Most teachers know that praise matters. The research suggests that the kind of praise, and how it fits into the wider classroom, matters even more.
The evidence base
A review of classroom management research identified a small set of practices with strong support: maximising structure and predictability, explicitly teaching and reviewing a few positively stated expectations, actively engaging students, and using a range of strategies to acknowledge appropriate behaviour, including specific praise (Simonsen et al., 2008).
Social and emotional skills are part of the same picture. A meta-analysis of school-based social and emotional learning programs found improvements in students' social skills, attitudes and behaviour, and an average gain of 11 percentile points in academic achievement (Durlak et al., 2011).
What makes praise work
- Specific: name what the student did. 'You kept trying on that problem even when it got tricky.'
- Linked to expectations: connect praise to the behaviours you have taught.
- Frequent and fair: aim for many more positive than corrective interactions, and make sure every student can earn acknowledgement.
- Private when it suits the student: a quiet word or a note home can mean more than public attention.
- About effort and strategy, not only ability.
A question to sit with
Systems that publicly move students down a chart can be easy to run, but they tend to make the same few students visible for the wrong reasons, day after day. It is worth asking whether every recognition system in your room is one that every student can succeed in.
Related resources
- Class Recognition Systems Guide
- Teaching Classroom Expectations
- Feelings Check-In and Class Circle Guide
- Friendship Skills Lesson Plan
References
- Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
- Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based practices in classroom management: Considerations for research to practice. Education and Treatment of Children, 31, 351–380. https://doi.org/10.1353/etc.0.0007
This article is general information for practitioners. It is not clinical advice: use your professional judgement and follow your organisation's procedures.