A Special Educator's Quick Guide to Reinforcement (Teaching Strategy)

Stickers and Beyond: Reinforcement Strategies that Actually Work for Diverse Learners!

 

 

Reinforcement Strategy: Actions taken while working with a child to make a desired behaviour more likely to occur in the future or actions taken while working with a child to facilitate or increase the occurence of a desired behaviour.

+ Positive Reinforcement: Adding something pleasant or desirable (examples: toy, food, attention …) to make a desired behavior more likely to occur.

+ Negative Reinforcement: Taking something unpleasant or undesired away (examples: noise, distractions …) to make a desired behavior more likely to occur.

Reinforcer: Incentive (either a reward or the removal of something undesired) that is given to a child after they display a desired/appropriate behavior (or used while working with a child to materialize a desired behavior). 

Examples/Types of Reinforcers:

A. Tangible - Tokens, stickers, posters, noise cancelling headphones, prize from a prize box, snack or favorite food item (if appropriate), coloring page, books.

B. Activity-Based - Extra time on computer, silent reading time, partner reading, allowed to be a leader, given a classroom job, assisting secretary or teacher.

C. Social - Tell a joke, lunch with teacher, positive phone call home, game with a friend, being a peer model for a younger student.

D. Intangible - Verbal praise, smiles, thumbs-up, giving eye contact, positive comments written on work.

Source: Reinforcement Strategies (National Center on Intensive Intervention, 2016)

Acknowledgements: 

+ God (our heavenly Father) 

+ Family 

+ Friends 

+ Professors and Mentors (Anamika Ma'am, Swati Ma'am, Pubali Ma'am, Sudeep Sir, Jha Sir, Brij Ma'am and Pushpa Ma'am). 

With Hope.