Using Precision Teaching to Improve Typically Developing Student’s Mathematical Skills Via Teleconferencing
Fifty-five Zoom-based Precision Teaching lessons pulled low-scoring first-graders from the bottom fifth to the top third in math fluency.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kapoor's team ran 55 short Zoom lessons for first- and second-graders who scored below the 15th percentile in math. They used Precision Teaching: one-minute timed worksheets, instant charting, and daily goals.
Kids worked from home while a tutor watched on camera. The study compared this group to similar children who got no extra math help.
What they found
After the tele-sessions, the Zoom group jumped from below the 15th percentile to above the 65th percentile in math fluency. The no-treatment group stayed put.
Gains held weeks later without extra practice.
How this fits with other research
Stocker et al. (2021) also boosted math fluency, but had sixth-graders run their own one-minute sprints in class. Both studies show fast practice works; Kapoor proves it can work through a screen.
Powell et al. (2023) used the same Precision Teaching method with elementary students, yet had high-schoolers give the lessons in person. Their students improved too, but Powell did not report how much. Kapoor adds hard numbers and shows Zoom can replace in-person tutors.
Shawler et al. (2021) and Swensson et al. (2024) already showed telehealth can train teachers and parents. Kapoor extends that idea to direct academic instruction with typical kids.
Why it matters
You can run a full Precision Teaching math clinic from your laptop. No extra staff, no travel, just a timer, worksheets, and a Zoom link. Try a one-minute sprint plus charting at the start of each online session this week.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study evaluated the effects of Precision Teaching in improving typically developing students’ mathematical skills when delivered via teleconferencing in India. Four students received Precision Teaching, while nine acted as control participants. Precision teaching involved instruction in three mathematical skills; two prerequisite skills and the primary skill of mixed addition and subtraction facts. Instruction included untimed practice, timed practice, goal-setting, graphing, and a token economy. Participants who received Precision Teaching received ten practice sessions for the prerequisite skills and 55 sessions for the primary skill. The results demonstrated improvements in the prerequisite skills of varied magnitude and considerable improvements in the primary skill, which were maintained above baseline performance levels. In addition, those who received Precision Teaching were below the 15th percentile rank at the initial assessment and above the 65th percentile at the post-intervention assessment in the math fluency subtest of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement—Third Edition. Control participants did not demonstrate similar improvements. Results suggest that Precision Teaching could produce accelerated outcomes even when delivered via teleconferencing. Therefore, it could be a valuable system for helping students ameliorate potential learning losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Journal of Behavioral Education, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s10864-023-09520-w