recision Teaching is published quarterly in Ap~3, July, October and January by Plain English Publications, P-0. Bux 7224, Kansas City, Missouri 64113. Each volume begins with the April issue, Volume I began in April, 1980. The annual subslcription rate is $16.00 to libraries, $12,00 to individuals and agencies, and $8.00 to full-time students, payable in U.S. currency. The single copy price is $4.00. Advertising rates are available upon request. Submissions, subscriptions and other correspondence should be addressed to Plain English Publications at the address above or to Patrick McGreevy, Editor, Journal of Precision Teaching, 3952 NOW, 82nd Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64151.
Any article is the personal expression of the author, Likewise, my advertisement is the responsibility of the advertiser, Neither necessarily carries Journal endorsement,
Library of Congress ISSN number: 0271-8200
As part of its goal to disseminate research, the University Affiliated Facility for Developmental Disabilities (UAF) at the University sf Missouri in Kansas City, under the direction of Carl Calkins, assisted with the production of this Journal, LEAPS UP: and division tables, or identification of simple ACCELERATION OF LEARNING THROUGH fractions, yet some of them had been working INCREASING MATERIAL DIFFICULTY for weeks to meet their aims of 60 per minute correct. Most days their correct frequencies Marie Eaton and Vauhn Wittman hovered between 40 and 50 per minute. The Western Washington University students were bored, the teacher was bored, and learning was definitely not happening. Precision teachers are sometimes faced with students who seem to work on the same skill When Vauhn began to set aims for her students forever without much success. Intervent ions are and use the decision rules, students improved made, instruction is altered, contingencies their correct celerations. Rhonda, for example, planned, yet still the student docs not reach aim. met her aim in two days in multiplication, after Even worse, the data on the Chart show clearly working for thirteen days at a X1.l celeration that little or no learning is happening. Learning (see Chart 1). The error performance for all never seems to accelerate beyond X1.2. these students, however, was always at zero and the correct celerations, even with good decision At the 1981 Precision Teaching Winter rules and aims, were not as good as Vauhn felt Conference in Orlando, Florida, Ogden Lindsley, they could do. Owen White and others suggested at different times in different ways that a good intervention Vauhn decided to use a leap up intervention for for these "reluctantn learners is to move them these three students to accelerate learning. She ahead to more difficult material. White moved the students from division, multiplication suggested moving students ahead to the next step and identification of simple fractions to working in the curriculum. Lindsley suggested "leapingn with fractions. None of the students had been students up two or three levels in the scope and previously exposed to using fractiors in problems sequence to a point where the student was as was evident from their initial data points making many errors and had few correct after the leap up. responses. McGreevy (1980) earlier demonstrated a high error frequency with one handicapped Results student, which was followed by a X2.6 celeration for corrects and a /2.6 celeration for errors. All three students responded well to the leap Bower and Orgel (1981) generated high initial ups. Rhonda7s best celerations had been X1.7 error frequencis in college students that were for ccrrects and 11.0 for errcfs, taking anywhere often followed by "jawst1 learning pictures, from nine days to four weeks to reach aim (see accurate performances and high terminal correct Chart 1). When leap ups were begun, Rhondals frequencies. celerations changed to a range of X2.3 to X8.0 for correct and /1.6 to /4.5 for errors. She I had the perfect chance to try "leap ups" in the reached her aim within ten days. weeks after the Orlando conference. One of my student teachers, Vauhn Wittman, was working in Allen's data were similar to Rhondals (see Chart a junicr high school learning disabilities class. 2). He had worked for five weeks on the The cooperating teacher had been charting data "times 8s" and had never reached his aim. When from daily timings in math. He had not, Vauhn set aims and started using data decision however, set aims for his students and was not rules, Allen reached his aims on both the "times aware of any decision rules. He was using 9s" ana mixed multiplication facts within three charting as 'a recording device rather than a weeks. When two digit by two digit decisionmaking tool. When Vauhn took over the multiplication was inlroduced, Allen was initially math programs, she began to set aims and employ accurate, but his performance was slow. His the University of Washington decision rules with performance accelerated for two weeks to about some success. Yet she was frustrated by the 20 correct digits per minute and then flat and inconsistent learning of some of her decelerated (see Chart 2). students, particularly in math. We discussed the possibility of usirg leap ups as an intervention, The leap up in curriculum was immediately and she decided to give it a try. successful. Allen met his error aim after one day of instruction and his correct aim in nine Method days. The celeration for corrects was X6.0 and for erors was /4.5. Vauhn was particularly concerned about the work of three of her students. Rhonda and Rachael Rachaells data show a slightly different picture were both 11 years old and were called learning (see Chart 3). Rachael wes reaching aims faster disabled. Allen was 15 and had been called than either Allen or Rhond~. Howcvel, !~er behaviorally disordered. All three students were initial performance in most of these ..' Jaunal of Precision Teaching, Vol. 111, No. 2, Summer, 1982 29 DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) 6 CYCLE -140 DAYS (20 WKS I BEUAVIOR RESEARCU CO CALENDAR WEEKS BOX 3351-KANSAS CITY. KANS 66103 I - I I I 4 I I 1 I I I 12 1 I I 16 I numbers curricuZar chanaes -- Y fractions I- x8.C / - 5 \$ x J MIN /1.6 - -I - 2 /2,5 -5 -10 seti \teach motivate instrue tionat/ process fluent motivationaZ changes responding I Chart 1. Leap Ups Accelerate Learning for Rhonda M. Eaton V. Wittman SUCCESSlVE CALENDAR DAYS Rhonda 11 see/write digits -.------.. - .- - -- SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED Western- .- Washington- University-- Bellingham, Washington .- DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER COUNT PER MINUTE - Pe rt h) * r ID P, 'd c: 'd E 0 ID I-' I-' ID Y D, R ID m 8 PE 00 aHl it: I-' B Eaton, Marie and Wittman, Vauhn. Leap ups: acceleration of learning through increas.ing material difficulty . JownaZ of Precision Teaching, Volume 111, Number 2, Summer, 1982. errors. Vauhn and I decided to see if a leap up forth. Perhaps these teachers and their students would provide a greater challenge to Rachael. would show higher celerations if the teacher began with the "pluses" and sliced back to the Prior to the leap up, Rachael1s correct components of addition only for those students celerations ranged from X1.4 to X2.0. After the who demonstrated that they needed the movement ahead in the curriculum, her correct curriculum in smaller doses. celeration was X1O.O and her error celeration was 14.0 (see Chart 3). She met her aim on this Leaping ahead in curriculum could be a fruitful harder material in ten days. intervention for special, average and accelerated students. For the special education student, leap Discussion ups could be used to motivate or as a diagnostic procedure. For the average and accelerated Leap ups in curriculum do seem to provide a student, leap ups could serve the additional means for increasing the learning of some purpose of allowing the student to break away students. For these