Behavior modification for kids (charts, stickers, etc)

[vettechick99]

Tell me about your behavior charts, especially if you work with very young kids. Or if you have multiple behaviors you are trying to extinguish as soon as possible.

Thanks!

 

[OhMari]

We have a new K-4 program in our school system. Our public school is renting out a huge area in our Catholic school building, since there is no room at the Public School. The teacher for K-4 was the teacher for all 4 of my kids. She left the Kindegarden program to go to K-4. She was tired of all the politics that the state has mandated that Kindegarden was suppose to accomplish.

I'll ask her after school if she has this kind of behavior modification charts, but I really don't think she does, since she wanted to get away from all those rules.

 

[vettechick99]

hey OhMari! Wait, you're on the wrong board.

Yeah, let me know if she did anything or has any ideas. I see some online but nothing that perfectly fits my needs. I need this for a 1st grader I work with that has trouble behaving during class (he talks/makes noises all the time, he won't follow directions, etc). I'm quite sure these are learned behaviors, not that he has ADHD or anything. He just wants to do what he wants to do (mom admitted she's babied him ).

We're thinking of a daily chart where he needs to get a smiley face for each class. And then a reward or consequence if he's got too many of either.

So any ideas appreciated!

 

[Megster]

I don't work with young kids, but I remember this system very clearly from my 2nd/3rd grade split class (I'm now a college senior).
Every child in the class had a small envelope with their name and 10 tickets inside. If you misbehaved the teacher told you to take out a certain number of tickets based on the severity of what you did, how many times she had asked you to stop, etc. On Friday afternoons there was an activity time and based on how many tickets you had left in your envelope determined what you could do. 10 = free choice, 9-7 = limited number of choices, 6-5 = even less choices, 4 and under you had to have "quiet time" in one of the classrooms (I only had it once and once was enough). The system worked because it was a team of 4 classes so each room was for the different number of tickets.
As I said, I remember the ticket system very clearly, and in my opinion it worked really well. I'm not sure how well it would work for your particular case, but maybe it could be adapted?

 

[tw1nsmom]

I'm coming at this from a parents perspective, though I do have teaching experience.

Try to make it a positive reinforcement. What I mean by that, is that instead of making marks that punish the bad behavior, define what the good behavior is and reward that. Maybe a star every time they exhibit the good behavior. Have a set number of stars they need for reward and let them work toward that. Don't have it be something they'll miss out on if they don't get enough stars and don't make them restart until they've earned a reward. What I mean by that is don't make them earn so many stars to participate in something everyone else is doing (extra recess on Fridays...or popcorn/movies...). Then it really becomes a punishment instead of a reward.

If they need 10 stars to pick a sticker, let them get a sticker no matter how long it takes them to get 10 stars. If they only have 3 stars at the end of the week, don't make them start from zero on Monday.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[Cindy B]

Soon to be Special Ed teacher here-- (only 6 more months to go!)-- but what Ihave been told in all my PBS classes is "reward"the good, and not punish the bad.

See if a student has experience in acting good, the poor behavior will be "replaced" (for a lack of a better word) by good behavior.

As for specific charts, you may just have to go into Word and make it yourself. That can also be good -- say to the student that you made it special, etc.. and that it is just for him. If you make one specific chart it can be a template for other issues like it.

 

[EthansMom]

Last year, in Kindergarten, DS's K teacher had a system where each child in the class would start off with their peg on the green board. If the child needed to be warned for poor behavior, their peg went to the yellow board. A second infraction that day would get their peg moved to the red board. At the end of each day, each child whose peg was on the green or yellow board would get a sticker on their sheet. When they'd filled the sheet (20 stickers, I think), they could pick an item out of the price box (inexpensive toys).

This year, in First Grade, each child has a sticker chart that goes home at the end of the week. The chart has columns for each day with rows for "listening politely during lessons"; "working quietly"; "completing all morning work"; and "working quietly in their independent reading workbook". Students either get a smiley sticker (did well), no sticker (didn't quite do as well), or a frowning sticker (really didn't do well at all). I'm not sure that it works as well for behavior modification, but it is a great tool to let parents know how their kids are doing on a week-to-week basis.

 

[momof1princess]

just today, i got a note from DD10's teacher that she's have a VERY difficult time paying attention in class and it's going to start getting her conduct marks. so i told DD i would make up a chart and for each day she doesn't get a conduct mark for not paying attention, she gets a sticker and for each month (or however many weeks the chart covers) the chart is full, she can redeem the chart for something special-a small toy, a trip to the movies, money to save for vacation, etc.-she gets to decide. of course, i just came up w/ this off the top of my head and i'm not an educator (just a mom), but i'm hoping it works.

