Incremental Rehearsal
Study: Burns (2005)
Summary
A student is presented with flashcards containing unknown items added in to a group of known items. Presenting known information along with unknown can increase retention of the newly learned items, behavioral momentum and resulting time on task. Research shows that this technique can be used with sight/vocabulary words, simple math facts, letter names, and survival words/signs.
- Target Grades:
- Age 3-5, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Target Populations:
-
- Students with learning disabilities
- Students with intellectual disabilities
- Any student at risk for academic failure
- Area(s) of Focus:
-
- Alphabet knowledge
- Fluency
- Computation
- Where to Obtain:
- James Tucker
- The intervention is an instructional technique that is available to anyone.
- The intervention is listed on several websites including: http://ebi.missouri.edu/?s=incremental+rehearsal and http://interventioncentral.com/academic-interventions/math-facts/math-computation-promote
- Initial Cost:
- Free
- Replacement Cost:
- Free
-
Incremental Rehearsal is a non-commercial intervention and, therefore, does not have a formal pricing plan.
- Staff Qualified to Administer Include:
-
- Special Education Teacher
- General Education Teacher
- Reading Specialist
- Math Specialist
- Interventionist
- Student Support Services Personnel (e.g., counselor, social worker, school psychologist, etc.)
- Paraprofessional
- Other:
- Training Requirements:
- Training not required
-
The technique is described in two places. There is an unpublished document (Tucker, 1988) that is available for free from the author. It is also described in Tucker & Burns (2016), which is available for free to members of the National Association of School Psychologists. The technique has also been described in the dozens of articles that have been published about it.
- Access to Technical Support:
- Not available
- Recommended Administration Formats Include:
-
- Individual students
- Minimum Number of Minutes Per Session:
- 10
- Minimum Number of Sessions Per Week:
- 3
- Minimum Number of Weeks:
- 10
- Detailed Implementation Manual or Instructions Available:
- No
- Is Technology Required?
- No technology is required.
Program Information
Descriptive Information
Please provide a description of program, including intended use:
A student is presented with flashcards containing unknown items added in to a group of known items. Presenting known information along with unknown can increase retention of the newly learned items, behavioral momentum and resulting time on task. Research shows that this technique can be used with sight/vocabulary words, simple math facts, letter names, and survival words/signs.
The program is intended for use in the following age(s) and/or grade(s).
Age 3-5
Kindergarten
First grade
Second grade
Third grade
Fourth grade
Fifth grade
Sixth grade
Seventh grade
Eighth grade
Ninth grade
Tenth grade
Eleventh grade
Twelth grade
The program is intended for use with the following groups.
Students with learning disabilities
Students with intellectual disabilities
Students with emotional or behavioral disabilities
English language learners
Any student at risk for academic failure
Any student at risk for emotional and/or behavioral difficulties
Other
If other, please describe:
ACADEMIC INTERVENTION: Please indicate the academic area of focus.
Early Literacy
Alphabet knowledge
Phonological awareness
Phonological awarenessEarly writing
Early decoding abilities
Other
If other, please describe:
Language
Grammar
Syntax
Listening comprehension
Other
If other, please describe:
Reading
Phonics/word study
Comprehension
Fluency
Vocabulary
Spelling
Other
If other, please describe:
Mathematics
Concepts and/or word problems
Whole number arithmetic
Comprehensive: Includes computation/procedures, problem solving, and mathematical concepts
Algebra
Fractions, decimals (rational number)
Geometry and measurement
Other
If other, please describe:
Writing
Spelling
Sentence construction
Planning and revising
Other
If other, please describe:
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION: Please indicate the behavior area of focus.
Externalizing Behavior
Verbal Threats
Property Destruction
Noncompliance
High Levels of Disengagement
Disruptive Behavior
Social Behavior (e.g., Peer interactions, Adult interactions)
Other
If other, please describe:
Internalizing Behavior
Anxiety
Social Difficulties (e.g., withdrawal)
School Phobia
Other
If other, please describe:
Acquisition and cost information
Where to obtain:
- Address
- The intervention is an instructional technique that is available to anyone.