three students, learning from the tedious small step learning required in accelerated dramatically when they moved ahead many classrooms. to curriculum that was new to them. Other students, however, may not benefit from a A few cautionary notes might be necessary, leap up. A student who has not yet however. All these students had demonstrated demonstrated accuracy in a basic skill, or a their ability to accurately perform the student who struggles hard to reach his aim may prerequisite skills for the leap up skill. They not show the same kind of growth when given were not hampered in their leap up by faulty accelerated curriculum, The children, of course, understanding of other besic math processes. have the answers to these suppcsitions. We need only. try. leap ups with these children and monitor These students were typical of students often the results. encountered in a learning disability classroom. They were not particularly motivated to do their Careful monitoring of leap ups and an analysis of best work and the teacher had many subtle the types of grors which are made in response indications that the students might be capable of to the higher levels of difficulty in the better performance. curriculum are crucial to the success of this type of intervention. A leap up to a place in Teachers often are hesitant to provide practice the curriculum where errors are made can give and drill for students because they are afraid the teacher some information about faulty that the students will be "bored." For this kind algorithms. If a teach- is currently skilled in of student, a leap up may be an excellent both precision teaching and error analysis, then intervention. Certainly the data from Allen and leap ups may be an interesting addition to the Rhonda before the leap ups looked like the repertoire of possible interventions, performance of students who are "bored." Boredom, however, may not be synonymous with We as teachers need to remember the incredible repetition or practice, as many teachers fear, power of more difficult material to accelerate but rather repetition of an already "learnedn learning. The motivation to learn something new skill. Equal amounts of repetition and practice may be so powerful that the excitement can of the leap up skill did not produce the same influence even reluctant learners to try their flat learning rates as these students had best. demonstrated previously. If this notion is correct, then there are two implications for teachers. Fist, if a teacher is Bower,B., &Orgel,R. To err is divine. committed to requiring fluent rates of students, Journal of Precision Teaching, 1981, 2(1), then other powerful motivators need to be 3-12. provided to continually accelerate performance after accuracy has been established. Second, McGreevy, P. Hard to do becomes easy to perhaps in our enthusiasm about task analysis in learn. Journal of Precision Teaching, 1980, special education, we have created a technique 1(1), 27-29. that requires children to take excruciatingly small steps toward the goal of learning to readn or learning to do math." Marie Eaton is a faculty member and Vauhn I have met too many precision teachers who Wittman is a student in the Department of begin teachirg addition with a "plus onesn probe Special Education, Western Washington University, sheet. After reaching aim on this probe the Bellirgham, Washington 98225. student moves on to the "plus twos" and so Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. III, No. 2, Summer, 1982 charts were counted as pasitive examples. HAS PRECISION TEACHING MADE AN WPACT IN THE FlELD OF EDUCATION? Sheila Fox Of the 180 textbooks reviewed, 39 (22%) made Western Washington University some reference to Precision Teaching. These 39 textbooks are listed in the References section. In spring of 1971, Teaching Exceptional Children Charted on the yearly Standard Behavior Chart, devoted an entire issue to Precision Teaching. the overall celeration of all textbooks reviewed The authars of the articles represented programs that referenced Precision Teaching from in Kansas, Oregon, Washington, New York, 1970-1981 was X3.0 (see Chart 1). Minnesota, Maryland, Tennessee, and Nebraska. Such a broad geographic base might have Chart 1 also shows the number of categories of predicted that Precision Teaching had a bright textbooks that referenced Precision Teaching future ahead, filled with growth and acceptance. durirg the same twelve year period. The overall celeration for these data was X2.4. Table 1 But many ships have been launched on sunny shows the number of textbooks, by category, that days with the belief that they are the finest either did or did not reference Precision that have eve sailed and with dreams of visits Teaching. When used with the References to many ports. There is no more luxurious section, Table 1 specifies each of the 39 example than the Titanic. Not ell ships are still textbooks that referenced Precision Teaching and respectable after years of use. when each was published. What about Precision Teaching? It was first In order to evaluate recent trends, skyear, mat introduced in 1965. Where does it stand in recent celeration lines were drawn on Chart 1 1982? One measure of the impact of Precision (Haring & Liberty, 1979). Teaching on educational procedures is the number of references that are made to it in nrnCsssional textbooks. If a procedure usefully contributes to a field, it is reasonable to expect The data indicate that not only have the number increased exposure and durability through time. of references to Precision Teaching in special The count of references to Precision Teaching education college textbooks increased, but the year by year should then be a reasonable variety of books referencing Precision Teaching measure of its acceptance within education. has also increased. The type of textbook most likely to make reference to Precision Teaching is a book about assessment and evaluation. This investigator did not find a single text on the This investigation focused on references to topic of giftednes that defined or use Precision Precision Teaching in university special education Teaching procedures. textbooks. Starting with 1970 publications, the first fifteen special education textbooks that The best measure of Precision Teachirgfs impact were located for each of the years 1970 through is the number of wccessful pupil programs that 1981 were reviewed. These 180 textbooks were result from its use. But clearly, teachers can't found in the offices of four special education implement Precision Teaching if they are not faculty members, the special education resource exposed to it. It should be encouraging to library, and the general university library at teacher educators who teach those procedures to Western Washington University. The books were observe more frequent and broader based simply the first fifteen from each year that the reference to Precision Teaching. investigator found. No other systematic selection criteria were used. REFERENCES Each textbook was categorized by topic. Nine 1. Bateman, B. The essentials of teaching. categories were defined: general introduction, Adapt Press, Inc., 1971. emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, mainstreaming, giftedness, mental retardation, 2. Bateman, B. (Ed.)LearniIg disades, wlume behavior management, assessment and evaluation, 4, Reading. Special Child Publications, 1971. and curriculum textbooks. 