How to Teach Good Behavior in Children Using the Token System
In a token economy, or system, children earn tokens, such as coins or stickers, for good behavior. They later exchange these tokens for rewards. Child-development experts from Gonzaga University reviewed studies of token economies conducted over a period of over 40 years, noting that a token system appears to be an effective way of making good behavior rewarding for elementary and middle school children. While traditionally used by teachers attempting to motivate children with special challenges, such as autism, parents can use a system of tokens to motivate their children to behave, teach them to delay gratification, and learn to self-monitor their behavior.
Things You'll Need
- Stickers
- Poster board
- Dry-erase board
- Markers
Instructions
Creating A System
Identify one or two behaviors you want to change. Choose behaviors you think your child is developmentally capable of changing -- such as a 9-year-old learning to wait his turn -- and that are serious enough to warrant attention. Child development experts writing for the Ask Dr. Sears website suggest breaking down a task, such as homework completion, into smaller parts, allowing your child to earn a token for each part completed. Decide how many tokens your child must earn before getting a reward. Typically, children begin by earning rewards frequently with only a few tokens, such as three to five, according to child development experts at Vanderbilt University. Decide what kind of tokens you'll use. Choose an image that is interesting and fun for your child, such as stickers of cartoon characters for younger children or stars for older children. Make a list of rewards that motivate your child. For younger children, observe what they like to do most frequently during the day. Ask older children what kinds of rewards they enjoy. Child development experts at Vanderbilt University suggest choosing motivators that are tangible, such as playing with a favorite toy, and withdrawing the reward after about five minutes. Use pictures for your list of rewards for younger or disabled children and words for older children. Create a grid to track your child's progress using paper, cardboard or a dry-erase board. Write the days of the week horizontally across the board and draw one square for each, where your child can paste his stickers. While you can just have your child save his tokens himself, using a board is a fun way to help children visualize their progress, especially when first implementing a token system. Earning Tokens
Explain to your child that for every good behavior she accomplishes, such as waiting her turn to speak, she'll earn a sticker. Share the list of rewards you've selected for your child, explaining that she can exchange a certain number of stickers, such as three, for a reward on the list. Show your child how to paste each sticker she earns on the board. Let her place her stickers immediately after earning them to keep her interested in the token system. Exchange the target number of stickers for one of the rewards on your list. Implement the reward immediately and consistently. Fading It Out
Increase the number of tokens needed to earn a reward over time or increase the amount of time between earning the token and exchanging it for a reward. Having to wait longer for a reward or needing more tokens for a reward teaches your child to defer gratification. Substitute rewards that are available naturally in your child's environment, such as getting to read a book of his choice, for rewards you supply, such as earning a new toy. Phasing out your use of tokens over time prevents your child from becoming dependent on this method of reward. Allow your child to assume increasing responsibility for the token system over time. Let her choose rewards she must supply, and determine how many tokens she has to earn before granting her own reward.
