Pre-correction/Prompting Appropriate Behavior

Pre-correction, or Prompting Appropriate Behavior,  is when a teacher explicitly states the desired behavior(s) before a task. Pre-correction is a research based practice that increases appropriate and on-task behaviors and decreases unwanted behaviors. This simple strategy is effective across ages, school settings, and ability levels. The art of pre-correction is to anticipate the behaviors that may occur, and review the expectations of the task, in a clear and positive way, prior to engagement.

How to:

Implementation:
  • Provide verbal cue/reminder, stated in the positive (Walk calmly down the hall vs. Don’t run!)
  • ​Link verbal cues to school wide/class expectations/rules (Be safe by walking to lunch)
  • Model the behavior (Who can show the way we walk to lunch?)
  • ​Verbal, visual/gestural (sign language), physical (Slow down hand signal.)
  • Specific and frequent
  • Directly prior to (minutes before) behavior is expected (Right before the lunch bell rings this behavior is reviewed.)
​Use prompts/pre-correction with other strategies:
  • Actively supervise (“move around, visually scan, and interact with students” Faul, 2012)
  • ​Reinforce appropriate/expected behavior with verbal/gestural recognition (a thumbs up, a high five) praise
Materials:
  • Write prompts to help yourself remember and deliver explicit statements to individual students, based on their behavioral expectations and goals.
References:
Colvin, J. O., Sugai, G., Good, R., & Lee, Y. (1997). Using active supervision and precorrection to improve transition behaviors in an elementary
       school. School Psychology Quarterly, 21, pp. 262-285.

​Faul, A., Stepensky, K., & Simonsen, B. (2012). The effects of prompting appropriate behavior on the off-task behavior of two middle school
       students. Journal of Positive behavior Interventions, 14(47), pp. 47-55. doi: 10.1177/1098300711410702.
Marin County SELPA commissioned Dominican University of California’s Department of Special Education to identify evidence-based behavioral practices to support students, teachers, and local schools. In particular, the task was to identify positive, evidence-based classroom practices leading to academic and behavioral success.  
​Dominican University of California is located in Marin County and offers graduate programs that culminate in a Master of Science (MS) in Education degree. These programs are designed for educators and other professionals who are interested in teaching and seek preparation for leadership roles and responsibilities