Fundamental Skill Sheet
Behavior-Specific Praise
What Is It?
Behavior-specific praise is a positive statement directed toward a student or group of students that acknowledges a desired behavior in specific, observable, and measurable terms.
What Do We Know About This Skill/Practice?
Behavior-specific praise has been proven effective through many years of research and practical application. Research indicates:
- Behavior-specific praise is a highly effective strategy that teachers can use both to increase positive behavior and decrease problem behavior.
- The use of behavior-specific praise is linked to increases in student on-task behavior and compliance.
- Behavior-specific praise can be effectively used among students with or at risk for emotional or behavioral disorder (EBD).
- Behavior-specific praise is most effective when delivered more frequently than reprimand statements. Some experts recommend four praise statements for every one reprimand, whereas others suggest the use of about six praise statements every 15 minutes.
Procedures
- Establish behavioral expectations: As part of creating a safe and respectful classroom environment, establish and explicitly teach behavioral expectations—that is, the behaviors you want your students to display.
- Scan the classroom: During instructional time, transitions, or downtime, look for students engaging in these desired behaviors.
- Praise the student: Provide behavior-specific praise to a student by stating the student’s name and describing the behavior immediately after she performs it (e.g., “Johanna, thank you for cleaning up immediately when I rang the science bell.”).
Tips for Implementation
- Deliver behavior-specific praise immediately following a desired behavior or as soon as possible after.
- Deliver praise using a sincere tone of voice.
- Self-monitor your use of praise by keeping a tally of praise statements during each class period to ensure at least a 4:1 ratio of praise statements to reprimands.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Behavior-specific praise can be offered to an individual student, to a group of students, or to an entire class.
- The praise should specifically identify the student and the desired behavior. For example, the teacher should say, “John, you did a great job keeping your hands at your sides while walking to lunch!” instead of “Good job!”
- To be effective, praise must be age- and developmentally appropriate. Elementary school students may respond to enthusiastic praise that occurs in front of the entire class, while middle or high school students may prefer subtle praise statements.
- For some students of any age, verbal praise in front of others may be considered aversive or even stigmatizing. To meet the needs of these students, you can provide praise in a one-on-one setting or in a non-verbal manner (e.g., through a note).
- Some students might have difficulty meeting the established behavioral expectations and, therefore, might have fewer opportunities to receive praise. In these instances, you may need to carefully plan how to provide praise four times as often as reprimands. Consider the example below:
During independent work, a teacher periodically praises students who are engaged in the assigned task. However, for a student with attention issues, the teacher might need to offer praise more frequently—every few minutes—for being engaged. Once the student spends more time engaged, the teacher can decrease the frequency of praise, though still maintaining a ratio of four praises for every one reprimand.
Implementation Examples
The table below illustrates how the teacher provided behavior-specific praise when students met the classroom’s established behavioral expectations. Note that the examples of behavior-specific praise both (1) identify the student or group of students who met the behavioral expectation and (2) clearly describe that behavior. Conversely, the non-examples neither identify the student or group of students nor reference specific student behavior.
| Behavioral Expectation | Student Behavior | Example | Non-Example |
| Students come to class prepared with all materials. | All students at Table 4 brought their science journals to class. | Table 4, thank you for remembering to bring your science journals to class today! | Good job! |
| When someone else is talking, students raise a hand to ask a question or to comment. | Milo raised his hand to ask a question during a guest speaker’s presentation. | Milo, great job following the class rule and raising your hand to ask a question. | Thank you. |
Elementary Video Example
In the video below, Mrs. D. wishes to acknowledge that Samantha has correctly headed the top of her friendly letter. Note in the example how Mrs. D. correctly implements the procedures for behavior-specific praise, but in the non-example, she fails to provide behavior-specific praise.
Transcript: Behavior-Specific Praise (Elementary Example and Non-example)
Educator: Mrs. D.
Student: Samantha
Narrator: Behavior-specific praise, elementary school example and non-example. Mrs. D. has worked with her class on how to write a friendly letter, including how to appropriately head such a letter. Samantha often struggles with writing tasks. In this example, the teacher uses behavior-specific praise to acknowledge that Samantha correctly heads the top of her friendly letter. Note how Mrs. D. states the student’s name and then specifically describes her behavior.
Mrs. D.: So today what we are going to do is we are going to begin to write a letter to our teacher. So if you would please begin the proper heading with the date and the name in the corner of your paper.
Mrs. D.: Samantha, thank you so much. That looks awesome. Thank you for heading your paper appropriately.
Narrator: To review, the teacher implemented behavior-specific praise correctly. She stated the student’s name and delivered praise specific to the student’s behavior.
