I will be honest. I tend to be biased against classroom reward systems. When I see names on the board or stoplights with clothespins, I have to actively check my assumptions.
In my heart, I want adults to model positive behavior, and magically, children behave in the way we want them to. I also want active, engaging, and supportive classrooms where there are never any behavior challenges. (My home would be so much more peaceful if this were always true!)
But this is not reality.
Do Classroom Reward Systems Work?
Research shows that engaging classrooms in which educators model self-regulation are more likely to support children’s positive behavior and promote learning. But, the reality is that helping a group of children learn to get along and follow classroom expectations is hard. Developing self-regulation is a complicated and lifelong process that children are just beginning, so educators need systems, support, and strategies.
Still, when I recently saw an article entitled “Do Classroom Rewards Work?”, that summarized research on the effectiveness of such systems, I wanted the bottom line to be that they didn’t. Yet, the article shows that these systems can be effective in improving behavior and can do so without negatively impacting the development of intrinsic motivation. (Intrinsic motivation is someone doing a task or showing prosocial behavior because the act itself brings satisfaction, not because it leads to a prize).
The article also goes on to note that classroom reward systems do not automatically support positive behavior in and of themselves. In the same way that interesting materials or an evidence-based curriculum do not automatically lead to better learning outcomes for children, classroom reward systems need to be implemented effectively.
In other words, how educators use these systems impacts children’s positive behavior. The effectiveness of the system depends on how educators introduce it, whether they use it equitably, whether they create positive goals, and whether they encourage children.
When these systems are used in punitive ways or implemented as crowd control rather than behavior support, we tend to see negative outcomes instead of positive ones.
When Behavior Systems Can Go Wrong
Take a look at this real life story that illustrates how these behavior charts can actually cause more harm than good.
When my daughter’s best friend was in 2nd grade, her teacher used a classroom-wide points system. “Good” behavior was awarded points. “Bad” behavior resulted in points being deducted. These transactions were all written out on the whiteboard. Children sat at tables of four and the table with the most points at the end of each week could get a prize from the class treasure chest.
Theoretically, this setup should encourage the children to follow expectations.
However, when the teacher implemented the system, she also included punishments if a table got below a certain level of points. Consequences included things like as walking laps during recess or having silent lunch.
Making it a competition between tables also meant that children would get mad at their peers—both those who lost points for their own table or those who gained points for another table. All these actions ended up with children resenting one another, and for one child, bullying behaviors. Children also ended up categorizing one another, separating into the “good” and “bad” kids.
These are not the outcomes we’re looking for.
So, what do we do instead? How can we ensure that classroom reward systems are implemented in a supportive way? How can CLASS®-based interactions be woven into educators' systems to help children demonstrate positive behaviors?
1. Build Relationships First
CLASS Connection: Positive Climate
Research in education, coaching, and parenting demonstrates that relationships are key. Changing a behavior, teaching a skill, or modeling a desired outcome are all more likely to be effective if the child feels safe and respected. When you know each child, their strengths and challenges, likes and dislikes, and show them genuine care, it will be easier to find rewards that work for them. The children are also more likely to see the system as supportive.
2. Make Behavior Systems Both Community-oriented and Individualized
CLASS Connection: Positive Climate and Educator Sensitivity
It can be hard to find that balance between keeping the whole class functioning and differentiating for each child. This is true for teaching cognitive skills and ideas and for supporting behavior. What works for one child often does not work for another, especially for children with disabilities who may need more external support in achieving behavior expectations.
However, it is also important that educators see all of the children as capable and a part of the classroom community. One way to achieve this balance is to provide both individual rewards or praise based on who the child is and have the classroom working together to achieve a larger goal. For example, when individual children receive positive feedback about the different skills they are working on, the educator also adds a star to the board for the whole classroom to earn a game day or extra recess. A bonus here is that children start to see how they are accountable to the group and they often encourage each other to use more positive behaviors.