 

[OhMari]

I just got done talking with the K-4 teacher and she works with an "award system". They receive awards for listening the first time like to stand in line for going outside. She has a dot system. They get a stickey dot to put on the board. She says she will be ending this system after the 9 weeks are up and changing rules and awards. She feels with this age group challenges have to be met and acquired. Then she moves to different challenges and awards.

Good luck vettechick. I hope this helped a little.

sometimes I stray off the WDW trip boards!!!

 

[TiggerStac]

hey OhMari! Wait, you're on the wrong board.

Yeah, let me know if she did anything or has any ideas. I see some online but nothing that perfectly fits my needs. I need this for a 1st grader I work with that has trouble behaving during class (he talks/makes noises all the time, he won't follow directions, etc). I'm quite sure these are learned behaviors, not that he has ADHD or anything. He just wants to do what he wants to do (mom admitted she's babied him ).

We're thinking of a daily chart where he needs to get a smiley face for each class. And then a reward or consequence if he's got too many of either.

So any ideas appreciated!

We are currently using a sticker chart for my DS 6, who's in K. He has 5 times during the day that he can get a sticker. They are just simple simley face stickers. We do not do a consequence if he doesn't get all of them on the same token, we do not "reward" for all 5. He got all 5 last week (1st time) and asked what he got for a reward...he actually wanted something that he gets all the time...tons of kisses from Mommy. That reward is great But I do not plan on buying him something for all stickers.

Each night, we talk about how many stickers he got and why he didn't get one at a particular time and what he did to get them, to reinforce.

 

[Disney4Drew]

I use these behavior mods in my special ed classroom:

Set a timer (you increase the time until you gradually fade it out) for 5 min to start. Give the child a token on his desk. Undesirable behavior before the timer goes off - take the token - no reward. He has the token after 5 min - reward him immediately. I use a single skittle, m&m, animal cracker, etc. Whatever has value to that child. You then set the timer again for 5 minutes (or start with a longer time if you think your student can handle it. Some of mine can not handle more than 8 minutes yet). Increase to 8 min, 10 min after the child is consistently keeping his token for 5 min. (maybe after a day or two of him doing this). The goal is to get rid of the undesirable behavior(s) and not use the timer at all. This does take some time and is definitely not an overnight fix. I sometimes let my kids play with silly putty, do a puzzle, play on the computer, etc for their reward. It just depends. You have to be consistent with this, though.

I wanted to edit this to say that the behavior each child works on in the 5 minutes is specific. For instance, I have one child who is working on not blurting out answers but raising his hand. He gets rewarded for that if he raises his hand consistently in the 5 minute span. There is another child whose goal is to "keep cool" because he giggles a lot and disrupts other students. Again, he keeps his token if he works quitely and is appropriate in the classroom environment. I just wanted to clarify that all of the children don't have to be doing the same thing to get the reward. I also walk around when I'm handing out the reward and say things specific to their goal like "Wow, Johnny! I like how you raised your hand every time I asked a question! Way to GO!" to reinforce it with them.

Give them a small laminated card (I use a word strip) and put 5 velcro dots on it. The key is to catch them doing the right thing. Give them a bingo chip (which also has velcro on it). When they get 5 chips they cash in the card for 5 minutes of free time. Computer, puzzles, etc. They do not lose the chips, though. This only focues on positive reinforcement. The card is also portable, and my aide and I both carry a pocket full of bingo chips to reward them during resource classes, recess, lunch, etc.

My kids LOVE the computer, so I made small computers colored red or green and laminated them. They all start the day out with green but can lose their turn to use the computer (not for school work but during free time) and get a red computer. Green=you may use the computer. Red = no computer. This is simple, and they are accountable for their choices in the classroom. They seem to really want to hold on to their green computer cards!

I also do the weekly reward charts. They get a prize at the end of the week if they have a pumpkin for each day. The chart is private to each student and is kept in a folder in their desks. Most of the time I just ask them if they feel that they deserve a pumpkin for the day. I also use that time to talk to them to see if they understand what behaviors were or were not desirable and things they need to do to earn a pumpkin tomorrow.

 

[vettechick99]

Great ideas. Thanks so much for the suggestions!

 

[TiggerStac]

Sticker chart is definately working for DS, he got another 5 stickers (all day) today. And you know what he asked for again....a ton of kisses!! The only downfall is that he gets angry at himself if he gets less than 4 stickers. He seems ok w/four, but when he gets 2 or 3...he gets angry w/himself.

 

[momof1princess]

DD came home today w/ a glowing report from her teacher! i'd sent a note telling her what i'd done about the problem, and she wrote back that she could tell DD was trying much harder in class today! i think (and pray) this is going to work!