A method of systematic behavior analysis is applied to the problem of designing a sequence of learning objectives that will provide an optimal match for the child's natural sequence of acquisition of mathematical skills and concepts. The authors begin by proposing an operational definition of the number concept in the form of a set of behaviors…

The effects of three variables on the difficulty of verbal arithmetic problems were examined. Variables included problem form, sequence of information, and problem verb. A total of 32 problems was generated, four in each of four problem forms and two sequences of information. Vocabulary words were not above second-grade level, and numbers used…

Twenty-seven kindergarten children were trained on two different double classification matrix tasks in an attempt to determine whether the tasks were hierarchically related. Prior behavior analyses of the tasks suggested that the two tasks shared many components, but that the more complex task had in addition components not included in the simpler…