Introducing a reward system to your Key Stage 2 students creates a nurturing atmosphere in your classroom, an atmosphere that raises your pupils’ self-esteem and shows each child that there are many positive ways to get attention.
You can start rewarding your pupils at any time. But, introducing an extrinsic reward system at the beginning of a new term will ensure that your students are absolutely clear on your new positive behavioural standards and will hopefully get them into good habits that will last throughout the entire school year.
Here is a guide to introducing stickers and rewards to your Key Stage 2 class.
General Behaviours Typical of Many Key Stage 2 Pupils
- Most pupils are developing/have developed positive behaviours, social skills and levels of emotional awareness which enable them to access the curriculum without causing a disturbance to the education of their classmates
- Pupils need regular positive reinforcement of acceptable classroom behaviours
- Can occasionally be noisy and excitable
- Pupils may need verbal instructions repeated to reinforce the message, but can in general obey classroom rules and routines
- Towards years 5 and 6 pupils may begin to ‘push the boundaries’ of acceptable classroom behaviour, but will be working on their own skills in conflict resolution
1. Getting Started
Manage your rewards by choosing say four or five good behaviours that you will want to praise and encourage in your classroom. Next buy some batches of corresponding stickers to get you started. (head here to view our comprehensive range of rewards for KS2 pupils). Some examples of rewardable behaviours include:
- Completing classwork to an excellent standard
- Independent learning and showing initiative
- Progressing well and putting in lots of effort
- Working as part of a team and helping others
Tip: Praising your pupils with tangible stickers and certificates for genuine achievement is key, as you don’t want the reward system to become devalued as pupils come to ‘expect’ a reward for conforming to normal classroom rules.
2. Introducing Your New Rewards Scheme
Once you have decided on your criteria for giving out rewards, it is time to gather your class to introduce them to your new system.
Explain which behaviours will be rewarded and show them what the corresponding sticker will look like. You may also want to start a class discussion on which behaviours your students think they should be rewarded for.
Allowing your pupils to become involved at the reward planning stage inspires them to stick to their new standards for behaviour and encourages them to ensure their classmates to do the same too. To help them create their own behavioural rules, give them an example scenario to think about, for example, "A child who wants to speak, but everyone is talking over them – what good behaviour would help them the child in that situation?"
Tip: Be enthusiastic when introducing the concept, to get the children inspired and motivated by your new reward system.
3. Setting an Example Task
Set the children a short task to complete and reward your pupils based on the new criteria.
Tip: You may want to make this activity a task to be completed in small groups and have a sticker tally chart for each table. The group which collects the most stickers each week can then become “table of the week.” This will help your new reward system stick in the minds’ of your pupils, because people tend to respond positively to a bit of healthy competition.
4. Reward Your Pupils
At the end of the lesson, gather your class together and reward the hard-working students who earned their stickers.
You can apply the stickers to their uniform or choose to stick it on the front of their exercise book. Wherever you choose to stick them, make sure it is in a prominent place, to ensure other teachers and pupils take notice of your students’ hard work.
Tip: It is important to ensure that you limit the amount of rewards given out in each lesson, because if you’re too generous then the children will expect them too often and may only work for rewards. By rationing rewards children will be more likely to see them as a special thing and take notice of their own good behaviour. This should lead to repeat positive behaviour in future.
5. Be Consistent
Most importantly recognise when rewards are needed and be consistent with it!
Tip: Change the rewards as the year progresses. A new set of stickers is all it takes to get your classroom excited and enthused by rewards once more.
If you're looking for a useful way to manage behaviour, motivate pupils and encourage engagement and would like to see Carrot Rewards in action please email neil@carrotrewards.com or leave your details here.