Precorrection: A proactive strategy to improve student behavior
It’s November, and Ms. Connelly notices several students have difficulty following the morning arrival routine. They talk loudly as they enter the classroom and hang up their bookbags. The morning tasks listed on the whiteboard are not being completed because students are socializing with each other and taking longer to complete their work. Ms. Connelly has to redirect many of the students and is losing an average of fifteen minutes of instructional time due to the misbehavior.
An evidence-based strategy Ms. Connelly can implement to address her concern is precorrection. Precorrection is a proactive strategy to increase expected academic and social behaviors (Borgmeier, 2012; Ennis et al., 2018; Sherod et al., 2023). It involves anticipating and addressing possible academic or behavioral issues before they arise. The teacher identifies the context in which the problem behavior may occur (e.g., socializing, interfering with work completion during independent work time, transitioning to small group instruction). Then, changes are made to the activity or setting that could prompt the problem behavior. These changes help prevent the occurrence or recurrence of the interfering behavior (Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered Model of Prevention, 2015). Using precorrection results in students demonstrating the targeted behavior more often, time on task improves, and the need for correction reduces (Ennis et al., 2018; Sherod et al., 2023; Strategy: Using precorrection, n.d.).
Teachers can use precorrection to improve the behaviors of a large/whole group and individual students. To implement with a whole group, the teacher: a) determines the context when the behavior is occurring (e.g., transition from lunch, independent work time); b) identifies the expected/desired behavior (e.g., complete tasks and work quietly during independent time); c) provides the precorrection (e.g., a verbal reminder); and d) gives student feedback (Borgmeier, 2012). In the earlier example, Ms. Connelly identifies the morning arrival time as her context and the morning arrival procedures as the expected behaviors. On Monday of the following week, she reviews the previously taught morning arrival routine with the students:
Be Responsible: Morning Arrival
- Hang up your bookbag and jacket
- Sit in your assigned seat
- Read and follow the directions on the whiteboard
After greeting students at her door for the next two weeks, Ms. Connelly verbally prompts them on the arrival routine before they enter the classroom. She places a poster of the procedures on the wall next to the door and refers to it as she speaks to the students. Then, she uses behavior-specific feedback to reinforce students who follow the morning routine. After two weeks, she notices that students followed the arrival routine more consistently, and she regains most of the fifteen minutes of instructional time.
Sometimes, individual students need targeted support and a plan for precorrection is developed. The plan outlines how precorrection will proactively address and prevent the problem behaviors from occurring (Ennis et al., 2018). An eight-step process can be used to guide the teacher in identifying the problem behavior and creating the pre-correction plan to implement with the student. The steps of the process are:
- Identify the context and predictable problem behaviors.
- Define (i.e., operational definition) and teach the expected behavior.
- Modify the context to set students up for success.
- Provide students with opportunities to practice the expected behavior.
- Provide students with strong reinforcement for the expected behavior.
- Develop a plan to prompt/remind students to engage in the expected behavior.
- Develop a plan to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the precorrection plan.
- Provide students the opportunity to provide feedback on the strategy (Borgmeier, 2012; Ennis et al., 2018; Evanovich & Kern, 2018; Sherod et al., 2023).
The eight steps are an extension of implementing precorrection with a whole group. With the pre-correction comprehensive plan, a teacher is able to provide the targeted support a student may need. For example, Julia is out of her seat, roaming the classroom frequently, which affects time on task and completion of assignments. Mr. Fulton, her teacher, wants to use precorrection to help Julia reduce her out of seat behavior and to increase her time on task. He can use this eight-step checklist to guide the development of a plan to implement precorrection. In addition, the plan provides data (e.g., number of minutes during instruction when she is in her seat, percentage of completed assignments) that will assist Mr. Futon in determining if the precorrection effectively increases Julia’s time on task and completion of assignments.
Precorrection is an effective strategy that teachers can include in their strategy toolbox. It can be used with students of all ages, in various settings, and groups of various sizes. Through teaching and reteaching expected behaviors, using prompts to provide the precorrection prior to a task or situation, and giving reinforcement, students are more likely to experience academic and social success.
Resources
Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered Model of Preventions (Ci3T): Precorrection Module
IRIS Module: Addressing Challenging Behaviors (Part 2, Elementary): Behavioral Strategies
Precorrection Implementation Checklist for Success
Precorrection Treatment Integrity Checklist
References
Borgmeier, C. (2012). School-wide Classroom Support, Precorrection. PBworks.
Ennis, R. P., Lane, K. L., Menzies, H. M., & Owens, P. P. (2018). Precorrection: An effective, efficient, low-intensity strategy to support student success. Beyond Behavior, 27(3), 146-152.
Evanovich, L. L. & Kern, L.K. (2018). Precorrection: Preventing predictable problem behaviors in school settings. Beyond Behavior, 27(2), 90-98.
For more information, contact Chris Frawley ([email protected]), Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavior, Inclusive Practices, Intellectual Disabilities