The document discusses how positive reinforcement can promote student achievement. It provides three credible sources that studied the effects of positive reinforcement and praise in classrooms. All three sources found that positive behavior and academic performance improved when teachers consistently used praise and positive reinforcement like rewards. The document also discusses how positive reinforcement works based on operant conditioning theories and the author's own experience being positively reinforced as a student.

1. Promoting Student
Achievement through
Positive Reinforcement
By: Jayde Taylor

2. Positive Reinforcement
In the provided text Woolfolk stated that “Positive reinforcement occurs when
behavior or response produces a new stimulus, so positive reinforcement is the
contingent presentation of a stimulus following a response.”
Woolfolk also stated that “Just as with praise, by making privileges and
rewards directly contingent on learning and positive behavior, the teacher can
greatly increase both learning and desired behavior.
In choosing this strategy I thought of how positive reinforcement helped me
become a better student while in grade school, and even in college. Positive
reinforcement and Praise helped me to become an all around better student.

3. Credible source #1
The Effects of Positive Verbal Reinforcement on the Time Spent
Outside the Classroom for Students with Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders in a Residential Setting.
This article examines the effects of increasing teacher positive
verbal reinforcement on two students with emotional behavioral
disorders. Findings revealed that increasing positive verbal
reinforcement decreased the amount of time spent outside the
classroom (suspension referrals). It’s stated that if attention is
a reinforcer for the student, and more attention is given to
negative behaviors, they will be more prevalent than positive
behaviors.

4. Credible Source #2
Providing Teachers with Performance Feedback on Praise to
Reduce Student Problem Behavior.
This article emphasizes on providing teachers with
performance feedback on praise to reduce student problem
behavior. The article also discusses the result of an
experiment two teachers were involved in within a general
elementary classroom. The teachers consistently used praise
and positive performance feedback, which ultimately decreased
the student's negative behavior.

5. Credible source #3
A Preliminary Investigation of kindergarten Teachers’ Use of
Praise in General Education Classroom.
This article study collected praise frequency data across four
general education kindergarten classrooms. It discusses the
different types of praise used and how teachers delivered praise
were analyzed. The results indicated that kindergarten rates of
behavior-specific praise were higher in this study compared with
other research. The article also states that teachers can reinforce
students positive behaviors through praise, tokens, or other
activities students find enjoyable.

6. Summary
Positive reinforcement and praise helps children
feel good about themselves and their work. Based off
of my research positive reinforcement produces both
short-term and long-term behavioral and academic
benefits. Based off of previous experience as a
student and teacher positive reinforcement makes the
student proud and want to continue to make themselves
and their teacher proud.

7. Summary continued
The provided text defines what positive reinforcement is
and also continues to state that “Positive reinforcement of
inappropriate responses occurs unintentionally in many
classrooms.” For example, there might be a student who enjoys
making other students laugh so he repeatedly acts like he’s
falling out of a chair. The teacher might often lose control
of the entire classroom if the class keeps reacting to that
one student's behavior. Positive reinforcement can sometimes
be unintentional, which can be a disadvantage within a
classroom.

8. Analysis
There are many similarities among the three sources I used.
One main similarity includes the fact that all classrooms that
were studied resulted in improved behavior after positive
reinforcement and praise was consistently presented in each
classroom. The differences includes the different ways each
experiment took place. One experiment studied how often praise
was presented and one experiment studied what kind of praise was
used. Even though the studies were different the results
remained the same, behavior was improved when praise and
positive reinforcement was presented.

9. Connections
According to education psychology the major theorists for
development of operant conditioning which is defined as
incorporating the concept that responses cannot occur without an
environmental event preceding it are Edward Thorndike, John Watson,
and B.F. Skinner. They all believed that learning is the result of
the application of consequences; that is, learners begin to connect
certain responses with certain stimuli. All of the theorists
believed that positive reinforcement indicates a process that
strengthens a behavior. Based off of my research I was shown that
the more positive reinforcement and praise given by the teacher the
more positive behavior they received from the class.

10. Conclusions
Based off my previous slides there is clearly
evidence that promotes student achievement through
positive reinforcement. After doing some research
through the school database I learned that many
teachers have decided to test to see how effective
positive reinforcement is within their classrooms and
find that it's extremely helpful when it comes to not
only improving academic skills but also improving
behavioral skills.

11. Conclusion Continued
Although I was able to learn about not only the
positive effects of positive reinforcement and praise
but also the negative effects, I still believe that
using positive reinforcement will help with academic
achievement in a more effective way. I believe that if
we are able to make students proud of themselves and
of their work, they will continue to want to make
themselves proud.

12. Communication with families
If a parent approached me and asked me about promoting student achievement through
positive reinforcement I would respond in this way:
“Positive reinforcement is a very common and very effective way to improve your child's
academic and behavior skills. Most teachers are quick to punish a child for misbehaving or not
putting effort into their work, but according to the research I’ve conducted, giving a child praise
when they do a good job, or encouraging them with a reward to complete a task will be just as
effective if not more. Having a reward will motivate students and when you give students praise for
doing well you make them proud of themselves which is ultimately extremely important. Students will
want to continue to feel proud, which will encourage them to continue to work hard. I encourage you
at home to try to promote an invigorating environment that will help the child feel more positive
about themselves and about the work they’re doing. Children who feel loved and appreciated tend to
work harder to keep up that same energy. So before you react, think about how you want to use
reinforcement, will positivity help? Or do you want to continue pouring in negative energy into an
already stressful situation?”

13. Sources
Class book: Woolfolk,Anita. “Educational Psychology
Thirteenth Edition” Pearson Education Inc,2016.
Source 1:Jolivette,Kristine. “The Effects of Positive Verbal
Reinforcement on the Time Spent Outside the Classroom for
Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in a
Residential Setting.” EBSCOhost. N.p. Aug 2008; pg.211-221

14. Sources continued
Source 2: Mesa, Juan. “Providing Teachers with Performance
Feedback on Praise to Reduce Student Problem Behavior.”
EBSCOhost. N.P. September 2005, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p3-7,5p.
Source 3: Floress,Margaret. “A Preliminary investigation of
kindergarten Teachers Use of Praise in General Education
Classroom.” EBSCOhost. N.P. 2015,Vol 59 Issue 4, p253-262.
10p 2 charts.