- Phone Number
- Website
- The intervention is listed on several websites including: http://ebi.missouri.edu/?s=incremental+rehearsal and http://interventioncentral.com/academic-interventions/math-facts/math-computation-promote
Initial cost for implementing program:
- Cost
- $0.00
- Unit of cost
Replacement cost per unit for subsequent use:
- Cost
- $0.00
- Unit of cost
- Duration of license
Additional cost information:
Describe basic pricing plan and structure of the program. Also, provide information on what is included in the published program, as well as what is not included but required for implementation (e.g., computer and/or internet access)
Incremental Rehearsal is a non-commercial intervention and, therefore, does not have a formal pricing plan.Program Specifications
Setting for which the program is designed.
Small group of students
BI ONLY: A classroom of students
If group-delivered, how many students compose a small group?
Program administration time
- Minimum number of minutes per session
- 10
- Minimum number of sessions per week
- 3
- Minimum number of weeks
- 10
- If intervention program is intended to occur over less frequently than 60 minutes a week for approximately 8 weeks, justify the level of intensity:
- The upper range for dosage would be 15 minutes per session, 4 times per week, which amounts to 60 minutes a week.
Does the program include highly specified teacher manuals or step by step instructions for implementation?- No
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION: Is the program affiliated with a broad school- or class-wide management program?-
If yes, please identify and describe the broader school- or class-wide management program: -
Does the program require technology? - No
-
If yes, what technology is required to implement your program? -
Computer or tablet
Internet connection
Other technology (please specify)
If your program requires additional technology not listed above, please describe the required technology and the extent to which it is combined with teacher small-group instruction/intervention:
Training
- How many people are needed to implement the program ?
Is training for the instructor or interventionist required?- No
- If yes, is the necessary training free or at-cost?
Describe the time required for instructor or interventionist training:- Training not required
Describe the format and content of the instructor or interventionist training:
What types or professionals are qualified to administer your program?
General Education Teacher
Reading Specialist
Math Specialist
EL Specialist
Interventionist
Student Support Services Personnel (e.g., counselor, social worker, school psychologist, etc.)
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapist or Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
Paraprofessional
Other
If other, please describe:
- Does the program assume that the instructor or interventionist has expertise in a given area?
-
No
If yes, please describe:
Are training manuals and materials available?- Yes
-
Describe how the training manuals or materials were field-tested with the target population of instructors or interventionist and students: - The technique is described in two places. There is an unpublished document (Tucker, 1988) that is available for free from the author. It is also described in Tucker & Burns (2016), which is available for free to members of the National Association of School Psychologists. The technique has also been described in the dozens of articles that have been published about it.
Do you provide fidelity of implementation guidance such as a checklist for implementation in your manual?- No
-
Can practitioners obtain ongoing professional and technical support? -
No
If yes, please specify where/how practitioners can obtain support:
Summary of Evidence Base
- Please identify, to the best of your knowledge, all the research studies that have been conducted to date supporting the efficacy of your program, including studies currently or previously submitted to NCII for review. Please provide citations only (in APA format); do not include any descriptive information on these studies. NCII staff will also conduct a search to confirm that the list you provide is accurate.
-
Beck, M., Burns, M. K., & Lau, M. (2009). The effect of preteaching reading skills on the on-task behavior of children identified with behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 91-99.
Bunn, R., Burns, M. K., Hoffman, H. H., & Newman, C. L. (2005). Using incremental rehearsal to teach letter identification with a preschool-aged child. Journal of Evidence Based Practice for Schools, 6, 124-134.
Burns, M. K. (2005). Using incremental rehearsal to practice multiplication facts with children identified as learning disabled in mathematics computation. Education and Treatment of Children, 28, 237-249.
Burns, M. K. (2007). Reading at the instructional level with children identified as learning disabled: Potential implications for response-to-intervention. School Psychology Quarterly, 22, 297-313.
Burns, M. K. (2007). Comparison of opportunities to respond within a drill model when rehearsing sight words with a child with mental retardation. School Psychology Quarterly, 22, 250-263.
Burns, M. K., & Boice, C. H. (2009). Comparison of the relationship between words retained and intelligence for three instructional strategies among students with below-average IQ. School Psychology Review, 38, 284-292.
