A student asks for a break with a card and gets it at once. The next day he asks again and gets it again. By Friday, asking has replaced leaving the room. That is reinforcement at work. Nothing dramatic happened. Something the student wanted followed something the student did, every time.
This page covers what reinforcement is, how to choose it, how to time it, and how to fade it.
What the sources mean by reinforcement
Colorado's guide defines a reinforcer as something that increases the likelihood that a specific behavior will occur again. It describes positive reinforcement as giving something desirable, and negative reinforcement as removing something aversive, and says reinforcement should match the function of the target behavior, because reinforcement is the key to lasting change.
The IES guide makes a point that surprises some teachers: it is easy to reward a problem behavior by accident, by attending to it. Even a reprimand can be rewarding to a student who acts out to gain attention.
Choose what works for this student
Colorado says reinforcers do not only mean food or candy. They might also mean one-to-one time with preferred adults or peers, a break from demands, access to the playground, or movement or sensory experiences. It groups them into tangible items or activities, attention, and escape.
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Reinforcer inventory | A checklist for the student, family, and staff to rank common activities, objects, and experiences |
| Free-operant observation | Watch what the student gravitates toward in class, at specials, and at recess, and who they approach |
| Interest connection | If the student likes superheroes, print pictures for a break |
Colorado adds that reinforcers need to be powerful: if the student has regular access to something, it will not work well. They should be available when the target behavior occurs, not to pacify. Use a variety, and keep finding new ones, since what once worked may not anymore.
Timing and size
The IES guide offers guidelines for rewards.
- Small and often, rather than large and rare.
- Quickly, right after the behavior.
- Specific: reward the behavior and say which behavior it was, such as "because you worked on your own for 15 minutes."
- Varied, chosen carefully to make sure they reinforce.
- Reduced gradually, and then eliminated.
Colorado's tips say the same in other words: in the beginning, reinforcement should occur immediately, and as the behavior is shown more often, begin delivering it intermittently, because variable schedules make behavior stronger, then gradually fade it over time as skills are learned.
Every time, then sometimes
A simple schedule has stages.
| Stage | What happens | When to move on |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Every time | Each use of the break card earns an immediate yes | The card has replaced leaving the room for several days |
| 2. Short waits | Sometimes a yes after a few seconds | The student waits calmly most times |
| 3. Mostly yes | Some requests answered with a short task first | Behavior holds at the new level |
| 4. Natural | Breaks built into the schedule, praise for good choices | Data stay steady with the card used rarely |
Illinois's guidance names the same moves as ways to help a skill generalize and last: changing the timing of reinforcement from continuous to intermittent, moving from tangible to social reinforcers, and phasing out the program gradually.
Praise and the ratio
The IES guide recommends that the amount of praise for appropriate behavior substantially exceed reprimands, and cites a review that found a ratio of about four positive statements to one corrective statement can improve academic and behavioral outcomes. Colorado's guide recommends a five to one ratio of positive attention to correction attention. The numbers differ, and the message is the same: aim for far more recognition than correction, and check your own counts for a week. Teachers are often surprised.
Counting your own praise
One simple exercise: for one lesson, make two columns on an index card, one for recognition and one for correction. Tally each time you say something positive about a behavior and each time you correct one. Do it for three days. Most teachers find the ratio is lower than they thought, which is not a failing but a starting point. Colorado and IES both point toward more positive attention than correction, and the card makes the gap visible. Pick a goal for the next week, such as doubling the positive column, and look again. Specific recognition, such as "thanks for starting right away," carries more information than a general "good job."
Reinforcement and function
A reward system that ignores the function will miss. If a student leaves the room to avoid a long task, a sticker for staying will compete with the break he gets for leaving. The reinforcer should be something that meets the need: a break, a shorter task, help. The IES guide says that if the problem behavior is reinforced by avoiding a task, the teacher should not dismiss the student from the activity but adjust the task so the student can succeed.
Colorado's response statements spell this out. "When" statements say how to reinforce the new skill. "If" statements say how to avoid reinforcing the old behavior, and Colorado stresses that "if" statements are about withholding reinforcement, not punishment. For examples, see replacement behaviors examples.
Token systems
Colorado cautions that a token system works only if the student can wait for the trade-in, and that tokens need to be delivered immediately, be motivating enough, and be delivered consistently. If a student only marks time until the real reward, a timer or schedule may serve better. The role of a reinforcement system is to teach more appropriate skills, not to run forever.
Fading
The IES guide says extrinsic rewards may be needed at first, especially with young students, and should be faded and replaced by naturally occurring reinforcement, such as satisfaction in work, working with a team, and fun while learning. In practice, fade one thing at a time and keep watching the data. If behavior slips, go back a step. See BIP review and revision.
Common problems
- Rewarding too late. The link to the behavior is lost.
- One reward for everything. It loses its power.
- Taking rewards away for unrelated problems. Keep them tied to the skill.
- Skipping the fade plan. A plan with no end becomes a crutch.
- Using access to a break as a punishment. If the break is part of the plan, it is part of the plan.
Terms are in the glossary.
What your team decides
Which reinforcers to use, how often, and how to fade them are decisions for the team and the family, informed by data. Ask your behavior specialist if you want help designing a schedule.