The benefits of a rewards system for younger children

When teaching younger children, developing a positive and constructive rapport with each pupil can be crucial, both in terms of their learning development and also in helping to build their social skills and self-confidence. Making the time to sit with a pupil individually can of course greatly assist in the development of this rapport. An important technique in supporting these efforts however is the introduction of a school-wide, fair and effective rewards system.

To be effective, a school rewards system should firstly be recognised by all pupils and parents as legitimate, and the rewards themselves as reasonably attainable. Prestigious elite prizes may have their place when encouraging academic excellence amongst older children, but rewards for younger children really need to reflect day-to-day and week-to-week achievement in small, measurable steps.

Simple but important actions such as being polite to other children, choosing healthy lunch options, or even paying attention in class can all, at appropriate times and depending on the individual development needs of the child, merit the receipt of a reward.

The second important requirement of a rewards system is that the rewards themselves are sufficiently incentivising without being so attractive that they become more of a focus for a child than the good behaviour they are meant to be encouraging.

A few ticks on a page or a series of grubby stars on a chart, for example, may not inspire a pupil. A toy on the other hand may be so coveted that pupils may end up arguing and cheating in order to ‘win’ such a prize.

The most effective school reward systems on the other hand have been found to utilise attractive, professionally-produced, but intrinsically inexpensive reward tokens such as stickers, certificates and rubber stamps.

At Brainwaves we specialise in the supply of proven and effective reward stickers that are a delight to both give and receive.