Behavior Specific Praise

What is it?
Statements
W
Aneffectiveteaching
strategythatmay
positivelyaffectclassroom
behaviorbyincreasing
studenttimeontask,
responding,andcorrect
answers.

Differences
General Praiseteacher delivers
verbal praise
without describing
the behavior for
which the students
are praised Ex.
good job or nice
work
BSPS- teacher
approves (rewards)
a specific academic
or social behavior
with a verbal
comment, the
praise statement
Ex. Joe, I like the

How is it
WhenBeneficial/Effective?
delivered contingently: immediately

following the desired behavior. Usingpraise

statementsallowsteacherstoprovidefeedbackonthe
specificstudentbehaviortheyaretryingtoreinforce.
Inaddition,teachers'useofpraiseiseffectivein
providingencouragement,buildingselfesteem,and
promotingpositiveteacherstudentrelationships

How to Use!
Directly link the praise statement to the student
behavior you want to increase.
The praise statement should include feedback on the
appropriateness and successfulness of the student
behavior.
Determine if the praise statement serves as an
opportunity for genuine, positive, and meaningful
interaction between the teacher and student.
The praise statement should reflect the students'
diverse skill level.
Evaluate whether the praise statement is actually
reinforcing. Review feedback data and consider the

Behavior Specific Praise

First Time- Teacher Coaching
Teachercoachingwithperformancefeedbackhas
beeneffectiveinassistingteacherswith
increasingtheuseofBSPS.Teachercoaching
worksmuchlikecoachingathletesasitinvolves:
(a)choosingaskilltodevelop,(b)reviewing
informationregardingtheskill,(c)discussingthe
skillapplication,(d)practicingtheskill,(e)
collectingdatathroughobservationstoanalyze
theeffect,and(f)providingfeedback.

Statements

Population
BSPS can work for anyone, but
most effective when used with
EBD students.

Implementation

Students of all ages, but mostly

Can easily
be implemented
younger
children inside and outside the general education classrooms as well as inclusi

BSPS can be used for the whole classroom, small group, or even an individual student.
The younger the child is at the time of intervention, the greater the impact on the childs social ad
Children with or at-risk for challenging behaviors should receive more positive attention and feedb

Reference List
Duchaine,E.L.,Jolivette,K.,&Fredrick,L.D.(2011).Theeffectofteachingcoachingwithperformancefeedbackonbehavior
specificpraiseininclusionclassrooms.EducationandTreatmentofChildren,34(2),209227.
Haydon,T.,&MulstiRao,S.(2011).Effectiveuseofbehaviorspecificpraise:Amiddleschoolcasestudy.BeyondBehavior,
20(2),3137.
Stormont,M.A.,Smith,S.C.,&Lewis,T.J.(2007).TeacherimplementationofprecorrectionandpraisestatementsinHead
Startclassroomsasacomponentofaprogramwidesystemofpositivebehaviorsupport.Journalof
BehaviorEducation,16,280290.
Stormont,M.,&Reinke,W.(2009).Theimportanceofprecorrectivestatementsandbehaviorspecificpraiseandstrategiesto
increasetheiruse.BeyondBehavior,18(3),2632.