3. Blankenship, C, & Lily, S. M. Mablreamhg Each textbook was then judged to either have students with learning and behavia problems: made reference to Precision Teaching or to have Techniques for the elassroom teacher. Holt, made no reference to it Textbooks that did not Rinehart and Winston, 1981. specifically use the term Precision Teaching, but did publish frequency data on semi-logarithmic 4. Brown, G., McDowell, R. L., & Smith, J. YEARLY BEHAVIOR CHART (YCM-1 EN) 6 CYCLE -100 YEARS 10 DECADES) BEHAVIOR RESEARCH lo. CALENDAR DECADES BOX 3351 -KANSAS CITY. KANS. 66103 --19 -70 -80 ------CINTURY DECADE DECADE DECADE DECADE DECADE DECADE DECADE DECADt DECADE DFCADL CENTURY DECADE Chart 1. References to Precision Teaching in Special Education Textbooks I The first 15 Special Education Nine categories of Special textbooks located for each Education textbooks publication year, 1970-1981. - --- overall. celeration: x3.0 - /, /, most recent most recent celeration: x1.4 celeration: x2.2 + number of categories - sampled each year / CALENDAR YEARS Special Education Textbooks make reference SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED S. Fox to Precision Teaching DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER Table 1 Special Education Textbooks Referencing Precision Teaching General motional Learning Main- Mental Behavior Assessment Introductory Disturbance Disabilities streaming Giftedness Retardation Management Evaluation Curriculum 29* X 4 X X 3 XX X 7 30 XXX 6 XX 20 XXX 33 X 9 XX 8 X 10 21 XXX 40 XX XX 31 37 X X 2 2 X 27 35 X X XXXX MM XX XX 14 39 XX 36 11 XXX XX 15 X X 34 X 28 I XX 1 X I XX 13 26 I X I I XXX 5 16 1 1 38 I X I I I I I I I I XXXX X XX X MM X X XX X 1724 XXX 23 X X XX 12 XX X - XXX X XX X XXX XXX 18 32 XXXX XX XX 2 X XXXX 1 otals: o reference 28 24 23 6 6 31 10 4 10 ef erence 7 3 7 2 0 5 1 7 7 ercentage 20% 11% 23% 25% 0% 14% 10% 64% 41% F *A textbook that referenced Precision Teaching (.the numbers are keyed to textbyoks listed in the References Section). X--A textbook that did not reference Precision Teaching. Educating adolescents with behavior 19. Haring, N. G., & Liberty, K. Data-based disorders. Charles Merrill, 1981. decision rules for iastn~ctionalprograms. A report to the Bureau of Education, 5. Burton, T. A. The trainable mentally Department of Health, Education and retarded. Charles E. Merrill Publishing Welfare, Project No. 445CH60397A, 1979. Con!pany, 1976. 20. Heward, W. L., & Orlansky, M. D. 6. Cartwright, C. A., Cartwright, G. P., Ward, Exceptional children. Charles E. M errill M., & Willoughby-Herb, S. Activities, Publishing Company, 1980. guidelines and resources for teachers of special learners, Warisworth, 1981. 21. Howell, K. W., br Kaplan, J. S. with Serapiglia, T. Diagnosing basic skills, a 7. Charles, C. M. Building classroom discipline, handbook for deciding what to teach. from models to practice. Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1580. Longnian Publishing Company, 1981. 22. Howell, K. W., Kaplan, J. S, &OtConnell, C. 8. Charles, C. M., & Malian, L M. The special Y. Evaluating exceptional children, a task student, practical help for the classroom analysis approach. Charles E. Merrill teacher. C. V. Masby Co, 1980. Publishing Company, 1979. 9. Faas, L. A. Children with learn@ problems. 23. Kauffman, J. M., & Lewis, C. D. (Eds.) Hwghton Mifflin Company, 1980. Teaching children with behavior disorders, personal perspectives. Charles E. M errill 10. Formentiz, T., & Csapo, M. Precision Publishing Company, 1974. teaching. Center for Human Development and Research (Vancouver, B.C., Canada), 24. Kirk, S. A., & Lord, F. E. (Eds.) Exceptional 1980. children: Educational perspectives. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. 11. Gardner, W. I. Learning and behavior characteristics of exceptional children and 25. Iiolstoe, 0. P. Teaching educable mentally youth, a humanistic behavioral approach. retarded children. Holt, Rinehart and Allyn and Bacon, Inc, 1977. Winston, Inc., 1970. 12. Gillespie, P. H., & Johnson, L. Teaching 26. Lerner, J. W. Children with learning read* to the mildly retarded child. Charles disabilities. Hcughton Mifflin Compnay, 1976. E. Werrill Publishing Company, 1974. 27. Lovitt, T. C., & Haring, N. G. (Eds.) 13. Hallahan, D. P., & Hauffman, J. M. Clessoom application of precision teaching. Introduction to learning disabilities, a Special Child Publications, 1979. psycho-behavioral approach. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1976. 28. Lovitt, T. C. In spite of my resistance I've learned from children. Charles E. Merrill 14. Haring, N. G., L.ovitt, T. C., Eaton, M. D., & Publishing Company, 1977. Hansen, C. I. The fourth R research in the classroom. Charles E. Merrill Publishing 29. Mandell, c. J., & Fiscus, E. Understanding Company, 1978. exceptional people. West Publishing Company, 1981. 15. Haring, N. G., & Bateman, B. Teaching the learnirg disabled child. P r ent ic e-H all, Inc ., 30. McLoughlin, J. A., & Lewis, R. B. Assessing 1977. special students. Charles E. Merrill Publikhing Company, 1981. 16. Haring, fl. G., & Brown, L. J. (Eds.) Teaching the severely handicapped. Grune 31. Mercer, C. I?. Children and adalescents with and Stratton, Inc., 1976. learning disabilities. Charles E. M er rill Publishing Company, 1979. 17. Haring, N. G. (Ed.) Behavior of exceptional children, an introduction to special education. 32. M eyen, E. I,, Vergason, G. A., & Whelan, R. Charles Merrill Publishing Company, 1974. J. (Eds.) Strategies for teachirg exceptional children, essays from focus on exceptional 18. Haring, N. G., & Hayden, A. H. (Eds.) The children. Love Publishing Company, 1972. improvement of instruction. Special Child Publications, Inc., 1972. 33. Newcomer, P. L. Understanding and teaching emotionally disturbed children. Allyn and Jarrnal of Precision Teaching, Vol. 111, No. 2, Summer, 1982 37 Bacon, Inc., 1980. found to be concurrent with socio-violent television programs that the subject previously 34. Payne, J. S., Polloway, E. A., Smith, J. E., viewed. The parents were extremely upset by Jr., & Payne, R. A. Strategies for teaching these unprecedented outbursts and were the mentally retarded. Charles E. Merrill considering a variety of interventions to alleviate Publishing Company, 1977. the problem. 35. Swanson, H. L., & Reinert, H. R. Teaching Previous to beginning any interventions, the strategies for children in conflict: parents were asked to restrict the subject's Curriculum, methods, and materials. C. V. viewing of violent television programs. As shown Mosby Company, 1979. in Chart 1, this resulted in a drastic decline in violent remarks. The parents concluded that 36. Van Osdol, W. EL., & Shane, D. G. An further interventions such as professional introduction to exceptional children. W. C. counseling and corporal punishment were Brown Publishing Company, 1977. unnecessary. 37. Wallace, G., & McLoughlin, J. A. Leamhg This study illustrates the ease of using a disabilities, concepts and character istics. functionally related event as an effective Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1979. intervention in the treatment of a behavior problem, It suggests that a wide variety of 38. White, 0. R., & Haring, N. G. Exceptional problems may be treated in a similar manner. teaching. Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1976. 39. Wiederhold, J. L., Hammill, D. D., & Brown, Tracey Mucci is an undergraduate student and V. The resource teacher: A guide to William H, Evans is an assistant professor in the effective practices. Allyn and Bacon, Inc., Department of Special Education, University of 1978. West Florida, Pensacola, Florida 32504 (904-476-9500, ext. 2893). 