Special education strategies are methods designed to increase positive behavior specifically for special education students. Positive reinforcement in the classroom is one method of increasing effective classroom management. Positive reinforcement promotes positive behavior and study habits in your students if it is used correctly. The key to positive reinforcement is adapting the rewards to the specific needs of your students. The positive reinforcement can be in the form of rewards that are physical objects, privileges or the omission of certain tasks. It is up to you to decide what works best for your classroom and your students.
If this is a new classroom, you may not know your students well enough to know what will work for them. If this is the case, then I suggest either a written questionnaire or some type of private or group session where the students are able to express their likes and dislikes. Knowing your students is a key point in figuring out what will work for them. Below are some examples of positive reinforcement.
- For students who continuously act out due to disorders such as ADHD, try rewarding their good behavior with some organized free time. Coupons are a good way to do this. For example, if the student is constantly speaking out of turn, reward the act of NOT speaking out of turn with a coupon for a half hour of working on a craft project they are interested in.
- For students who are consistently late turning in their work, you can develop a method of positive reinforcement that rewards them by eliminating one homework assignment for every ten that are turned in on time. Make sure the student is very familiar and comfortable with the subject so that eliminating one assignment does not affect their overall knowledge.
- Reward good grades with coupons or points that allow the students to pick rewards from a selection. These do not have to be expensive rewards. They can be anything from designer pencils to craft projects that fit your budget.
Remember that one of the best ways to use positive reinforcement as one of your special education strategies is by acknowledging progress. Everyone likes to be acknowledged for doing a good job. This not only gives the student some attention, but lets them know that you notice how hard they are working.
