The Good Behavior Game (GBG, Barrish, Saunders, & Wolf, 1969) and the PATHS Curriculum (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies; Greenberg, Kusche, Cook, & Quamma, 1995) represent 2 universal, elementary school, preventive interventions which have been shown in large-scale, randomized controlled trials to have an immediate and beneficial…

The researchers examined the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based attention group with elementary school students struggling with attention problems. The results revealed that students in the intervention group were more likely to improve their on-task behavior and decrease their attention problems during the group compared to students in the…

Two studies examined the validity and factor structure of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist, an instrument used to evaluate school-based programs. The checklist is a cost-effective alternative to the original interview format, and the factor structure is consistent across gender, race, age, and time of administration.…

Meta-analysis on 25 studies found that both methodologically strong and weak studies demonstrated significant behavioral deficits of children with learning disabilities in 5 areas: on-task behavior, off-task behavior, conduct disorders, distractibility, and shy/withdrawn behavior. Effect sizes clustered around 1 standard deviation. (Author/DB)

This study examines the effects of using response cost in combination with positive reinforcement procedures in helping two second grade students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder maintain their attention in the classroom. This involved the loss of reinforcers/points contingent upon inappropriate behavior in the classroom, in addition…

This study, with four preschool children who displayed difficulty maintaining independent on-task behavior, found they were able to learn a self-monitoring strategy (comprising self-talk, self-appraisal, and self-recording) and to maintain the targeted behavior improvements upon removal of the prompts. (DB)

This study investigated gender differences in kindergarteners' literacy skills, specifically, whether differences in children's classroom behaviors explained females' early learning advantage. Data included information on 16,883 kindergartners (8,701 boys and 8,182 girls) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort of…

This case study describes an intervention to increase compliance with routine tasks in a 7-year-old boy with moderate mental retardation. Prior to intervention the boy was unable to complete a series of eight routine tasks associated with arriving at school and preparing for work. The highly structured intervention used picture prompts for each…

This article reviews the literature on self-monitoring interventions with students having learning disabilities. It discusses results of self-monitoring studies in terms of major dependent measures, such as on-task behavior and academic productivity and accuracy. It then analyzes studies comparing effects of self-monitoring of attention and…