Use of a Constant Time Delay Procedure in Teaching Preschoolers in a Group Format

Abstract

The primary purpose of this Investigation was to evaluate the effects of constant time delay (a near-errorless teaching strategy) in teaching preschoolers sight word reading in a group. A secondary purpose was to assess the effects of two attentional responses, specific (repeating the letter names) and general (looking at the stimulus cards) on observational and related, nontarget learning. A multiple probe design across pairs of words was used to evaluate the procedure. The results of the investigation indicate that (a) constant time delay was reliably implemented in a group setting, (b) constant time delay was effective in teaching all targeted stimuli in near-errorless fashion, (c) observational and related, nontarget learning (expressive labeling of words, receptive identification of words, matching words to pictures and pictures to words, and receptive spelling of words) occurred across students, and (d) the specific attending response resulted in greater expressive labeling, receptive identification, and receptive spelling of other children's target words than did the general attending response.