Burns, M. K., Dean, V. J., & Foley, S. (2004). Preteaching unknown key words with incremental rehearsal to improve reading fluency and comprehension with children identified as reading disabled. Journal of School Psychology, 42, 303-314.
Burns, M. K., Hodgson, J., Parker, D. C., & Fremont, K. (2011). Comparison of the effectiveness and efficiency of text previewing and preteaching keywords as small-group reading comprehension strategies with middle school students. Literacy Research and Instruction, 50, 241-252.
Burns, M. K., & Kimosh, A. (2005). Using incremental rehearsal to teach sight-words to adult students with moderate mental retardation. Journal of Evidence Based Practices for Schools, 6, 135-148.
Burns, M. K., & Sterling‐Turner, H. E. (2010). Comparison of efficiency measures for academic interventions based on acquisition and maintenance. Psychology in the Schools, 47, 126-134.
Burns, M. K., Zaslofsky, A. F., Kanive, R., & Parker, D. C. (2012). Meta-analysis of incremental rehearsal: Using phi coefficients to compare single-case and group designs. Journal of Behavioral Education, 21, 185-202.
Codding, R. S., Archer, J., & Connell, J. (2010). A systematic replication and extension of using incremental rehearsal to improve multiplication skills: An investigation of generalization. Journal of Behavioral Education, 19, 93-105.
DuBois, M. R., Volpe, R. J., Burns, M. K., & Hoffman, J. A. (2016). Parent-administered computer-assisted tutoring targeting letter-sound knowledge: Evaluation via multiple-baseline across three preschool students. Journal of School Psychology, 59, 39-53.
DuBois, M. R., Volpe, R. J., & Hemphill, E. M. (2014). A randomized trial of a computer-assisted tutoring program targeting letter-sound expression. School Psychology Review, 43, 210-221.
Joseph, L., Eveleigh, E., Konrad, M., Neef, N., & Volpe, R. (2012). Comparison of the efficiency of two flashcard drill methods on children's reading performance. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 28, 317-337.
Joseph, L. M., & Schisler, R. A. (2007). Getting the “Most bang for your buck.” Comparison of the effectiveness and efficiency of phonic and whole word reading techniques during repeated reading lessons. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 24, 69-90.
Klingbeil, D. A., Moeyaert, M., Archer, C. T., Chimboza, T. M., & Zwolski Jr, S. A. (2017). Efficacy of peer-mediated incremental rehearsal for English language learners. School Psychology Review, 46, 122-140.
Kupzyk, S., Daly, E. J., & Andersen, M. N. (2011). A comparison of two flash-card methods for improving sight-word reading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 781-792.
Kwong, E., & Burns, M. K. (in press). Preliminary study of the effect of incremental rehearsal with a morphological component for teaching Chinese character recognition. School Psychology International.
MacQuarrie-Klender, L. L., Tucker, J. A., Burns, M. K., & Hartman, B. (2002). Comparison of retention rates using traditional, Drill Sandwich, and Incremental Rehearsal flashcard methods. School Psychology Review, 31, 584-595.
Malloy, K. J., Gilbertson, D., & Maxfiled, J. (2007). Using brief experimental analysis for selecting reading interventions for English language learners. School Psychology Review, 36, 291 – 310.
Matchett, D. L., & Burns, M. K. (2009). Increasing word recognition fluency with an English language learner. Journal of Evidence Based Practices in Schools, 10, 194-209.
Mulé, C. M., Volpe, R. J., Fefer, S., Leslie, L. K., & Luiselli, J. (2015). Comparative effectiveness of two sight-word reading interventions for a student with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Behavioral Education, 24, 304-316.
Nist, L., & Joseph, L. M. (2008). Effectiveness and efficiency of flashcard drill instructional methods on urban first-graders' word recognition, acquisition, maintenance, and generalization. School Psychology Review, 37, 294-308.
Petersen-Brown, S., & Burns, M. K. (2011). Adding a vocabulary component to incremental rehearsal to enhance retention and generalization. School Psychology Quarterly, 26, 245-255.