3. Acknowledge the Need Behind the Behavior
CLASS Connection: Educator Sensitivity
All behavior is communication. Children who demonstrate challenging behaviors are often struggling to share their needs or express their emotions in healthy ways. Behavior reward systems that focus only on labeling a behavior without fully understanding why a behavior is happening are less likely to be effective.
Educators need to be able (and have the resources) to figure out what is leading to the behavior. They might ask the children questions about what they feel in their bodies, what happened before their behavior, or how they are feeling. (If children are less verbal or speak a different language than the educator, they can model that language or use picture cards to support the conversation.) Or an educator might observe children at a certain time of day to identify patterns of behavior.
Once the reason for the behavior is discovered, educators can acknowledge and address those needs and guide children to more positive ways to get their needs met. As the child learns how to handle that need in a more appropriate way, educators can notice and reward that behavior.
4. Involve the Children in Creating The System
CLASS Connection: Regard for Child Perspective
Learning happens best when children have some choice in the matter. While educators can and should put boundaries around these systems (a pizza party every day is not an option), children are often more likely to follow the system if it is relevant to them. This might look like the class voting on the group reward (dance party or extra free time) or deciding what types of behaviors earn points (Helping a friend? Asking politely? Being respectful to a visitor?). Or it might look like individual children deciding their reward (sticker or positive note home).
5. Include Specific Feedback in a Positive Way
CLASS Connection: Behavior Management and Quality of Feedback
One pitfall with implementing reward systems is that it can lead to over-praising. Constant “good jobs,” “kiss your brains,” or stickers are going to become background noise and meaningless.
Instead, focus on providing feedback about the very specific behavior as a part of the reward. If you’re struggling to think about how to be specific, simply describe the behavior you saw, focusing on what the child did well.*
This is especially important when you see children stop an impulse or ingrained behavior and try out self-regulation skills. For example, maybe you see a child who has a lot of angry outbursts, take a breath and grunt instead of yelling. This is a great time to positively reinforce that child practicing self-control by both noting the behavior and linking it to the reward.
*One note here about giving feedback. It is easy to slip into phrasing that focuses on how the behavior pleases the educator (“I like how…”). As much as possible, try to keep the phrasing focused on the behavior and the reason or outcome of the behavior (“I see…”). This language helps to reinforce the reasons behind the expectation and the development of self-regulation skills.
6. Combine Redirection and Rewards
CLASS Connection: Behavior Management
Sometimes, reward systems can become all or nothing; either the children demonstrate the behavior on their own and get the reward, or they don’t. An educator may need to first redirect the behavior by using effective methods, such as a subtle cue, modeling the appropriate behavior, or reminding the children of a conflict-resolution strategy, and then reward the children as they adjust their behavior accordingly.
7. Connect it to Broader Social-Emotional Learning
CLASS Connection: Behavior Management and Concept Development
Although a key classroom goal may be keeping children engaged in learning in relative calm, one of the ultimate goals in supporting behavior is to help children develop self-regulation skills that they need for life. Connecting reward systems to the development of these skills helps children learn why such behaviors are important. Rewarding a child as they try a mindfulness strategy, identify their emotional state, or demonstrate empathy to a classmate and remind them of how they are building these skills is a great way to emphasize this learning.
As a bonus, you can ask analysis and reasoning questions, including problem-solving opportunities, or connect a current situation to previous learning. In doing so, you have the opportunity to weave Concept Development strategies into the social-emotional learning and behavior support happening in the classroom.
In Short
All these ideas are a way to say that reward systems matter most in the way they are implemented. Having a reward system will not magically make children follow expectations, and there are plenty of effective classrooms that do not use these systems. The point here is that if you decide to use a classroom reward system, it must be grounded in effective interactions. The interactions outlined in the CLASS framework can help educators make the evidence-based system or approach they are using more effective.
The list above only addresses a few ways to infuse effective interactions into reward systems or support educators with behavior challenges. Check out our podcast for educators, Teaching with CLASS where you’ll find many episodes with tips for managing behavior and many other CLASS-aligned strategies.