40. Wyne, M. D., & O'Connor, P. D. Exceptional chil&en, a developmental view. D. C. Heath and Company, 1979. LEARNING IN AN EARLY INTERVENTION PRESCHOOL Carp L Robbins Kansas University Sheila Fox is a member of the Special Education faculty at Western Washington University, Lucy is a three year old cerebral palsied child Bellingham, Washington 98225. who is severely physically handicapped, yet functioning above age level in cognitive and receptive language areas. She attends the Special Education Early Intervention Preschool at the University of Kansas. Due to her physical limitations, manipulation of materials and lengthy verbalizations are difficult, tiring tasks. Adaptations are necessary to find a cognitive task which challenges Lucy and allows an Chart-sharing adequate number d responses for practice. A program was written for learning five shape labels. Lucy knew circle, square, and triangle, but was not consistent in labeling them carrectly. Therefore, training began with these THE EFFECT OF RESI'RICTED TELEVISION labels. Each day we went through their names VIEWING ON THE VIOLENT REMARKS OF one at a time, then did a one minute practice A FIVE YEAR OLD BOY timing. During the timing, Lucy performed a receptive task which involved answering the Racey Mucci and William Evans question, "Is this a ? " with a simple yeslno University of West Florida response. This simplified verbalization allowed her to make up to twelve responses per ninute. The five year old boy in this investigation After the practice timing, she again labeled each displayed a high rate of violent language. shape. When Lucy reached her aim of ten Statements concerning killing and injuring people ccrrect responses per minute, and labeled each were quite common. This abusive behavior was shape correctly after the practice, a new shape DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) 6 CYCLE-140 DAYS(20 WKS) BEHAVIOR RESEARCH CO L Parents restricted the viewing of violent television programs - MIN -I - 2 - 5 -10 - 20 .- 50 -100 ,- 200 Chart 1. Using a Functionally Related Event as an Intervention I - 500 SUCCESSIVE CALENDAR DAYS Charles 5 makes violent ------W. Evans T. Mucci -- -. .- - - - .- . SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED University of West Florida Pensacola, Florida remarks -- - .- DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER label was added to the training. LOSING GIUP ON MY NEUROSIS- OR HOW PREClSION TEACHING As seen in Chart 1, Lucy learned four shape CHANGED MY LIFE labels in four weeks. In the fifth week, "diamondw was added to the list of shapes. Lucy Janean E. Holden quickly learned to identify the diamond in the Monticello High School practice session and reached her aim on the third day, with two incorrect responses. The During my two and one-half years as a resource fallowing week, illness kept her from attending teacher, I have mastered the art uf the eclectic preschool for three days. Her responses dropped preparation hour. I would spend my prep periods in the timing sessions which occurred searching frantically for ways to motivate my subsequently. When school was dismissed for Special Education students. I tried dozens of ..,_ spring break, her performance fell again to a dittos, tons of teacher prepared sheets, high ,:'g lower and less accurate rate of response. interest-low vocabulary, low interest-high Accuracy was reestablished after four weeks of vocabulary, content area books, no content practice sessions. Though aim was not reached, books-the works. In class, I found myself I the program was discontinued and intermit tent exhorting, reporting, c averting, even cussing to probe sessions were used, as well as try to get them to want to learn. At best, it generalization probe in different settings. Lucy was I who was beginning to get unmotivated. maintained her accuracy in practice probe 1 sessions and was able to correctly label shapes I found myself sitting more and more in my in other settings. darkened room, staring at my autcgraphed picture of Marva Collins. Where had I gone wrong? The task performed in the practice timing Where was the fulfillment of teaching everyone required a different response than the actual said took the place of a reasonable paycheck? goal of the trainirg, i.e. labeling of five shapes. However, it did allow Lucy to respond at a From the depths of my depression, I heard the higher rate without tiring. More importantly, it voice of my boss calling "Precision allowed a bright three year old girl to do what Teaching-Precision Teaching." Skeptical, but her peers were doirg. Lucy was well aware of desperate, I attended the workshop in Blanding. her physical limitations, Her success in practice For three days, I listened. Then, armed with my resulted in a big smile, a major goal of early herniaproducing bankers box full of acetate and intervention. six+ycle, semi-logarithmic charts, I entered class the fallowing Monday. Lucy attends a noncategorical preschool demonstration classroom, serving children with a The first class I tried P.T. on was a class of wide range of abilities and handicapping nine LD, B.D, and LH. students I wtx teaching conditions. This poplation creatcs the need for geography. Even after giving reports on many adaptations of training tasks to allow European countries, they couldn't find the adequate practice. We are continually looking country they reported about on the globe. I for new ways to adapt materials and responses. also tried discussing the current event situation, We would like to hear from other precision but found that because the news came on at the teachers who are involved in this area of same time as TOM and JERRY, the news lost learning. out. So I tried Thinkmrite European countries, 200 letters in two minutes, after I taught the kids to chart. Low and behold, I began to see changes! Vernon's Chart is just one of many Carp Robbim is the lead teacher in the Special (see Chart 1). They hurried to class, wanted to Education Early Intervention Program, Kansas spend the whole hour on P.T., and used their Univgsity, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045, free time to practice the countries. I began (913) 864-4698. Cherla Heaton is the using my prep hours to prepare direct instruction coordinator and Dr. Nancy Peterson is the materials for tbcm. Their enthusiasm continued C program directcr. to grow. Then, wonder of wonders, some of them even switched off cartoons to listen to the f news of Poland, began asking about the Berlin c. Wall, and discussed Northern Ireland! They even wanted to find out where Guatemala was because 8 Dick Norse had mentioned it Within a week and a half, four students were within six letters of aim and still enthusiastic. The time had come to test the merits of P.T. Could they transfer their knowledge? I gave - DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) It I 5001 Its this (L add - - MIN -I .- 2 -5 -10 - 20 - 50 -100 Chart 1. Lucy's Chart - 200 ,500 N. Peterson C. Heaton C. Robbins SUCCESSIVE CALENDAR DAYS Lucy 3 seelsay --..------. SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED Kansas University Lawrence, Kansas C. Robbins "yeg" or -. - "no" DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER .,. . , - . .&,. DAILYBEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-9ENI 6 CYCLE-140 DAYS (20 WKS) BEHAVIOR RESEARCH CO CALENDAR WEEKS BOX 3351-KANSAS CITY KANS 66103 500 - European Countries lT/W~sia I circle World Capitals I T/W Central American - MIN -I ,- 2 .- 5 -10 - 20 .- 50 -100 Chart 1. Vernon's Social Studies Chart - 200 - 500 Ryberg/Kukic J. Holden Vernon SUCCESSIVECALENDAR DAYS Vernon 14 Gr. 9 write letters ---.------SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL -- COUNTED Monticello- High School Monticello, Utah Vernon DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER c,, c,, . A, each student a country to find on the globe. Monticello, Utah 14535, to Susan Ryberg, n They decided to time one another. The results Precision Teaching Trainer, at the Utah Learning were great. Not only could they locate the Resource Center, 4984 South 300 West, Murray, countries, but if one was a little slower in Utah 84107 (801-263-3915). tracking the country down, the others were jumping up and down wanting to help him. It was amazing! These same kids who could barely find their way out of the classroom were finding Albania and Iceland. These same kids who have Trudy MiUer and Charles Merbitz trouble spelling WANT and WHAT are spelling Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Czechoslovakia!! That's what motivation can do. A relatively common problem after severe Bolstered by success, I started seelsay stories at traumatic head injury (and sometimes stroke) is a 200 words per minute on a student who usually hemianopsia, or visual field deficit (not reads one word in 200 minutes. It's working associated with damage to the eye). Depending here, also. With the P.T. supplementing my on the locus of damage, the person will appear instruction, he is up to 105 words per minute on not to notice visual stimuli in particular parts of a Dolch Primer stmy. This is carrying over into the visual field, commonly the left or right. A his othe reading as well. Fcr him, this is quite traditional exercise for persons with this an accomplishment, and he knows it. diagnasis during rehabilitation is to present them with a sheet of paper bearing lines of types Venturing again into the twilight zone, I started letters or digits, and ask them to locate all using Thinkbay Facts-thirty per minute on four examples of a given letter or group (Diller & students I'd been working with in comprehension. Gmdon, 1981). It has been very successful, even on my most difficult "nut to crackn--an emotionally At the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, we handicapped seventeen year old who can describe are using Precision Teaching measurement in detail every movie he has ever seen that has methods to assess some usual and customary blood and gore in it, but can't tell me what he rehabilitation practices. Chart 1 shows data reads in a second grade reader. It took some from a 42 year old man injured in a motorcycle work, but today he told me twenty-two facts accident in September, 1981. Patient AG 81 was about his story. I had to hide the stopwatch, given 75 letters typed in 5 rows of 15 each, and and he trembled so badly after the timirg that told to circle all of the vowels, which are also he couldn't write, but he fairly floated on air listed at the top of the sheet. Our patient did the rest of the class hour and began talking of this exercise twice daily, and Chart 1 shows the ways he was going to get more facts the next sum of the correctly found vowels, learning time. opportunities, snd minutes for both timings. That's one of the neatest things about Precision A traditional way of working with the patient is Teaching. The kids really do manage their to instruct the patient to start at the upper left learning, and become involved in the planning and scan letter by letter and line by line, tellirg and performance of their tasks. One girl in the him to return to that pattern if he starts to skip geography class discovered that the reason she around the sheet. Chart 1 also shows the wasn't improving was that she was spending too results of this "restrictionn procedure, again as much time on trying to spell the countries, so the sum of two timings per day, taken she changed her organization plan and her scores sequentially. shot up. As can be seen, neither procedure was associated Another big plus for this program is the ease with a stunning correct celeration (overall, with which I can evaluate their learning. In approximately, X1.05 for the "without restrictionn about ten minutes, I can see what has been and about /1.05 for the "restrictionn). effective and who needs what, which leaves me more time for staring at Marva's picture. But However, for "learning opportunities" a much you two said that Precision Teaching doesn't steeper deceleration occurs in the "without make a bad teacher good, it only makes a good restrictionH condition, and an increase in their teacher better. Hmmmm, maybe I'll take down variability in the ttrestriction" condition. Marvafs picture and replace it with mine! A very common stetement about head trauma patients involve their "incomistency," which we translate as daily variability. Comparison of the This article was originally an unsolicited "learning opportunities" data over both of these testimonial written by Janean E. Holden, a charts suggests that the traditional "restrictionn resource teacher at Monticello High School, procedure induces variability as compared to the Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. 111, No. 2, Summer, 1982 4 3 DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN1 6 CYCLE-140 DAYS I20 WKS Chart 1. Visual Scanningwith and withoutRestrictions Without Restriction With Restrictions C. Merbitz T. Miller CALENDAR DAYS a, 4 2 seeharkvowels - . .------SUPERVISOR- ADVISER MANAGER , BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED --Rehabilitation --.- - Institute~f Chicarro Chica~o.Illinois .- TM DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER "without restriction" method. Of course, the dishes was set at 20 per minute because the statistic kappa may be used to measure the dishes were heavier and therefore she needed to variability (Johns ton & Pennypacker, 1980) if make more trips around the table. deired. Mindy was very methodical about her placements. REFERENCES Large plates, cups, and saucers were placed fist and silverware placed last. In addition to the Diller, L., & Gordon, W. A. Interventions for learning that took place, both Mindy and her cognitive deficits in brain-injured adults. mother enjoyed the time together. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1981, 49(6). Johnston, J. J., & Pennypacker, H. S. Bob Bower is an assistant professor and Strategies and tactics of human behavior Catherine Hildebrandt is a student at Wayne research. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, State Cdlege, Wayne, Nebraska 68787. Hillsdale, N.J., 1980. CELTIC PRIDE: A FUNCTIONAL DEFRWION Trudy Miller is a speech-larguage pa thologis t in Jim Pallard the Department of Communication Disorders and Merrimack Assessment and Diagnatic Center Charles Merbitz is a research associate in the Learning Research Unit at the Rehabilitation New England basketball fans enthusiastically Institute of Chicago, 345 East Superior Street, supported the Boston Celtics on the way to Chicago, Illinois 60611 (312-649-6000). completing their third consecutive season with the best won/lost record in the National Basketball Association. Last October their MOTHER AND DAUGIITER fourteenth World Championship banner was LEARNING TOGETHER hoisted to the rafters of the venerable Baston Garden. Last season Celtic players were highly Bob Bower and Catherine Hildebrandt visible throughout the media endcrsing everything Wayne State College from sneakers to McChicken sandwiches and supporting several charitable organizations. When Mindy is a 3 year old girl who like to help her my then 22-month-old son, Patrick (known around mother in the kitchen. The following is a the house as "Packyn), came across a team description and a picture of Mindy learning to photograph in a Sunday newspaper supplement he set a table for four. Sessions were conducted began to seelsay point out the three players he daily at 2:00 p.m. Initially toy dishes, cups and recognized from the ads and public service spots saucers were used. A correct placement and asked me to tell him the names of other included a large plate, saucer, cup, knife, fork players less familiar to him. Every day for two and spoon. weeks I'd arrive home from work to find Packy clutching the photograph and asking me to On Day 1 Mindy set three plates correctly (see listen to him name the Celtic players. Chart 1). By Day 7 it was realized that knife, fork and spoon placement needed work. Startirg As an avid Celtic fan and Precision Teacher, I on Day 8, ccrrect utersil placement was drawn couldn't resist the technology. Many on the placemats. Her mother also told her that Greater-Boston Charters have rediscovered if the table could be set completely in one flashcards via the Lindsley grapevine. I xeroxed minute, Mindy could have a tea party with her seven copies of the team picture, cut cut the three friends (two dolls and her mother). On faces of the players, coaches, trainers, general Day 8, Mindy also started play practicing tea manager and owner, and pasted them onto 2.5 x parties on her own with hff dolls. Day 11 was 3" cards to make Packy a deck of 119 Celtic significant for two reasons: (1) it was the first flashcards depictirg 17 different team members. time that she put all the silverware in one hand I set an aim of 421-correct a minute with no to set the table, and (2) she reached the aim errors baed on my own performance and the and had her tea party. performance of two other adult season-ticket Celtic fans. On Day 14, :a placemat and napkin were added to the place settings. The aim was reached on The cards were accessible to him throughout the the next two successive days, Real dishes were day and he wculd seehame them while playing substituted for plastic dishes on Day 21. A alone or with his 3 year 9 month old brother performance jump down of /3 was followed by a Jimmy. Packy practiced the cards two or three celeration of X2.3. The aim for setting real minutes daily with me presentirg them at a pace Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. III, No. 2, Summer, 1982 45 CALENDAR WEEKS I I I 1 1 I I I I I I 500 - 100- 50 - 0 - $2 W a P C 5- 3.na 3 I '3 - z Ja r. A MIN is I I F3s % - - I -I m n, * W a\ 0- .5- - 2 z 3 -5 0 40 rtF 0 .I- -I0 .05 - - 20 (D P, H a!3 .