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Praise Notes:: By: Colby Jacobsen & Manuel Ramirez

Praise notes are short notes sent home by teachers to praise a student's positive behavior or good work. They encourage participation and engagement in school. Studies show praise notes are effective because students prefer less public praise. Praise notes benefit all students by promoting good behavior and self-esteem. They specifically help those with disabilities, attention issues, or who are English learners by clarifying expectations and providing encouragement. Teachers should give praise notes for task completion, good behavior, and doing a good job to increase the praised behaviors. Schools can implement praise note incentives like prizes or rewards.

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Daniel Bernal
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69 views

Praise Notes:: By: Colby Jacobsen & Manuel Ramirez

Praise notes are short notes sent home by teachers to praise a student's positive behavior or good work. They encourage participation and engagement in school. Studies show praise notes are effective because students prefer less public praise. Praise notes benefit all students by promoting good behavior and self-esteem. They specifically help those with disabilities, attention issues, or who are English learners by clarifying expectations and providing encouragement. Teachers should give praise notes for task completion, good behavior, and doing a good job to increase the praised behaviors. Schools can implement praise note incentives like prizes or rewards.

Uploaded by

Daniel Bernal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Praise Notes:

A positive note or message given to a student by a


teacher to take home that praises the student for a
job well done. This method further encourages
students to participate, engage, and promotes
positive behavior.

By: Colby Jacobsen & Manuel Ramirez

Resources
Howell, A., Caldarella, P., Korth, B., & Young, R. K. (2014). Exploring the Social Validity of Teacher Praise Notes in
Elementary School. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 49(2), 22-32. doi:10.1080/0886571X.2014.878577
Kennedy, C., Jolivette, K., & Ramsey, M. L. (2014). The Effects of Written Teacher and Peer Praise Notes on the
Inappropriate Behaviors of Elementary Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in a Residential
School. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, 31(1), 17-40. doi:10.1080/0886571x.2014.878577

Park, S., Singer, G. H., & Gibson, M. (2005). The Functional Effect of Teacher Positive and Neutral Affect on Task
Performance of Students With Significant Disabilities. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 7(4), 237-246.
doi:10.1177/10983007050070040501
Rathel, J. M., Drasgow, E., Brown, W. H., & Marshall, K. J. (2013). Increasing Induction-Level Teachers’ Positive-to-
Negative Communication Ratio and Use of Behavior-Specific Praise Through E-Mailed Performance Feedback
and Its Effect on Students’ Task Engagement. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 16(4), 219-233.
doi:10.1177/1098300713492856
Sutherland, K. S., Wehby, J. H., & Yoder, P. J. (2002). Examination of the Relationship Between Teacher Praise and
Opportunities for Students with EBD to Respond to Academic Requests. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders, 10(1), 5-13. doi:10.1177/106342660201000102
Why Use Praise Notes?

Praise is intended to increase the probability or frequency of the behavior that follows it. Praise notes are a
way to implement positive reinforcement thought to encourage desirable behavior, while getting rid of
undesirable behavior. Studies have shown students prefer less public forms of praise, therefore praise notes
are extremely effective.
Who Can Benefit?

• All students: Designed to promote on task behavior while providing encouragement, and building self
esteem
• Parents: Provide positive communication between teachers, students, and parents
• Students with Mild Disabilities & Emotional Disorders: Increase in academic process, decrease in
inappropriate behavior, significant decrease of office discipline referrals, allow nonverbal teacher to
student communication
• Students with Attention Problems: Helps clarify when tasks are being done correctly & encourages
students to stay on task
• English Language Learners: Allows nonverbal teacher/student communication, provides
encouragement and confidence
When To Use Praise Notes?

• Teachers can award praise notes based on task completion, good behavior, help in the classroom, a
great performance on a test, an outstanding assignment, and simply a job well done
• Use them in a timely manner: When a student is doing something worthy of a note, give it to them as
soon as possible

Strategies:
• Buy In
o Praise notes can translate into school prizes in order to promote school wide positive and
appropriate behavior
o Students can trade them in for “eagle coins” to get them certain things throughout the school
such as reduced lunch cost, an extra library book, etc.
• Weekly drawings for prizes
o Students can collect and tally their praise notes throughout each month
o Once a month, teachers can collect the praise notes students received, put them into a
bowl/hat and draw names to win certain prizes such as lunch with the teacher, extra recess
time, etc.
• Goals for number of praise notes received
o Set a certain number of praise notes that you would like your students to acquire each week,
month, semester, etc.
o Provide a prize if students earn that specific number of praise notes in that amount of time.
• Teacher Incentives
o Provide teachers with ongoing, specific instruction on effective praise & consistently
encourage them to write praise notes
o Give specific feedback regarding the number of notes written and the names of students who
had and who had not received praise (increase awareness of progress to a school wide goal)
o Reinforce teachers for writing praise notes, allow them to earn gift certificates for written
praise

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