The differences in off-task behavior rates exhibited by kindergarten students during narrative and non-narrative-based social studies instruction was investigated. Off-task behavior was operationally defined and students were observed during eight different lessons. Four lessons employed story narrative picture books and four lessons used non-narrative prose texts. Off-task behaviors and time were recorded during the reading of the texts and during the discussions. A weighting function was calculated and used to determine the number of weighted off-task behaviors. The average weighted and unweighed off-task behavior rates for narrative and non-narrative texts were computed. Statistical analyses were performed on reading data, discussion data, and whole lesson data. Results indicated no significant statistical differences on the off-task behavior rate exhibited during instruction as a function of text type. Reading data, however, was statistically significant, where students exhibited more off-task behaviors during non-narrative read alouds than during narrative read alouds. (Contains 41 references, and 6 tables and 3 figures of data. Appendixes contain an eight-item annotated bibliography of books used; a list of discussion questions; and a data record sheet.) (Author/RS)