- 50 H u a -01- Chart 1. Mindy Learns to Set the Table - 100 .005 - - 200 $ 2 H H -500 r - !! SUCCESSIVECALENDAR DAYS R. Bower C. Hildebrandt Mindy 3 places items SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED ----Wape State College Wayne, Nebraska - in the correct position DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER of 40-45 per minute. TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT-WE PROVED IT Each day I asked Packy if he wanted to be Mary Ellen Strobl timed. As his learning picture shows the answer Missouri State Schools for the many times was "No!" "The child knows best," Severely Handicapped right? The cards were presented to him during Mr. and 1Ylrs. Them Deshazer one minute timings of corrects and errors. I did Parents not count skips. After a week of X1.O on the whole deck bee Chart I), Packy asked me to As a summer school student in Precision present him just Larry Bird and two other Teaching at UMKC, taught by Dr. Patrick players from the starting team that he named at McGreevy, I have learned that the concepts of rates higher than other team members. Precision Teaching-count + time + chart- can Accordingly, I sliced his curriculum by pulling all "pay offn with big dividends of learning in short but the starting players from the desk and got a periods of time. frequency jump-up of nearly X4.0 and an acceleration of X1.4 over 8 calendar days. I teach young adult students at one of the After five days of routine practice and no Missouri State Schools for the Severely timings, Packy said, "Daddy, I want all the Handicapped. The story Z share with you is guys." I put all the players back in the deck. about Eric, Packyls correct frequencies divided by nearly 3.0 a fifteen year old student in my but started on a X1.4 acceleration over 24 classroom. He has previously learned the calendar days, His highest frequency was 32 necessary tool skills to prepare him for the correct per minute with no errors. currency management concept of "making change." Therefore, as one of my Precision Packyls acceleration began to turn down and Teaching projects, I challenged him to learn to flatten out over the last several timings. It was make change for purchases up to $1.00, in three clear from observing Packy that the ceiling weeks. I set his counting period at five minutes. which was appearing was impased by his lack of I discussed the aim with his parents. We agreed that to make change for one item every fifteen fluency in saying names with several syllables seconds (20 correct15 minutes) would be very like "Redn Auerbach, "Tinyn Archibald, Gerald "hard-to-do," since this was a totally new Henderson, and Cedric Maxwell. The calendar concept for Eric. I set his aim at 25 correct15 day after the last frequency on the Chart, I minutes. asked Packy if he wanted to do a timing. He said "No, I dontt want to." That was the last Eric's parents were so excited about his time he wanted anything to do with the cards. Three weeks later I picked up the deck and tried challenge that they asked to watch my teaching a timing-3 correct and 9 errors. My interest is procedure and help in any way they could. They in whether Packyls retention would have been offered to give Eric his 5 minute counting higher had he reached the adult pace I used as periods on the days I was unable to do so. I was elated at their interest and enthusiasm. To an aim. keep our counting periods charted separately and yet together on the same Chart, I used dots/xts Many basketball fans have looked askance at the for my timings and squares/xls for the parentst notion of ''Celtic Pride." P ackyls celerations and timings. This was an exciting cooperative frequencies hopefully serve as a functional experience. definition of Celtic Pride--in two-year-olds any way! Eric's first task was making change for amounts up to 10 cents. We couldn't believe that in just 10 days he reached his aim of 25 corrects15 Jim Pollard is the program director at the minutes, but his 'learning picturen proved it (see Merrimack Assessment and Diagnastic Center, 101 Chart 1). We "leaped aheadn to amounts up to Mill Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts 01824 one dollar. Eric reached his aim of 25 (617-256-6254). corrects/5 minutes in just 11 days. What a thrill it was to mark the end of his three week challenge with a dot on the aim line. The excitement Eric, his parents and I shared in this project was an enriching experience, I am sure the same feelings of successful learning have been felt by everyone who has TRIED Precision Teaching and knows IT REALLY WORKS! Javnd of Precision Teach*, Vol. ID, No. 2, Summer, 1982 DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN1 6 CYCLE-140 DAYS (20 WKS ) : Team Whole Team Team ! Packy 's 2nd. Birthday - * x1.4 AJ4+H - - MIN -I ,- 2 .- 5 -10 - 20 .- 50 -100 Chart 1. Packy Learns the Names of Boston Celtic Players I::: --.------Jim "Daddy"-- Pollard SUCCESS'VE CALENDAR DAYS Patrick "pa&yl' Pollard age: 2 seelsay---names.---. SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED Maureen Pollard Jim Pollard of Celtic players A .- DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER v DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) 6 CYCLE-140 DAYS (20 WKS ) BEHAVIOR RESEARCH CO CALENDAR WEEKS BOX 3351 -KANSAS CITY. KANS 66103 - Amounts up to $1.00 - MIN -I ,- 2 --5 -10 - 20 .- 50 - 100 Chart 1. Mother and Teacher Help Eric Learn to Make Change - 200 -500 Mary Ellen Strobl Mr. and Mrs. Deshazer SUCCESSIVE CALENDAR DAYS Eric see/make change ------SUPERVISOR MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED - .- DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER Chart 1 displays the data for each drills-perday Mary Ellen Strobl is a teacher with the Missouri condition. Each data point represents an State Schools for the Severely Handicapped. She average of all the drills performed by the eight resides at Route 2, Box 7, Peculiar, Missouri students that day. Across a11 four math 64078. Mr. and Mrs. Theron Dehazer are Eric's operations, the two-drills-perday condition parents. produced a celeration of X1.4 per week, while the one-drill-per-day condition produced a celeration of X1.3 per week. The available data THE EFFECT OF NUMBER OF MATH DBILIS points from the four-and-eight-drills-per-day PER DAY ON MATH PERFORMANCE conditiom indicate the passibility of much higher celerations. sheran Raggio and Stephen C. Bitgood Jacksonville State University These data suggest that two drills per day on math operations is likely to produce slightly Frequency testing cr short drills on basic math higher celeration than one drill per day. Some facts has been shown to be an effective method evidence is presented suggesting that four or of increesing proficiency in an expedient manner eight drills per day may produce considerably (eg., Bitgood, submitted; Bitgood & Mitchell, higher celerations. submitted; Haughton, 