> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sightlinebehavior.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Frequency Recording
> Count discrete behavioral events and calculate rate per minute.
* Counting behaviors with a clear start and end (call-outs, hand raises)
* Comparing rates across sessions of different lengths
* Tracking discrete, high-frequency behaviors
* Quantifying "how many times" rather than "how long"
1. Choose Frequency from the method picker
2. Define target behaviors operationally (e.g., "call-out" not "disruption")
3. Optional: add brief definitions shown on ? during recording
4. Optional: enable activity context to compare rates by setting
Frequency recording (also called event recording) tallies each discrete instance of a target behavior as it occurs. Sightline counts automatically and calculates rate in occurrences per minute.
This makes it easy to compare observations of different lengths: a 10-minute and a 30-minute session become directly comparable once you convert raw counts to rate.
## Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Action |
| ------- | ------------------------------- |
| `1–9` | Score behavior (or custom keys) |
| `Cmd+Z` | Undo last score |
| `Space` | Pause / resume timer |
| `Cmd+E` | End session |
| `?` | Show behavior definitions |
## Recording events in Sightline
During recording, each behavior appears as an on-screen button labeled with its assigned keyboard key (default: 1, 2, 3...).
**To score an occurrence:**
* **Press the number key** (1, 2, 3...) corresponding to the behavior
* **Or click the button** on screen
Each press increments the count by 1. A running tally shows the total so far and the rate — occurrences per minute, calculated from elapsed time — updating continuously as the session progresses. If you scroll back to review past scores, press **Escape** to return to the current session.
Frequency recording is designed for eyes-on-student, keyboard-only operation. You can score without looking at the screen.
## Reading the results
For each behavior, a frequency session produces a **total count** (sum of all occurrences) and a **rate per minute** (count ÷ elapsed minutes), reported against the session duration. Results include an event timeline with a running-total line, a distribution view, and a counts-per-bin view. If a peer was observed using the same procedure, the peer's rate appears for comparison.
A count answers one question: how often the behavior happened. It becomes clinically meaningful only against something else, whether the same behavior in another setting, a comparison peer's rate over the same period, or a stated goal. A rate of 0.7 call-outs per minute is neither high nor low on its own; it reads as high or low next to what the setting expects. When you can, gather that anchor in the same observation, so the number has something to be measured against.
## Common mistakes to avoid
Don't use frequency recording for behaviors like "off-task" or "tantrum" that have variable or extended length. Use [Duration Recording](/duration-recording) instead.
Definitions like "disruption" or "noncompliance" lead to inconsistent scoring. If you're unsure whether an instance counts, your definition isn't clear enough — go back to setup and refine it. And score what you see and hear, not inferred intent: "hand raised," not "seeking attention."
If you miss early instances, note this in your report. Don't adjust the count to account for unseen behavior; report what you actually observed.
Frequency alone tells you *how much*, not *where* or *when*. Enable activity context to see whether the behavior concentrates in particular settings, and observe a comparison peer with identical procedures when one is available.
## Frequency paired with duration recording
Fully characterizing a behavior often requires both frequency *and* duration data:
* **Frequency:** How often does the behavior occur?
* **Duration:** How long does each episode last?
A behavior might decrease in count but increase in episode length, or vice versa. Recording both shows how an intervention is actually affecting the behavior.
Example: calling out might decrease from 14 times to 6 times per session (frequency improvement), but each call-out might last longer as the student becomes more insistent (duration increase). Frequency data alone would look like improvement; duration data shows each episode intensifying.
***
For turning a count and rate into report-ready sentences, see [Writing Up Observation Results](/writing-up-observation-results). For choosing between methods, see [Observation Methods](/observation-methods).