Cover, Copy, and Compare (CCC) is an easy academic intervention. CCC has been effective in increasing students’ fluency and accuracy in different academic areas such as spelling, geography, and various mathematics skills. One of the benefits of CCC is that students can complete CCC on their own once they are taught the instructions.
Basically, CCC requires the student to:
- View the correct item, for example: spelling word, math problem, etc.
- Cover the correct item with a piece of paper
- Copy the item by writing it next to the covered item
- Compare what the student wrote to the correct item.
If the student’s copied response is the same as the correct item then the student continues to the next item. However, if the student’s response is different than the item (incorrect) then the student copies the item three to five times while looking at the correct item. Alternatively, the student may repeat the CCC process for missed items until the response matches the correct item.
Examples:
Spelling
Print a list of target words on the left side of a page. Be sure to allow space for the student to copy the target words (multiple times if the response is incorrect). Typically, between 3-10 spelling words are used at a time. As the student masters a target word it may be replaced with a new word on the spelling list. A word is usually considered mastered when it is correctly spelled 3 consecutive school days. After the mastered word is absent for 5 school days it is then re-introduced to the list. If the re-introduced word is correctly copied it can then be permanently removed from the list. Some students may even be able to create their own spelling lists.
Mathematics
Similar to the spelling procedures, print the math problem and answers down the left side of a page. Have the student cover the problems with answers and then copy the problem and the answer beside the one that is covered. When the problem is completed, the student compares his/her response to the correct problem and answer. Three sets of CCC worksheets should be provided. When the response is incorrect the student repeats the CCC process on a separate worksheet, where space is provided.
-Adapted from:
McLaughlin, T. F., & Skinner, C. H. (1996). Improving academic performance through self-management: Cover, copy, and compare. Intervention in School and Clinic, 32, 113-118.
Skinner, C. H., McLaughlin, T. F., & Logan, P. (1997). Cover, copy, and compare: A self-managed academic intervention effective across skills, students, and settings. Journal of Behavioral Education, 7, 295-306.
For help setting up this intervention, please email us at klass@utk.edu or call us at 865-974-6177. One of our clinicians can work with parents to design the intervention to best meet your student’s needs.