VIPKid Easy DIY Reward Systems Ideas

    

    Looking for simple and easy External Rewards your students will LOVE? Look no further because I have four reward systems I want to share with you today that you can use over and over again. All of them are easy and require little to no effort. What's better is once you have made them you can change them, and repeat for endless classes of fun! My students literally beg me for these rewards and we have a blast using them!

1. Velcro Stickers

         

    I bought these stickers literally the day before my Mock class because I wanted something to use as my external reward. So, I went to Dollar Tree. I was desperate, but what I ended up finding I still use today! Some of these stickers are 3D and some have glitter on them! Aren't they cute?!? (You should know I am a sucker for all things glitter.) All I did was stick them to card stock, cut around them, and put Velcro on the back. They stick easily to my felt background so I can put them up in class for the kids to see. Click HERE for more on this versatile background. 

                                                    

 

    I really like this reward system for the lower levels because they get so excited to see Robots, Monsters, and Bugs of different colors and shapes. I have one student who roars every time he gets a monster and another of my students beeps like a robot and says, "I am a Robot Student" when he gets robots. It's pretty adorable. 

    This system is easily upgraded by buying new stickers, card stick and Velcro (all of which can be found at the Dollar Store). It's adaptable and cheap and for those reasons, this reward system is a go-to for me! 

2. Dice Game Reward 

                 

    Another Reward System I enjoy is the Dice Game Reward. It's so easy to create! All you need is a whiteboard (also bought at Dollar Tree), some dry erase markers, and a smart phone where you can download a dice rolling app. First, come up with six fun things you can do with your student. "Funny Face", "Draw/Guess", "Find the Star", and "True or False" are all examples of activities I have on my board currently. 

    "Funny Face" is pretty self-explanatory. "Draw/Guess" is basically Pictionary. If you want to switch it up every now and then, you can have the student draw and you guess. In "Find the Star" I hide a star behind one of my flashcards or in one of my hands and the student has to guess where it is. "True or False" requires a bit more creativity because you have to come up with a True or False question to ask the student on the fly. Of course it can pertain to the lesson, but it doesn't have to. I sometimes have a repertoire of questions that I have prepared props for. This makes it more interesting. 

    The way you introduce this reward to the student is on the reward slide, you say, "_______, every time you do a good job, we get to roll the dice. (*show them how the dice rolls). And then we get to do something fun (*show them the board with numbered activities)!" 

    I like this reward system because it's easy to change. If you want other activities to do (or you have done all of these over and over again), you can also include things like "Favorite?" where you ask the student what his or her favorite _______ is, "What Animal?" where you describe or pretend to be an animal and the student has to guess, or "Dance" where obviously you have a spontaneous dance party. 

3. Google Slides 

    Google Slides has been my best friend for some time. I used it all the time in my brick and mortar classroom. And now it has followed me to my online classroom since I recently learned that you can download the app onto your phone or iPad! Well, that opened up a whole new world of Reward Possibilities! I created a slide show starting with a picture of the numbers 1 through 10. Then I chose pictures based on a certain topic and BINGO! Easy reward system. 

    Students choose a number between one and ten. You then click the screen on that number (of course the student doesn't know that it doesn't matter where you click) and a picture comes up. The students love to see what the picture is and it's always exciting! Make sure your slide presentation is a back-and-forth between the numbers and pictures that way you can just click through as the lesson progresses.  

    I love this reward for multiple reasons. 

• It's useful for all levels. As long as the student knows numbers 1-10, they can choose a number and voila! 
• It's easy to make more presentations! You can keep using this system class after class after class if you want to (although, I recommend switching it up a bit every now and then), but my point is, you can create different presentations with different pictures and use it for a long time. 
• It's adaptable! Cater this reward to your student. Maybe you find out that Bao Bao plays basketball. Make a slides presentation with pictures of basketballs, basketball courts, jerseys, etc. He will eat it up! I have one student whose name is Elsa (Trust me. This is not all that uncommon.) Obviously, she loves the Frozen movies! So I created a slides presentation that was Frozen themed. She LOVED it! And I loved seeing her so happy!   

    You can create endless genres of slides. Anything from Outer Space, to Naruto, to Ultra-man, Food, Kittens or Butterflies. You name it! The possibilities are endless!   

4. Connect Four

    This game is super fun for Levels 4-6. It involves strategy and encourages healthy competition between the student and teacher. All you need is a white board and some expo markers. Draw the board about 6x8, although it can be any size that suits you best. Tell the student he or she can choose which color he or she wants. Each time you want to praise the student, ask them which slot they want and draw a dot in the column they choose. 

    Then it's your turn! You can adapt your playing style to the student. If you think they can take it, give them a run for their money. I typically let my students win, but not without a little fight. It's fun and keeps the students on their toes! 

    So those are some of my favorite Reward Systems. Let me know in the comments which ones you like and maybe share some of the rewards you implement in your classroom! 

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As always, God bless and Happy Teaching!