Those of you who use token economies, where do your students store their money/tickets? I've tried implementing these in the past, but they have been unsuccessful partially because I don't know where to have my students store their tickets. When my students had desks, I had bags attached to the desks. That didn't work. Now that my students have tables, I tried having baggies up on the wall under the whiteboard so they can reach them to put their tickets in. That didn't work because they kept falling down. Also, how do you keep your students from stealing tickets that don't belong to them?
I've been thinking about trying this again this year but I feel like this has to be worked out first!
I was going to try this with my very unorganized 6th graders, but felt they would be lost/stolen and it would cause more conflict than I cared to have. I hope someone posts with good solutions.
I went to our local Target and asked for empty plastic film canisters. They were happy to oblige and they are the perfect size to store tickets. I write the children's name on a piece of masking tape for the top and keep them in a bowl at the front of the class.
My students have desks. This year when Staples had their big $.01 sale I bought enough sliding pencil holder for everyone to have one to hold their money. This has worked great. I am hoping they last and that I can collect them at the end of the year and use them again. Maybe some kind of box(like a billfold box) might work.
Here's what I do, my kids earn money for several things: homework turned in, no warnings throughout the day, times when I "catch them being good", and for special rewards like turning in their reading logs, etc...
I put my class roster into an Excel table. I have the kids' names down the sides and usually about 21 small columns across the top. Each time the students earn money I put the appropriate symbol in a square (H=homework, C=Caught being good, R=Reading log, etc...). I make tons of blank copies, so each new week I just grab a blank one.
For easy access, this list is kept up with a magnet at the front board throughout the week. At the end of the week, when the students come to my store, they look at the chart and have to count how much money they have earned (each letter is equal to one penny, no matter what the letter is). Then they count out the same amount with coins and then they know how much they have to spend that week at the store.
Although this is intensive on the part of the teacher, I have never had a student have lost/stolen money. BTW--I teach 2nd grade, and by the end of 2nd they will be responsible for putting their own money on the chart--we're just not there yet!
I use construction paper. I cut one of the big ones in half, then let the kids decorate it. Then I fold it 2 times, like a tri-fold wallet. Laminate, staple the edges, then I put a strip of velcro so that it can open and close. Works great so far.
I've been looking at these small index card wallets they have in walgreens or cvs. They're 1$, so they're doable. I might do that if the ones we have don't last.
I use tickets every year. I have the students write their name on the back of them, and they have to keep up with them. If you allow them to be responsible for their own tickets, they eventually will. I have had a couple of occasions where a students did not get an opportunity to shop in the classroom store. But each time; when the next store opened, they had their tickets. I have done this with 1st and 5th graders and it works. I open the store at the end of every card marking period. I did give the first graders plastic baggies to store their tickets in. The fifth graders use their school assigned, homework folders with long pockets or pencil boxes and cases. So far it's working out.
I have a great classroom economy going, and it doesn't require ANY physical tokens. All payments are made into their bankbooks, and withdrawals, likewise. Go to a friendly neighborhood bank and ask for cheque registers. There are places for students to write the date, the reason (eg. finished all work today - for a deposit, or talked too much - for a withdrawal). There are appropriate places to list the deposits and withdrawals, and, of course, a place for the current balance. About once a month, I set up the Store and students buy things using withdrawals from the cheque book. No tokens needed. I love the system, and so do my classes. I used it with grade 4s last year and am using it with grade 5s this year. If needed, let the students use a calculator - they love it, and it is easy practice for them.
I really encourage you to try this system. Even with grade 3s, if you keep the amounts easy ( multiples of dollars $1, $2, $3...$10 rather than dollar amounts with coins $1.25) they will come to love it. As for how much to pay them, if you worry about them getting too far ahead and making it difficult to supply items for the store that don't cost a fortune, set your store amounts high. For example, a simple shiny pencil that I can buy at the dollar store for (10/$1) costs the students $25 to $75 depending on how fancy it is. They still buy them, no matter what price you will set.
Gina
I give 3 tickets as students walk in each morning. It is their responsibility to walk straight over to their desk and write their name/initial on each ticket. If they don't and it gets stolen, then too bad! After a few stealing incidents, they learned.
I have the kids keep their tickets in their baggies at their desks. Again, they loose them, then too bad.
Once they collect 30 tickets, they can redeem them for a prize. Or, they can collect them till they get 175 and then I take them out to lunch.
Good system. I like it lots.
11-04-2007, 03:13 PM
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