An ABAB withdrawal design was used to investigate the effects of explicit timing on accurate oral reading rate of sight word phrases of four elementary students demonstrating difficulty with reading. During baseline the students were exposed to flash cards with sight word phrases and asked to read them out loud and were not made aware that they…

The use of rate data in precision teaching, to improve fluency of student response, is discussed. Noted are its advantages, the demands it places on teachers and students, the impact on measurement procedures, and guidelines for determining when to shift from acquisition to fluency instruction. (JDD)

Based on the classic test-wiseness principles of J. Millman, C. H. Bishop, and R. Ebel, the STAR strategy streamlines the taking of timed tests. Before explaining the strategy to students, the instructor can convince students of the advantages of the strategy by administering a short test to determine students' test-wiseness. The STAR strategy…

A speed reading technique is described for use with reluctant readers. The technique uses timed probes with practically any reading material, to heighten student motivation in addition to increasing fluency. Methods for self-recording progress data and strategies for building fluency are described. (JDD)

Presents a flexible plan for scoring straight-copy timed typewriting in any typing class, secondary or postsecondary, which is particularly useful for classes where the students have varied backgrounds in typing. (MF)

Nineteen gifted students and 11 average students, age 11, completed Einstellung Test problems and were queried about their metacognitive knowledge. A three-way interaction among giftedness, speed, and flexibility was found, with metacognitive knowledge as the criterion. Regardless of speed, inflexible children had less metacognitive knowledge than…

Eighteen learning-disabled high school students who were provided with seven hours of instruction in keyboarding skills made significant gains in keyboarding speed. There were no differential effects between drill-and-practice and game formats on skill acquisition and attitudes, but the game format had a detrimental effect on continuing…

This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Blind Learning Aptitude Test with 193 Indian children (ages 8-15) with visual impairments and the relationship between time to complete and test performance. Results indicated satisfactory validity and reliability and completion rates of 30 to 133 minutes. (DB)

The advanced typewriting course (for college students) effectively provided for individual differences through the use of proficiency tests, pretests, learning assignment units at three student-selected levels, timed tests, and individual pacing. (MS)

Examines placement test scores of first-time freshmen in Tennessee postsecondary institutions to see whether timed placement testing creates disparate entry-level tracks for disadvantaged and advantaged students. Compares placement scores by ethnicity. Reports that fewer Black students completed all items on the placement test than White students.…

This article offers guidelines for using timed drills to achieve computational fluency in elementary students. It considers the acquisition and practice stages of learning, setting fluency aims and objectives, measuring fluency, research supporting time trials, how to do time trials, and 11 specific guidelines for conducting time trials. (DB)

A father shares his family's experience raising two sons with neuromuscular impairments and offers advice for parents, teachers, and counselors working with such individuals. Specific problems and possible solutions are discussed, including self-esteem, written work, timed tests, physical education and recess, counseling, other assistance, and…

To determine whether children's knowledge of arithmetic facts becomes increasingly "automatic" with age, 7-year-olds, 11-year-olds, and adults were given a number-matching task for which mental arithmetic should have been irrelevant. Specifically, students were required to verify the presence of a probe number in a previously presented pair (e.g.,…

Describes a study designed to determine if the amount of time allocated for answering multiple true/false type questions affects the grades of the medical students taking the tests. Students who had 2-1/4 minutes to answer each question scored significantly better than those who had 1-1/2 minutes or 3 minutes. (TW)

This book considers legal questions, theoretical issues, and practical methods for meeting the assessment needs of students with disabilities. It is comprised of ten chapters and includes test accommodation topics relating to federal and state regulations (including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997), problems…