Peterson, M., Brandes, D., Kunkel, A., Wilson, J., Rahn, N. L., Egan, A., & McComas, J. (2014). Teaching letter sounds to kindergarten English language learners using incremental rehearsal. Journal of School Psychology, 52, 97-107.
Rahn, N. L., Wilson, J., Egan, A., Brandes, D., Kunkel, A., Peterson, M., & McComas, J. (2015). Using incremental rehearsal to teach letter sounds to English language learners. Education and Treatment of Children, 38, 71-91.
Scholin, S. E., Zaslofsky, A., Burns, M. K., Hall, M., Varma, S., & Volpe, R. J. (2016). Examining the use of spacing effect to increase the efficiency of Incremental Rehearsal. Psychology in the Schools, 53, 404-415.
Swehla, S. E., Burns, M. K., Zaslofsky, A. F., Hall, M. S., Varma, S., & Volpe, R. J. (2016). Examing the use of spacing effect to increase the efficiency of incremental rehearsal. Psychology in the Schools, 53, 404-415.
Szadokierski, I., & Burns, M. K. (2008). Analogue evaluation of the effects of opportunities to respond and ratios of known items within drill rehearsal of Esperanto words. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 593-609.
Volpe, R. J., Burns, M. K., DuBois, M., & Zaslofsky, A. F. (2011). Computer-assisted tutoring: Teaching letter sounds to kindergarten students using incremental rehearsal. Psychology in the Schools, 48, 332-342.
Zaslofski, A., Scholin, S. E., Burns, M. K., & Varma. S. (2016). Comparison of opportunities to respond and generation effect as potential causal mechanisms for incremental rehearsal with multiplication combinations. Journal of School Psychology, 55, 71-78
Study Information
Study Citations
Burns, M. K. (2005). Using incremental rehearsal to increase fluency of single-digit multiplication facts with children identified as learning disabled in mathematics computation. Education and Treatment of Children, () 237-249.
Participants
- Describe how students were selected to participate in the study:
- Three children identified with a learning disability (LD) in mathematics computations, according to Michigan special education regulations, were randomly selected for participation in the study. Each student received mathematics instruction in a special education resource room within the same district in central Michigan, but within three different elementary schools. All children identified as LD in mathematics computation in these three resource rooms were identified as potential participants. Next, the three special education teachers identified those students labeled as LD in mathematics who lacked adequate fluency with single-digit multiplication facts to the degree that interfered with computation of double-digit problems. Finally, one name was selected from each of the lists generated by the three teachers by assigning a number to the students and selecting a number from a random number table.
-
Describe how students were identified as being at risk for academic failure (AI) or as having emotional/behavioral difficulties (BI): - Each student was identified as LD in mathematics and as lacking fluency of single-digit multiplication facts. Student scores from the most recent multi-disciplinary evaluation team assessment found Wechsler Intelligence Scale full-scale intelligence quotients that fell within the average range (age-based standard scores between 90 and 110), and the students' age-based mathematics computation standard scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement fell between 75 and 85.
-
ACADEMIC INTERVENTION: What percentage of participants were at risk, as measured by one or more of the following criteria:- below the 30th percentile on local or national norm, or
- identified disability related to the focus of the intervention?
- 100.0%
-
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION: What percentage of participants were at risk, as measured by one or more of the following criteria:- emotional disability label,
- placed in an alternative school/classroom,
- non-responsive to Tiers 1 and 2, or
- designation of severe problem behaviors on a validated scale or through observation?
- %
Provide a description of the demographic and other relevant characteristics of the case used in your study (e.g., student(s), classroom(s)).
Case (Name or number) | Age/Grade | Gender | Race / Ethnicity | Socioeconomic Status | Disability Status | ELL status | Other Relevant Descriptive Characteristics |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
test | test | test | test | test | test | test | test |
Design
- Please describe the study design:
- The study used a multiple-baseline across participants design.