1980; Van Houten & Thompson, 1976). The purpose of the present study wm to find the optimum number of drills per day for frequency testing. Information on Bitgood, SC. The effects of speed and the optimum number of drills per day would be accuracy training on basic math skilis. important since it would allow the precision Submitted to Journal of Applied Behavior teacher to develop more cost-effective Analysis. imhctional procedures. Bitgood, S. C, & Mitchell, A. Trainirg in bask Eight youths, 12 to 16 years of age, with grade math: Effects of drill length on response levels from 5th to 9th grade, served as rates. Submitted to Educath~and Tkafment participants. At the time of the study they af Children. were all temporary residents of a group home for youths judged by the courts to be in need of Haughton, E. C. Practicing practices: supervision. Math achievement performance Learning by activity. Journal of Precision levels for these youths on the Wide Range TeacBiag, 1980, 1, 3-20. Achievement Test varied from grade level 3.6 to 7.6. The students were given daily drills in all Van Houten, R. V., & Thompson, C. The four math operations (Le, addition, subtraction, effects of explicit timing on math multiplication, and division); answers were performance. Journal of Applied Behavim written on mimeographed worksheets each -Is, 1976, 9, 227-230. containing 100 basic math facts. The number of drills pa day for each math operation was fixed at either one, two, four, or eight. Drills per day and math operation were counterbalanced. Sharon Raggio is a graduate student and Stephen Thus, two students received one drill per day on C. Bitgood is an associate professor of addition, two on subtraction, four on Psychology, Jacksonville State University, multiplication, and eight on division; the next Jacksonville, Alabama 3626 5. two students received one drill Der dav on subtraction, two on multiplicat~on,fo& on division. and ekht on addition: the next two students rece'ived one drill per day on multiplication, two on division, four on addition, and eight on subtraction; and the last two students received one drill per day on division, About PT two on addition, four on subtraction, and eight on multiplication. Students were given a total of 16 drills on each math operation across trainirg. Raining was distributed over 16 days fcr the onedrillperday condition, eight days for the two-drillper-day condition, four days for the f our-drillperday condition, and two days for the eight-drill~er-daycondition. Each drill was one minute in duration. Welcome to Volume XU, No. 2. If you are a new subscriber, a very special welcome goes out to DAILY BEHAVIOR CHART (DCM-SEN) 6 CYCLE-140 DAYS (20 WKS ) MIN I One Drill Two Drills Four Drills Eight Drills 2 Per Day Per Day Per Day Per Day 5 10 20 50 100 Chart 1. The Number of Math Drills Per Day S. Bitgood S. Raggio CALENDAR DAYS 8 youths 12-16 seefwrite digits ------.. . -. SUPERVISOR ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, Alabama - - DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER you! T- and Learning in Plain English by McGreevy, Patrick We are trying to make JPT responsive to the Plain Erglish Publications needs of both practitioners and researchers. If P.O. Box 7224 you have questions, suggestions or comments, Kansas City, Missouri 64113 please don't hesitate to call or write: Procedures P.O. Box 7224 Elementary Principles and of the Kansas City, Missouri 64113 Standard Behavia Chart by Koorland, Mark, and Martin, Mitchell B. (816) 474-7770 (980-580) Odyssey Learn- Center, Inc. (816) 436-6349 (evenirgs), 2630 N.W. 39th Avenue If you are a professor or instructcr and would Gainesville, Florida 32601 like to use JPT in your college caurse, remember and Human the subscription rate for full time students is Strategies Tactics of Behavioral $8.00 per volume. Sets of Volume I and I1 are Reeearch still available. They can be combined into a by Johnston, James M, and Pennypacker, two-volume set for $16.00. If you haven't H. S. already done so, ask your library to subscribe to Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers JPT. 365 Broadway Hillsdale, New Jersey 07642 If you are a teacher, counselor, therapist or principal, ask your school to subscribe to JPT C...... orm Application of Precision Teachfng and put it in the staff lounge. by Lovitt, Thomas C. and Haring, Norris G. (editcrs) A special thank you goes out to the following Special Child Publications people for serviq as guest editars: 4535 Union Bay Place N.E. Terry McManus and Greg Yardley Seattle, Washkgton 98105 Capital City High School Topeka, Kansas Precision Teaching, An Initial Training sequence Julie Livesay and Linda Diviaio by Kunzelmann, Harold et al. Orange Cmty Public Schools Special Child Publications Orlando, Florida Karen Neufeld Tabor Cdlege Hillsbcro, Kansas The following conference is coming up in Christine Salisbury September. A number of precision teachers are State University of New York planning to attend: Binghamton, New York BEHAVIOR Peggy Newman CONFERENCE ON ANALYSLS IN EDUCATION Worcester State Cdlege SEPTEMBER 16-18, 1982 Worcester, Massachusetts. Ohio State University For those of you who are new to Precision Columbus, Ohio Teaching, the following is a list of books available for use as texts, training manuals or For more information, contact: Dr. Jeffrey R. Herold, Associate Directm, Office of Continuing resource materials: Education, 2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210, (614) 422-8571. Hendbodr of the Standard Behevim Chart by Pennypacker, H. S, Koenig, C. H., and Lindsley, 0. R. Precis ion Media Box 3222 Marie Eataa and Peggy Albrecbt Kansas City, KS 66103 Susan Thomsen at the Mississippi Bend Area llxeeptiaral Teachitlg (Snd, ~dition) Education Agency in Clinton, Iowa, wrote to by White, Owen, and Haring, Naris describe a curriculum which she and Dave Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co. 1300 Alum Creek Drive Schoemer have devised for Communication Aides Columbus, Ohio 43216 to use with students who have mild articulation and language disorders. classroom teacher is given some As a Speech Clinician with Mississippi suggestions for carryover in the Bend Area Education Agency in Clinton, classroom. Iowa, I have been using Precision Teaching for about three years with We're getting the data tcgether now and preschool and elementary children mainly have been asked to train all of the 12 for language and articulation. Communication Aides to use Precision Teaching next fall. W e1re also working Currently our agency has Communication on a language program for the Aides to Aides (about 12 in Area #9) and they use based on Precision Teaching. We're work with mild articulation and languege hoping to accumulate some interesting cases under the supervision of a data. clinician. Dave Schoemer and I have evaluated the articulation program using A group of about 12 Clinicians from AEA Precision Teaching and have data to #9 has formed a Task Force and we're show that the Echo Articulation Program, just completing task analyzing hierarchies which the Aides have been using for for articulation, syntax, morphology, several years, is: vocabulary and concepts. We've also lock step been sampling normal 2nd and 3rd grade too easy children to establish proficiency standards doesn't program for carryover fa 12 pinpoints. We're going to have teaches accuracy without proficiency this available for the staff in the fall. only allows the Aide to work on one We're planning on plling as much of this sound at a time. information together as we can in order to write a manual on daily assessment So, we have been experimenting using and data-based decision making through Precision Teaching with one of the Precision Teaching for Speech and Communication Aides this Spring. I Language Clinicians. arranged the hierarchy for articulation learning from isolation to conversation. Due to the lack of speech and language Pretesting allows the Aide to start the probes, I've marketed a book of 100 child at the appropriate step on the hierarchy and through sampling daily, she probes with 20 pictures per probe knows when to make a change. We've through LinguiSys tems, Inc., Suite 806, also programmed for carryover by 1630 5th Avenue, Moline, Illinois 61265. including a daily 5-minute question and It's called SPARC: Stimulus Pictures for answer sample and a 5-minute Assessment, Remediation and carryover. The probes cover articulation, syntax, conversation sample once a week. mapholcgy, vocabulary and concepts. I'm including a sample Aide Chart (see Susan also mentioned that she and Dave run Chart 1) with articulation data. This workshops for speech clinicians which include: one happers to be for the r sound. The assessments include: 1. Advantages of continuous assessment. 