The Fundamentals of Precision Teaching

Unlocking the Power of Precision Teaching

Precision teaching was born from a desire to transform how we measure and improve learning.

What makes precision teaching so impactful is its unwavering focus on data. It’s not just another teaching method—it’s a revolutionary approach to understanding performance through precise measurement and clear visual representation. By using a unique type of charting, precision teaching empowers educators and behavior analysts to make informed, data-driven decisions that directly impact outcomes.

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Traditional education often falls short when it comes to tracking progress effectively. Precision teaching addresses this by systematically measuring and analyzing behavior in a way that is both scientific and actionable.

At its core are three powerful concepts:

• Pinpointing behavior—defining exactly what we’re measuring, with clarity and consistency.

• Measuring response rate—tracking how often a behavior occurs within a set time, allowing us to identify patterns and progress.

• Using the Standard Celeration Chart (SCC)—a sophisticated yet practical tool that makes changes in behavior over time easy to see and respond to.

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Although it’s called “teaching,” this method is more about smart measurement than instruction. Precision teaching doesn’t just help us teach better—it helps us understand better. And when we understand better, we can unlock true learning potential.

 

Precision Teaching Example​

A great example of how precision teaching would work is with arithmetic tables that are often used in elementary school:​

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Students are given a sheet of math problems and a minute or two to complete as many of the problems as they can. When time is up, they put their pencils down and count the number of problems they answered correctly. In these situations, the focus is not only on the number of correct answers but also on fluency. This is an important distinction of precision teaching.

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In this example, the target behavior is correctly answering arithmetic problems. If we want an overall goal to be that students will correctly answer 30 arithmetic equations in under 1 minute, we could use the information collected using precision teaching to make decisions on whether or not a particular teaching method is working and if changes need to be made. 

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If we collect data using precision teaching every day for two weeks and graph findings on a standard celeration chart, we can very easily visualize the trend. If the students are becoming more fluent and are increasing in responding, we can presume that the teacher is using a great method to teach the students. If there is no change or a decrease in responding, we can use this information to make a data-informed decision and possibly change the teaching method being used.​

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Benefits of Precision Teaching for Children with Autism

Solving math problems is only one example of a behavior that can benefit from precision teaching. Precision teaching can be used for academic skills, problem behaviors, daily life skills, social skills, and more. This adaptability makes it great for working with children with autism.

Using precision teaching in ABA sessions with autistic children can help families and behavior analysts make sure that the child is learning most effectively. If a skill isn’t being acquired, precision teaching allows us to make changes in a way that best meets the learner’s needs.

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What is the difference between precision teaching and direct instruction?

Direct instruction is a teaching method that includes structured lessons and teaching of specific skills. Precision teaching focuses on measurement, not specific teaching strategies. Precision teaching uses the collected data to make decisions on adjustments to instruction.

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