Clarify and provide a detailed description of the treatment in the submitted program/intervention:- Multiplication facts were taught by student researchers using incremental rehearsal. Each fact was written horizontally on a 3 X 5 index card without including the answer (e.g., 4 X 7 = ?). The first unknown fact was presented to the child as the administrator verbally provided the appropriate answer. Next, the child was asked to orally restate the fact and provide the correct answer. Finally, the unknown fact was rehearsed within a prespecified sequence of presentations. After completing this sequence, the first unknown fact was treated as the first known, the previous ninth known fact (the last one presented) was removed, and a new unknown fact was introduced. Therefore, the number of cards always remained 10 and the ratio of unknown to known for each new item was 10% unknown to 90% known. Each child participated in the intervention twice each week on two different days with one session each day. Each session required between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.
Clarify what procedures occurred during the control/baseline condition (third, competing conditions are not considered; if you have a third, competing condition [e.g., multi-element single subject design with a third comparison condition], in addition to your control condition, identify what the competing condition is [data from this competing condition will not be used]):- The baseline condition was business as usual, which included special education instruction in mathematics. Mathematics instruction during baseline and treatment (when intervention was not being delivered) involved teaching multi-digit multiplication with base-ten blocks and rehearsing single- and double-digit problems with untimed worksheets. No other rehearsal of single-digit multiplication facts occurred during the baseline or treatment phases. It should be noted that use of the base-ten blocks and untimed worksheets began 3 weeks before baseline data were collected.
Please describe how replication of treatment effect was demonstrated (e.g., reversal or withdrawal of intervention, across participants, across settings)- Replication was shown with a multiple-baseline approach across participants.
-
Please indicate whether (and how) the design contains at least three demonstrations of experimental control (e.g., ABAB design, multiple baseline across three or more participants). - There were three student participants, which allowed for three demonstrations of experimental control.
If the study is a multiple baseline, is it concurrent or non-concurrent?- Concurrent
Fidelity of Implementation
- How was the program delivered?
-
Individually
Small Group
Classroom
If small group, answer the following:
- Average group size
- Minimum group size
- Maximum group size
What was the duration of the intervention (If duration differed across participants, settings, or behaviors, describe for each.)?
- Weeks
- 7.00
- Sessions per week
- 2.00
- Duration of sessions in minutes
- 12.50
- Weeks
- 8.00
- Sessions per week
- 2.00
- Duration of sessions in minutes
- 12.50
- Weeks
- Sessions per week
- Duration of sessions in minutes
- What were the background, experience, training, and ongoing support of the instructors or interventionists?
- Student researchers were white female undergraduate special education teacher candidates participating in an undergraduate assessment course taught by the author. Before beginning the project, each student researcher participated in 2 hours of training regarding intervention procedures and research, and 2 hours of instruction in conducting CBM for different academic areas including mathematics. Next, each student researcher was observed by the author within the first week of being placed within the special education classrooms to assess the fidelity of implementation and deliver guided practice.
Describe when and how fidelity of treatment information was obtained.- A second observation by the author occurred during the 13th week to again assess the fidelity of implementation. A checklist containing 16 items was used to assess implementation fidelity during the second observation. Items on the checklist addressed fidelity of treatment condition procedures and conducting the mathematics fluency probes.
What were the results on the fidelity-of-treatment implementation measure?- On average, the student researchers correctly completed 96%, with a range of 94% to 100%, of the necessary steps for implementation on both the treatment and assessment probes.
Was the fidelity measure also used in baseline or comparison conditions?- No.
Measures and Results
Measures Broader :
Study measures are classified as targeted, broader, or administrative data according to the following definitions:
-
Targeted measures
Assess outcomes, such as competencies or skills, that the program was directly targeted to improve.- In the academic domain, targeted measures typically are not the very items taught but rather novel items structured similarly to the content addressed in the program. For example, if a program taught word-attack skills, a targeted measure would be decoding of pseudo words. If a program taught comprehension of cause-effect passages, a targeted measure would be answering questions about cause-effect passages structured similarly to those used during intervention, but not including the very passages used for intervention.
- In the behavioral domain, targeted measures evaluate aspects of external or internal behavior the program was directly targeted to improve and are operationally defined.
-
Broader measures
Assess outcomes that are related to the competencies or skills targeted by the program but not directly taught in the program.- In the academic domain, if a program taught word-level reading skill, a broader measure would be answering questions about passages the student reads. If a program taught calculation skill, a broader measure would be solving word problems that require the same kinds of calculation skill taught in the program.
