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Rewards and Positive Consequences

Strategies for Behavior Students

From , former About.com Guide

One of the greatest motivators to improve student behavior is to provide an incentive or reward for appropriate behaviors that occur over a defined period of time. Better yet if you let your student/child pick from the list below.

  • Become a helper to the custodian, librarian, another teacher or the office staff.
  • Become a class monitor for a specific area of need e.g., hall monitor, room check monitor, tidy monitor etc.
  • Helping a younger student with a learning task for a specified period of time.
  • Earn points for a class video.
  • 15 minutes of free choice activity.
  • Work with a friend.
  • Wear your ball cap or favorite hat for a work period.
  • Read a comic book.
  • Show or tell the class something you have or did.
  • Have lunch with your favorite person or the teacher.
  • Read a story to the principal or to another class.
  • Hand out supplies for a defined number of activities.
  • Free time in another classroom.
  • Receive a positive note for home.
  • Pick something from the prize box.
  • Pick something from the treat box. (Keep it healthy, crackers, animal cookies, fruit, juice boxes, popcorn, granola bars, marshmallows etc.
  • Earn tickets toward free time.
  • Free pencil, pen or eraser.
  • Positive phone message or email home.
  • Free poster.
  • Free story for the whole class!(A strategy like this lets others help the student at risk stay on target.
  • Earn a cooking day for the class.
  • Take the bubble blower out a recess.
  • Free homework pass.
  • Leader for the day.
  • An additional gym period with another class (be sure to partner up with a teacher for exchanges like this one).
  • Listen to the radio or CD with a headset for a specified period of time
  • Have work posted in the hall or near the office.
  • Enjoy a game with a friend or in another class.
  • Be the leader for the first gym activity.

If nothing on this list interests the child, ask what type of incentive he/she believes would help him/her to obtain their behavior goals and help keep them on track.

You may wish to use a checkmark or sticker system and have the child reach a specified number prior to receiving the incentive. Have a look at some of the behavior plans here where a marking system is in place.

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