Token economy

Are you looking for a way to decrease a specific behavior with one of your students? Does the child talk out when they shouldn't? Are they having trouble keeping their hands to themselves? Are they finishing their work? 

One strategy I like to use is a token economy system. I have a student who does not like to finish his work and is very easily distracted. I decided to try a token economy system to improve his work completion and time-on-task.

First, I needed to find what the student was interested in. The little guy I work with is very interested in the army.  He loves anything army so I knew this would be motivating to him.  I made tokens that were like the army men from the movie Toy Story. It can be hard sometimes to use the child's fascination when it could be considered inappropriate. We talk daily about how he can like the army but we have to play and talk about it safely and respectfully at school.  Here is an example of what the tokens looked like. I copied the tokens on cardstock and double laminated them to help make them last. 

This is also the time to talk to the student about what they want to earn when they meet their goal. 

Next, I added the soft side of velcro circles to a plastic photo box. I bought the photo boxes at Michaels. 

Inside the box are 6 tokens for the child to earn. I also put the reward in the box if it is small enough or I write on the top of the box what he is working for with a wipe-off marker. The box says: I am working for___________ and the velcro circles are under the writing. 

Then, I put the rough side of the velcro on each of the 6 army tokens I made and I put the tokens in the box. I keep the box in front of him at the table where we work. When he is working on his assignment and staying focused, I pull a token from the box and put it on the top of the box. When he has all 6 tokens, he gets the reward in the box.  Rewards can be simple: a package of fruit snacks, stickers, or a little toy. Other options can be iPad time, extra recess or free time, lunch with the teacher, etc. The most important thing is that the reward is motivating to the child. Once the child has met their goal, you can put the tokens back in the box and start again with the next assignment or work activity. 
Token economies are quick and easy to make and use. They give great data for the teacher on specific skills and children enjoy using them. There are many ways to modify this token economy. Instead of the photo box, you can use a clipboard, a laminated index card, or any way you find that works for you. I like this system because it has a place for the tokens, it is small enough to transport, and prizes can fit inside.
So....what do you think? Will a token economy work for you? If you need help creating one, please let me know and I would love to help you out. Once you have it made, you can use it for any behavior. 
Have a GREAT DAY!