Supporting Students On and Off the Court: The Monitor & Prompt Process

As educators, our goal is to support students in transferring the skills they learn during targeted instruction into real-world environments. This transition is not always seamless, particularly for students receiving Tier 3 interventions. One of the most effective ways to bridge this gap is through the Monitor and Prompt process—a structured intervention that helps students generalize taught strategies within instructional settings. Just like a coach on the sidelines of a game, educators play a critical role in guiding and supporting students while allowing them to build independence.

What is Monitor and Prompt?

Monitor and Prompt is an intervention that supports students in applying learned skills within the natural classroom setting. Educators actively engage by:

• Using pre-correction strategies to prevent minor behaviors from escalating.
• Acknowledging replacement behaviors as they occur in real-time.
• Offering structured support to help students transfer skills from practice to performance.

By viewing staff as coaches rather than in-the-moment problem solvers, we create an environment where students are encouraged to take ownership of their behavior and progress toward independence.

1. Supporting Students in the Classroom Environment

One of the biggest challenges for students receiving Tier 3 support is applying their skills in the real environment. A coach doesn’t train athletes only during practice; they also provide guidance during the game. Similarly, staff support in the classroom is essential to helping students bridge the gap between skill instruction and independent execution.

The Role of a Classroom Coach:

• Observing students’ application of skills in real-time.
• Encouraging appropriate behavior through reinforcement.
• Prompting students when adjustments are needed to stay on track.
• Avoiding over-involvement, allowing students to take ownership of their actions.

When students receive structured support in real-time environments, they increase their ability to successfully generalize skills, leading to long-term success.

2. Best Practices for Supporting Students

For Monitor and Prompt to be effective, staff responses must be aligned and consistent. When coaches give mixed signals, players get confused—similarly, inconsistent responses from staff can lead to frustration and hinder student progress.

A Staff Response Guide helps define:

• Which behaviors to monitor.
• How to respond to specific behaviors.
• Ways to prompt students without taking over.

Key Coaching Approaches:

• Proactive vs. Reactive: Schedule classroom support proactively rather than waiting for issues to arise.
• Consistent Responses: Ensure all teachers approach student behaviors in the same way across different classes.
• Ownership & Independence: Avoid stepping in too quickly—students must learn to use their skills independently.

For example, if a student has been taught to request a break using a signal, but a staff member steps in and says, “Let's go for a walk. Looks like you need a break,” instead of prompting the student to reflect on their mental & body cues and then use their break signal, it removes the opportunity for the student to use the skill independently. Instead, staff should monitor and only prompt as needed, reinforcing the student’s ability to advocate for themselves. For example: "It looks like you might be frustrated. Remember you can ask for a break when you get frustrated."

Check out our Monitor & Prompt Staff Response Template for ideas!

3. The Ultimate Goal: Student Independence

At the heart of Monitor and Prompt is the goal of independence—ensuring students can access their least restrictive environment and utilize strategies effectively.

Measuring Success:

• Tracking data on student use of targeted strategies.
• Assessing levels of staff support required over time.
• Adjusting instruction based on data from progress monitoring tools like PM (DBRC data and BSL data).

Here are some examples of data using the Emergent Tree Behavior Progress Monitor Tool to give you an idea of how you can utilize the data to help with your decisions:

Example 1: Staff Support Level Frequency Data

The staff support level frequency graph shows us the breakdown of the types of support that a student might receive during monitor and prompt. Staff can use this graph to quickly see the most common types of supports given to the student. We can easily see when a student might be struggling (darker colors) or is doing well (light colors).

Example 2: Support Level by Date and Time

This graph goes along with the frequency graph. It shows us the breakdown of when those supports were actually provided. This helps us to see which dates or periods of the day the student is doing well and might need less support. It also helps visualize where they might be struggling so proactive time could be scheduled to monitor and prompt.

By gathering meaningful data, we can make informed decisions about:

• What skills still need reinforcement.
• How much support a student requires in different settings.
• When to fade prompts to encourage independence.

Final Advice: Stay the Course:

Transitioning from direct instruction to independent application takes time. Students won’t master new skills overnight, just as athletes don’t become champions after one practice. Some days will be challenging, but consistent support and aligned responses will pave the way for progress.

Key Takeaways for Educators:

• Be proactive—schedule time to be in classrooms to provide support before issues arise.
• Stay aligned—work as a team to ensure consistency across environments.
• Build student confidence—allow them to take ownership of their skills and behaviors.
• Don’t give up! Behavior change is a process, and every small success is a step toward independence.

By embracing the role of a coach on the sidelines, educators can provide meaningful guidance while empowering students to take the lead in their own growth. Let’s step onto the field and support our students in building the skills they need—both in the classroom and beyond.

Looking for some additional resources for your journey?

Downloadable Resource:

Check out our Monitor & Prompt Staff Response Template, designed to help educators follow the Monitor & Prompt steps and track actionable data throughout the process.

Online Course:

Take the Introduction to Tier 3 Systems: The Solid Roots Framework for Behavior Support course to provide an overview of the purpose and components of Tier 3 behavior systems in schools.