Examined the effects of activity period duration on preschoolers' play with playdough and blocks. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed significantly more constructive and dramatic play, and less functional play, at the end of the play period. Differences between the quality of play in block and playdough centers were found. (Author/BB)

Describes a study of undergraduates that was conducted to examine the equivalence of the mode of administration using the paper-pencil and computer-based versions of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory. Differences in scores are discussed, time taken for the inventories is studied, and further research is suggested. (Contains 16 references.)…

In two experiments, children and adults were exposed to four different information-processing tasks to measure speed and variability of performance across different age groups. It was found that 10- and 11-year-olds were about 1.7 and 1.6 times slower than 19-year-olds, differences that were not affected by allowing both groups practice on the…

Schedules of classroom activities and direct observation of actual activities were collected in 24 early childhood special education classrooms. Significant differences were found between the amount of time that teachers allotted for activities (such as play, self-care, transition, and story time) and the amount of observed time that children…

Forty-seven young children, 15 with disabilities, were observed 4 times for types and levels of engagement. Results indicated that engagement is difficult to measure through molecular data collection techniques because of error in dependability measures. The number of observed sessions could be increased to achieve generalizability, but increases…

To serve at-risk minority students better, secondary schools should exchange the usual six-period daily schedule for an intensive, single-subject format (similar to summer school) during the typical 36-week calendar. One immediate advantage of using intensive three-week sessions for each subject is increasing time spent on academics. (six…

Discusses what are believed to be five areas of neglect in foreign language instruction in the elementary school. These include the following: time allocation, time on the task, teacher preparation, program expectations, and articulation. (GLR)

Although most efforts to improve academic learning time have been directed at classroom teachers, principals can also employ schoolwide procedures to improve time usage. This article presents 11 such strategies involving direction-setting, direct staff support, and structural alterations. Academic learning time should be a schoolwide goal linked…

Discussion of the design of computer menus focuses on two experiments that examined task time across several orderings of menu lists. Findings are described that demonstrated that good physical layout in screen design is not sufficient without good conceptual layout. The size of menu lists for maximizing efficiency is considered. (Contains 17…

This study examined the effect of a salient multimodal reinforcer on object search performance of 9 children with Down's syndrome (24-56 months old). Attentional deficits of children with mental retardation or at risk for delay influenced their performance. Contingency learning of children with Down's syndrome may be affected by the attentional…

This study of 90 kindergarten children examined gender differences in learning interest from different designs of multimedia interfaces. Results indicate a significant difference between boys and girls in the influence of the design of interactive multimedia stories on time on task and on level of satisfaction with the interfaces. (Author/LRW)

How much do noninstructional minutes in a school day cost? Principals can figure out how many "mission minutes" it takes to hold an assembly or other activity, what it costs, and whether it is worth it. For instance, using clerical labor for registration is cheaper than having students do it. (MLH)

A study involving an elementary student with learning disabilities evaluated the effectiveness of a high-probability request sequence on compliance to a request for completion of a math assignment. High probability requests were effective in reducing the latency to compliance but only minimally affected duration of engagement. (Contains five…

Describes a study focused on the amount of time students spend on task while using Total Quality Education tools and principles in their daily academic activities. Classroom observation found that elementary students in TQE classrooms spent more time on task. Teachers should trade their traditional boss-management role for a lead-management role.…

Examines the effect of network and public television programs on children's: ability to attend to a task, time on task, and engagement in rough-and-tumble play. Sixty-two children were assigned to one of three groups that watched: (1) a public television program; (2) a network television program; and (3) no television and instead played with…