Effects of Complete Learning Trials on Child Engagement

Abstract

T he effects on child engagement of adult use of systematic, naturalistic instructional strategies within an embedded instruction context were examined. Following baseline observations of two children with disabilities and same-age classmates without disabilities, three different instructional strategies were implemented with each child with a disability and one child without disabilities using an alternating treatments design. Results indicated that levels of engagement for the three target children during baseline (embedded instruction only) were low. Engagement was higher (and approximated levels of same-class peers without disabilities) for two of three systematic instructional conditions designed to increase the probability of responding by ensuring complete learning trials. Described are implications related to the need to use systematic, naturalistic instructional strategies in embedded instruction contexts and the potential use of engagement as an indicator of response opportunities.

An Evaluation of the Relative Efficacy of and Children's Preferences for Teaching Strategies That Differ in Amount of Teacher Directedness

“…Both teacher-initiated and child-initiated learning opportunities were included in Strategy 3 to facilitate both the acquisition and generalization of target relations. Some early childhood researchers have expressed a concern that embedded teaching procedures may not in isolation provide sufficient learning opportunities for skill acquisition (e.g., Daugherty et al, 2001;Van Der Heyden, Snyder, Smith, Sevin, & Longwell, 2005). Our results provide support for those concerns.…”

Effectiveness of embedded instruction in early childhood special education: a literature review

“…Although empirical literature and legislation acknowledge the importance and benefits of inclusive practices, cautions have been noted with respect to providing children with disabilities appropriate and adequate opportunities to learn new skills within the context of ongoing activities and routines in inclusive settings. Researchers have also noted a need to develop effective and efficient instructional practices that support children's learning in natural environments (Hemmeter 2000;Odom 2000;Sandall et al 2005;VanDerHeyden et al 2005).…”

“…free play, snack, circle time and learning centres, cleanup times, playground activities, transition times between activities); (c) using a range of systematic instructional strategies to support learning based on individual children's specific needs (e.g. environmental arrangements, naturalistic time delay, prompt and prompt fading strategies, and feedback/consequence strategies); and (d) teaching new skills in settings where the children naturally need to use them (Horn et al 2000;McBride and Schwartz 2003;VanDerHeyden et al 2005).…”

Examining Engagement and Interaction of Children With Disabilities in Inclusive Kindergartens in China

“…Therefore, many researchers (Ramey & Ramey, 2006;Raspa, McWilliam, & Ridley, 2001;Ridley, McWilliam, & Oates, 2000) have used measures of child engagement within childcare settings to assess the quality with which early childhood programs are serving children with special needs, while others have directly examined the efficacy of early intervention programs by measuring children's engagement (e.g., McWilliam, Trivette, & Dunst, 1985). Moreover, to promote engagement skills, researchers have developed interventions (e.g., Miller, Strain, Boyd, Jarzynka, & McFetridge, 1993;Reinhartsen, Garfinkle, & Wolery, 2002;VanDerHeyden, Snyder, Smith, Sevin, & Longwell, 2005) as well as examined teacher or curriculum variables that might influence the quality of engagement (e.g., McWilliam, Scarborough, & Kim, 2003) in various contexts.…”