Mastering the Praise Ratio

Hi friends and welcome to this episode of the teaching behavior together podcast. I am so glad you joined us for this chat about the 4:1 praise ratio strategy. This is a pretty common strategy used or discussed within schools, however, it is really challenging to carry out. Today we are going to talk about some feasible ways to master this strategy and increase those desired behaviors within your classroom. 

Ok, the 4:1 praise ratio strategy, for those that are unfamiliar, basically states that we should provide 4 positive interactions for every 1 corrective/redirective interaction. Some research says 5:1 some says 12:1. Whatever research you are reading, they all say we need to provide more praise or positive interactions than corrective/redirective/negative interactions when we are working with our students.  

My first suggestion would be to download a repeat timer app on your phone. There are a ton of free ones, they are usually work out timers that notify you on an interval you set. I set my interval to like 3 minutes but this can change depending on how long my lesson is, so set it to an interval that works best for you. I keep mine on vibrate, put it in my pocket, and use it as a tactile prompt to provide reinforcement. This does not guarantee I hit the 4:1 ratio, but it serves a prompt for me to deliver praise or engage in a positive interaction. Therefore, I do not go through the whole lesson and completely forget to acknowledge the positive. 

Another strategy I have used is post it praise. I included this in episode 55, but here is a quick recap. Before class I jot down a couple of praise statements I might give to the students. These might be general praise statements, like great work staying on task, or more specific praise statements related to the activity you are working on, such as nice job completing that puzzle. I would say, I write down maybe 10 and pass them out as we go through the activity. This way I already have my praise ready to go the post its serve as a reminder for me to give out that praise. Again, this does not guarantee I hit that 4:1 ratio, but it increases the likelihood I will be giving out that praise. 

Ready for the next strategy-this one is pretty simple. Go back to the basics and praise or acknowledge what you see and hear. A lot of times when I am working with teachers, they tell me they do not know what to acknowledge. I always tell them to start with what they see or hear. It might sound silly, but the more you practice this the better you will get at delivering praise. You will start to notice all the things you students are doing well and provide praise for that. You can say something like “I heard you using kind words with a friend, nice job.” “I noticed you worked really hard when we were in groups, great work.” Using the phrase “I noticed, or I heard” can help guide your praise or positive interactions. 

Lastly, every time you provide a redirection or correction let that serve as a prompt to yourself that you need to deliver a praise statement. This will get you to a 1:1 ratio which is a great place to start. Then you can slowly increase the amount of praise you are giving over time. With this strategy you are basically using yourself as the prompt. If it helps, for a couple of days, tally the praise statements and redirections you give in your classroom or have a teacher friend come in and observe you and tally. This will give you an idea of where you are and can help you set goals related to your praise goals! 

Resources Discussed in this Episode
Free Behavior Intervention Guide
Follow me on Instagram
Join my email list