Around Town Round Up: Tips for Incorporating Reinforcement

Reinforcement is an evidence-based practice that we have seen utilized in many of the classrooms we coach. There is no single way to implement reinforcement but there are some helpful tips that can ensure success. Today's Around Town Round Up will share those tips and some examples we have seen in our districts.

Tip 1: Incorporate visuals supports.
Visual supports help students understand when they have earned reinforcement. They are a concrete reminder of the reinforcement versus other systems that are accessed solely by adults (i.e. Classroom Dojo, behavior data collection, etc).

Punch card for iReady time
Lindsay Fox
Kemp Elementary, Dayton

Portable dime token card to earn preferred activity
Ruby Copley
JFK Elementary, Kettering

Star Behavior Schedule to earn morning and afternoon break time
Mary Nolan
Valley Forge Elementary, Huber Heights

Classwide stamp reinforcement system
Shanon Vance
Valley Forge Elementary, Huber Heights

Tip 2: Clearly define expectations.
Often we will see students who have a limited understanding that their behavior or work completion impacts whether or not they earn their reinforcement. They do not see the clear connection between what they do and what they earn. Use a reinforcement system that clearly communicates what the student needs to do to earn the reinforcement.

In the examples below, the tokens are used to clearly define how much work has to be done before earning the chosen reinforcer. Each token represents a task or part of a task (depending on the student's needs). These reinforcement visual supports are often referred to as a visual contract.

Kelli Tritschler
Mound Elementary, Miamisburg

Annette Black
Springfield High School, Springfield

Rachel Engle
Horace Mann Elementary, Springfield

Jackie Vollmer
Driscoll Elementary, Centerville

Tim Sullivan
Springfield High School, Springfield

This visual contract is part of a structured work system binder. The numbered tokens correspond with pockets within the binder. The student matches each token to the pocket, completes the work, and then earn the chosen reinforcer once all of the work is done.

Laurie Maravetz
Schaefer Middle School, Springfield

Older students may benefit from a task list which details each of the steps required the complete a task. As the finish each step, they check off that step on the list and continue working toward the rewarding activity at the bottom.

Kara Cripe
Smith Elementary, Oakwood

3. Have a clear goal in mind.
For some students who have a variety of interfering behaviors throughout the day, it can be beneficial to focus on a single goal that they will work towards such as a replacement behavior. The goal expectation should be clearly defined and as well as what they will earn.

Tim Sullivan
Springfield High School, Springfield

Laurie Maravetz
Schaefer Middle School, Springfield

Thurgood Marshall High School, Dayton

Ann-Marie Small
Driscoll Elementary, Centerville

4. Incorporate special interests.
To get buy-in from students consider their special interests and how those can be incorporated into their reinforcement system.

Pi Token Reinforcement System
Annette Baker
Miami East Elementary, Miami East

Special Interest Character Token System
Allison Clements
Schnell Elementary, West Carrollton

Rocket Ship Token System
Heather Balkcom
Springcreek Primary, Piqua

For more tips and examples of incorporating reinforcement in the classroom don't miss our previous posts:

ReinforcementSystems

MoreReinforcement Systems

Reinforcementfor Task Completion