- In the behavioral domain, if a program taught a specific skill like on-task behavior in one classroom, a broader measure would be on-task behavior in another setting.
- Administrative data measures apply only to behavioral intervention tools and are measures such as office discipline referrals (ODRs) and graduation rates, which do not have psychometric properties as do other, more traditional targeted or broader measures.
Targeted Measure | Reverse Coded? | Evidence | Relevance |
---|---|---|---|
Targeted Measure 1 | Yes | A1 | A2 |
Broader Measure | Reverse Coded? | Evidence | Relevance |
---|---|---|---|
Broader Measure 1 | Yes | A1 | A2 |
Administrative Data Measure | Reverse Coded? | Relevance |
---|---|---|
Admin Measure 1 | Yes | A2 |
- If you have excluded a variable or data that are reported in the study being submitted, explain the rationale for exclusion:
Results
- Describe the method of analyses you used to determine whether the intervention condition improved relative to baseline phase (e.g., visual inspection, computation of change score, mean difference):
- The study reported visual analysis and a percentage of nonoverlapping data.
Please present results in terms of within and between phase patterns. Data on the following data characteristics must be included: level, trend, variability, immediacy of the effect, overlap, and consistency of data patterns across similar conditions. Submitting only means and standard deviations for phases is not sufficient. Data must be included for each outcome measure (targeted, broader, and administrative if applicable) that was described above.- There was an immediate and positive change in level for each student and all three sets of data resulted in 100% nonoverlap between baseline and intervention. Moreover, baseline data were stable with a flat trend, but the intervention data for all three students had an upward trend.
Additional Research
- Is the program reviewed by WWC or E-ESSA?
- No
- Summary of WWC / E-ESSA Findings :
What Works Clearinghouse Review
This program was not reviewed by What Works Clearinghouse.
Evidence for ESSA
This program was not reviewed by Evidence for ESSA.
- How many additional research studies are potentially eligible for NCII review?
- 9
- Citations for Additional Research Studies :
Bunn, R., Burns, M. K., Hoffman, H. H. & Newman, C. J. (2005). Using Incremental Rehearsal to Teach Letter Identification with a Preschool-Aged Child. Journal of Evidence-Based Practice for Schools, 6, 124-134.
Burns, M. K. (2007). Comparison of Opportunities to Respond within a Drill Model when Rehearsing Sight Words with a Child with Mental Retardation. School Psychology Quarterly, 22, 250-263.
Burns, M. K., Dean, V. J., & Foley, S. (2004). Preteaching Unknown Key Words with Incremental Rehearsal to Improve Reading Fluency and Comprehension with Children Identified as Reading Disabled. Journal of School Psychology, 42, 303-314.
DuBois, M. R., Volpe, R. J., & Hemphill, E. M. (2014). A randomized trial of a computer-assisted tutoring program targeting letter-sound expression. School Psychology Review, 43, 210-221.
DuBois, M. R., Volpe, R. J., Burns, M. K., & Hoffman, J. A. (2016). Parent-administered computer-assisted tutoring targeting letter-sound knowledge: Evaluation via multiple-baseline across three preschool students. Journal of School Psychology, 59, 39-53.
Klingbeil, D. A., Moeyaert, M., Archer, C. T., Chimboza, T. M., & Zwolski Jr, S. A. (2017). Efficacy of peer-mediated incremental rehearsal for English language learners. School Psychology Review, 46, 122-140.
Kwong, E., & Burns, M. K. (in press). Preliminary study of the effect of incremental rehearsal with a morphological component for teaching Chinese character recognition. School Psychology International.
Malloy, K. J., Gilbertson, D., & Maxfiled, J. (2007). Using brief experimental analysis for selecting reading interventions for English language learners. School Psychology Review, 36, 291 – 310.
Rahn, N. L., Wilson, J., Egan, A., Brandes, D., Kunkel, A., Peterson, M., & McComas, J. (2015). Using incremental rehearsal to teach letter sounds to English language learners. Education and Treatment of Children, 38, 71-91.
Data Collection Practices
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