Behavior-Specific Praise Elementary/Non-Example
Narrator: In this non-example, when Samantha correctly adds a heading to her letter, Mrs. D. responds by providing praise. However, the praise she delivers is not behavior specific.
Mrs. D.: So today what we are going to do is we are going to begin to write a letter to our teacher. So if you would please begin the proper heading with the date and the name in the corner of your paper.
Mrs. D.: [Gestures approvingly at Samantha, who grins in response.]
Narrator: To review, although Mrs. D. provided non-verbal reinforcement, another form of positive feedback and one Samantha clearly appreciated, the praise technically was not behavior specific because it did not include the student’s name and did not specify the behavior.
High School Video Example
In the video below, Ms. Fischer wants to use behavior-specific praise to acknowledge that Daniel came to class prepared. Note the procedures Ms. Fischer uses to deliver behavior-specific praisein the example and where her delivery falls short in the non-example.
Transcript: Behavior-Specific Praise (High School Example and Non-example)
Educator: Ms. Fischer
Student: Daniel
Narrator: Behavior-specific praise, example and non-example. Daniel typically comes to Ms. Fischer’s class unprepared and without the proper materials, so it’s a nice surprise when he shows up today ready for class. In this example, Ms. Fischer uses behavior-specific praise to acknowledge that Daniel came to class prepared. Note how she states his name and then specifically describes his behavior.
Ms. Fischer: Alright, everyone, take out your rough drafts of your short stories, and I am going to come around and check them. Thank you.
Ms. Fischer: Daniel, you have your rough draft? Great job!
Daniel: Yeah, I do.
Ms. Fischer: Awesome!
Narrator: To review, the teacher implemented behavior specific praise correctly. She stated the student’s name and delivered praise specific to the student’s behavior. In addition, Ms. Fischer delivered the praise in an age-appropriate way, speaking to Daniel quietly and without attracting unwanted attention.
Behavior-Specific Praise/Non-example
Narrator: In this non-example, Ms. Fischer attempts to offer behavior-specific praise, but her efforts fall short. Pay close attention to the ways in which her delivery and tone prove ineffective.
Ms. Fischer: Alright, everyone, please take out your rough drafts of your short stories. I am going to come around and check.
Ms. Fischer: Daniel, good job! You did your rough draft. First assignment I think you have done in a while.
Narrator: To review, Ms. Fischer attempted to provide behavior-specific praise. She used the student’s name and said, “Good job! You did your rough draft.” However, her attempt was ineffective because her praise was followed by a sarcastic comment and delivered loud enough for other students to hear, potentially embarrassing the student.
Allday, R. A., Hinkson-Lee, K., Hudson, T., Neilsen-Gatti, S., Kleinke, A., & Russel, C. S. (2012). Training general educators to increase behavior-specific praise: Effects on students with EBD. Behavioral Disorders, 37, 87–98.
Cavanaugh, B. (2013). Performance feedback and teachers’ use of praise and opportunities to respond: A review of the literature. Education and Treatment of Children, 36, 111–136.
Fullerton, E. K., Conroy, M. A., & Correa, V. I. (2009). Early childhood teachers’ use of specific praise statements with young children at risk for behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 34, 118–135.
Myers, D., Freeman, J., Simonsen, B., & Sugai, G. (2017). Classroom management with exceptional learners. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 49, 223–230.
Myers, D. M., Simonsen, B., & Sugai, G. (2011). Increasing teachers’ use of praise with a response-to-intervention approach. Education and Treatment of Children, 34, 35–39.
Piscareta, J., Tincani, M., Connell, J. E., & Axelrod, S. (2011). Increasing teachers’ use of a 1:1 praise to behavior correction ratio to decrease student disruption in general education classrooms. Behavioral Interventions, 26, 243–260.
Sutherland, K. S., Copeland, S., & Wehby, J. H. (2001). Catch them while you can: Monitoring and increasing the use of effective praise. Beyond Behavior, 11, 46–49.
Sutherland, K. S., Wehby, J. H., & Copeland, S. R. (2000). Effect of varying rates of behavior-specific praise on the on-task behavior of students with EBD. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8, 2–8.
Weaver, A. D., & Watson, T. S. (2004). An idiographic investigation of the effects of ability-and effort-based praise on math performance and persistence. The Behavior Analyst Today, 5, 381.
About the Author
Dr. Caitlyn Majeika, who developed this IRIS Fundamental Skill Sheet as a PhD student in the Special Education Department of Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, is currently the knowledge development task lead for the National Center on Intensive Intervention as well as a researcher at the American Institute for Research. She uses her expertise to improve MTSS frameworks by evaluating the effectiveness of fidelity tools, intervention programs, progress monitoring, and universal screening.
