Types Of Positive Reinforcement For Children

There are many different ways to give a child or group of children positive reinforcement. Though, individual and group positive reinforcement needs to be done in different ways ,there are 4 ways in which you may give positive reinforcement. There are natural positive reinforcers, such as being a team captain, free time, or sitting next to a friend. The second one is edible reinforcers, such as candy, or a pizza party. The fourth is social reinforcement, which is giving positive comments and attention.

All four methods are good to use on both individual and group positive reinforcement, but the same reinforcement isn’t as effective on both. For individual positive reinforcement, when a student is following classroom rules a student will get a token for great behavior throughout the day. This reinforcement provides the children with a reward for doing good and incentive to continue following the rules. Another great positive reinforcement for individuals is personally acknowledging the child for correct answers, good behavior, etc.

A simple smile, positive attention, or letting the parents know how great the student is doing is in most situations better than any physical reward, it boost the child’s self esteem and confidence in themselves. Competition tends to be a good motivator for kids. Another positive reinforcement for groups could be a party. When the entire class, reaches a certain level of attendance, the teacher could give the class a little party. Even though, not all the students where in class as much as others, it shows the student that you can have rewards when you try and how important it is to go to school.