A Not so Good Job with "Good Job": A Response to Kohn 2001

Autor/inn/en	Strain, Phillip S.; Joseph, Gail E.
Titel	A Not so Good Job with "Good Job": A Response to Kohn 2001
Quelle	In: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 6 (2004) 1, S.55-59 (5 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1098-3007
DOI	10.1177/10983007040060010801
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Early Intervention; Young Children; Positive Reinforcement; Special Needs Students; Teaching Methods; Reader Response; Misconceptions; Debate; Rhetorical Criticism + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Frühe Kindheit; Sonderpädagogischer Förderbedarf; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Leserbrief; Missverständnis; Debating; Streitgespräch
Abstract	The field of early intervention has long been involved in a heated debate between proponents of behavioral teaching strategies and professionals against it. This debate has become more focused and clearly more relevant to the quality of services afforded to young children with special needs because more of these youngsters are being served in typical early-care and education settings. Not only are more children with special needs being served in these settings, but recent national survey data have suggested that the number of children who engage in challenging behaviors is increasing also. Given the increasing number of typical early-care and general education providers who are intimately involved in the education and care of young children with special needs, it is particularly disturbing to note that a major professional journal serving this group ("Young Children") recently published an article that blatantly misrepresented behavioral teaching strategies and was openly hostile to adults who use praise. The case-in-point is the article by Alfie Kohn (2001), "Five Reasons to Stop Saying, "Good Job."" What is most disturbing about Kohn's article is that the author misrepresents behavioral interventions, depreciates professionals who use them (a strange choice, given the overall humanistic tone of the article), and specifically distorts positive reinforcement. Moreover, it has been the authors' experience that Kohn's article has been widely circulated and used as "evidence" for ending use of social praise. In this article, the authors argue that Kohn's article is misleading, does not accurately depict the available evidence on positive reinforcement, demeans children and practitioners, and--worst of all--may serve to limit the use of a powerful, evidence-based practice for facilitating children's development. In organizing their response, they critique his five reasons to stop saying, "Good job." Finally, they suggest that Kohn's position is harmful to children, families, and the professionals who serve them. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10