2. Advantages of rate as a measure 1. A one-minute seelsay sentence sample from 20 pictures containing the target (accuracy vs. proficiency). sound. The aim is 30-35 sentences per 3. How to use the Standard minute. Celeration Chart. 4. Stages of learning and learning pictures. 2. A 5-minute hearlsay answer to 5. Data-based decision making. questions containing the target word. 6. Task analysis. (We don't yet have an aim for 7. Setting proficiency standards. corrects, but our goal is one or no The workshop ranges from 1-112 days to 3 days errors in 5-minutes at this time.) depending on the depth and amount of information presented. They also have presented 3. A 5-minute conversation sample per a 2-hour overview of the advantages of Precision week. Our aim is one or no errors Teach@ for Speech Clinicians. during the 5-minute sample. Once the child reduces errors in the two Anyone interested in either the curriculum or 5-minute tasks, the child is put on workshops can contact them for more Provisional Release after the parents are information: given a probe and home pragram and the Journal of Precision Teaching, Vol. 111, No. 2, Summer, 1982 1000 """ I I 1 I I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I 500 - Chart 1. Taryn's ArticulationChart 100- - 8 50 -) A kl .eJ k0 srl a rl J . aaa - 10- 'It X. 0 X .. 0.. 6 4" W . 04' . maa & .A00 .@A ",Pq 5-, X Q) 8 k *A 3 . % +J ,t sX* U x Y X 4. U rl z XlW $ 5, S* % !32$ MIN X 5 F4mLJ.23& -I 0: I- - 4(W * x X W ? ?F A 4'2 6? X .rl?OLJ& a ,- 2 a .5- X UPIFd I- Z "Says sentences from a .+ -- -5 03 probe containing20 pictures" - 0 .I- 3 - 10 . "Hear/say answers to questions x containing the target sound" b "Think/say words for five minutes" X (Conversationsample) D. Schoemer S. Thomsen S. Thomsen CALENDAR DAYS Tarm 8 says "rl' sound -- -- .------SUPERVISOR- ADVISER MANAGER BEHAVER AGE LABEL COUNTED Mississippi- Bend Area Education Agency Clinton, Iowa Sander .- S. Thomsen DEPOSITOR AGENCY TIMER COUNTER CHARTER Susan Thomsen able to pinpoint appropriate therapeutic Dave Schoemer objectives and provide extremely fine-tuned Mississippi Bend AEA information to teachers, parents, administratcrs, 2604 North 4th Street, Building 8 etc. Clinton, Iowa 52732 (319) 242-6454 The development of precision diagnostic assessment at MSEC led to the opening of the Merrimack Diagnastic Assesanent Center in June. Susan Thomsen The center dfers a variety of assessment and 209 5th Avenue consultation services and competes directly with Camanche, Iowa 52730 such prestigious, but comparatively primitive (319) 259-1854 assessment services (e.g., checklists and categorical diagnoses) as are offered by Thanks to Susan for sharing her information. Children's Hospital in Boston and other more Anyone else who is excited about what they are medically oriented facilities. If it "sells," doing in either teacher training or curriculum MSECts assessment service could represent a developmqt, please write to, major step forward in the habilitationlrehabilitation Marie Eaton field. Department d Education Western W eshington Univgsity Far further information contact: Bdngham, WA 98225 Jim Pollard Merrimack Assessment Peggy Albrecht and Diagnastic Center Department of Educational Administration 101 Mill Road Kansss University--Bailey Hall Chelmsford, MA 01824 Lawrence, Kansas 66045. (617-256-6254) and well try to pms on the information to the readers of JPT. William Waking, Stephen Graf, and John Bableman At the 1982 Association for Behavior Analysis meetings in Milwaukee, there were several Carl Binder and Charles Mabib sgsions devoted to merging technologies. One At the Merrimack Special Education Cdlabaative addressed the issues involved in merging PT and (MSEC) in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, therapists DI (Direct Instruction). In another, Lindsley of various disciplines have been using the pointed up some of the thirgs he is doing about Standard Celeration Chart fa a number of years. merging PT and microcomputer technology, Our column this time describes some of the Under the leadership of Jim Pollard, the experiences of using five Atari 800 program's director, all educational and microcomputers in the Gainesville Academy--a therapeutic efforts have been Chart-based. private K-12 school in Florida. Elizabeth Linda Burgoyne, Speech Therapist, Cathy Connors Nancarrow and her teaching staff have taken the and Sally Siciliano, OTRts, and Sue Imbiglio, first steps in what is probably a long road RPT, have worked with teachers at the center toward using both PT and microcomputer to create a t~lytransdisciplinary data base, technology to maximize both student and teacher learnirg and achievement. A great deal of energy at MSEC has been devoted to the development of 5-10 day diagnostic assessment procedures across all The Atarifs were installed in the school last fall, disciplines. Analyzing communication skills, fine They form a small network that accesses two motor skills (including ocular motor and oral disk drives and an Epsom MX 80 printer. One of the first decisions facing you when you get motor), gross motor movement, and all kinds of microcomputers, is where to put them. self-care and academic skills into sets of Gainesville Academy put all of the micros in a elements, the MSEC staff conduct brief (usually small alcove beneath the stairway by the main 15 or 30 sec.) timings on each of a set of skills school entrance. The alcove has a window on for 5 to 10 consecutive school days. (In fact, one wall, giving pleasant lighting. All five Jim Stirling, MSECts highly skilled assessment computers are close together facirg a wall 90 specialist, actually con&cts mat of the timings.) degrees from the window. There are no On the basis of celerations, and comparisons separators between computers, so the children between skilled performance standards and clientst performance levels, the therapists are may talk with each other freely and look at the Jannal of Precision Teach& Vol. I& No. 2, Summer, 1982 55 display screen of adjacent computers. This development. arrangement stands in sharp contrsst to the usual one of placing the micros in small cubicles with For those of you who are TRS-80 users, there is barriers between thern+ike library carrels. The a complete math curriculum available to teach advantages of the Gainesville Academy and monitor all the typical skills between arrangement in terms of socializations skills, Kindergarten and 8th grade. It is called cooperation on programming tasks and Spark-80, and was written especially for spontaneous competition on academic precision teachers. It includes programs for performances are well worth considering. assessment and placement, daily timirgs, remedial Frequently one sees notices taped on the wall tutorials, and built in reinforcers in the form of such as, "Jimmy Jones,May 24th, 27 state graphic displays. The displays are more capitols per minute, BEAT THSn The animated interesting or animated as the learner improves. cooperation and competition appear to be This courseware includes programs to store, chart benefits of this physical arrangement. The and analyze the data on all skills f