Why Some Teachers Love Reward Tags & How to Use Them

Source: Why Some Teachers Love Reward Tags & How to Use Them

Tired of thinking about filling out behavior charts? No money in the budget for endless little toys and sugary candy treats? It’s time to look at the reward tags!

What are reward tags?

Source: Lucky Little Learners/Reward Tags

Reward tags (also known as “show-off tags”) are simply cards that children can collect and display. They recognize academic and social achievements in class. Teachers love them because they’re extremely inexpensive to create; All you need is a printer and some map material! You can laminate them if you’d like, but it’s certainly not required. They are also easy to manage. No complicated scoring systems or charts to keep track of—just tag students when they deserve it.

Children love reward tags because they are fun to collect. And they work for every type of student. Because you can reward a variety of behaviors, each child will find some tags that are easy to earn and others that require a little more work. In this way, each student can build up a nice collection over time.

Some teachers like to use beads with their reward labels to reward repeated behavior. For example, if you want to recognize a student for working quietly, but they already have that tag, they could instead receive a color-coordinated bead to add to their necklace.

What do children do with it?

Like Pokemon, kids love collecting these cards. Many will want a “complete” collection before the school year ends. Some teachers just let the kids collect cards themselves (many are perfectly sized to fit in library card pockets). Other teachers have children show them. Here are some ideas to try.

Use chain necklaces

Source: Third Class in the Fifth State

This is probably the most popular way for kids to view their tags. Children can look at each other’s tags and wear them at classroom celebrations or as special rewards.

Try loose-leaf rings

Source: Lucky Little Learners/Binder Rings

Use easy-open clip rings instead of necklaces to save some space. Display them on a chalkboard or let kids hang them at the front of their desks.

Create a book of reward tokens

Source: Fifth in the middle

If you’d rather keep reward tags a little more private, this is an excellent option. Also, in a book or binder, kids can record not only the tags they’ve earned, but how they’ve earned them. (You can find these Teachers Pay Teachers book pages here.)

Go digital

Teaching in a virtual classroom this year? Want to clear some classroom clutter? Try digital reward tags! Children can keep these in a special “holder” on Google Slides. Get your set of Performing in Education on Teachers Pay Teachers here.

How do I manage reward tags throughout the year?

When it comes to the reward labels themselves, you just need a great way to keep them organized and easily accessible. Here are some ways teachers organize their tags.

Try a hardware organizer

Pull-out drawers make it easier to find the tags you are looking for. Learn more at Performing in Education.

Stash them in divided organizers

You can often buy these at the dollar store, so they’re an inexpensive option. These are also perfect if you are using beads alongside pendants. Visit Fifth in the Middle to learn more.

Hang them in pocket cards

Pocket cards are ideal for storing tags, as Learning in Wonderland shows. Hang them on a wall in your classroom and kids can see which tags they still have to work toward.

Group them by category or just follow alphabetical order

Some teachers like to group theirs by categories like academics, behavior, etc. Others prefer a direct alphabetical order. Use what works well for you. Click here to learn how Primaryly Speaking does this.

How can children show them outside of the classroom?

Source: Herding Cats

Kids will want to show their reward tags to parents, friends in other classes, and more. But every time something leaves your classroom, you run the risk of it never coming back! Here are some ways to share them with minimal risk of loss.

• Designate one day of the month when children can wear their necklaces to school throughout the day.
• Take a picture of a student with their latest tags and text or email it home.
• Allow kids to take their show-off tags home for long vacations and reward them with a special tag when they remember to bring them back.
• Use virtual reward tags (above) to let kids log into their Google Classroom account at home and show it to their family.

What types of rewards tags should I use?

Oh, the possibilities are endless! What behaviors would you like to reward in your classroom? Associate tags with academic achievements, like knowing the alphabet or mastering its multiplication facts. Or encourage good social skills like listening and sharing. Teachers also use reward tags to recognize things like clean desks, acting for a sub, or using technology responsibly.

Not sure where to start or don’t have time to create your own tags? No problem! There are some good free sets out there. You can also find tons of cool options to buy on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers. Here are some worth trying.

Check out a sample pack

Speak Primary has tons of Reward Tag Packs available on Teachers Pay Teachers. Grab this free pattern pack with three basic options, then visit their store for a huge selection of others.

Reward them for learning their letters

Preschoolers and kidies will get a kick out of these tags! They get a new one every time they master a letter. Learn how to use them at Lessons For Little Ones, then buy the tags at TPT.

Print plain tags on light-colored paper

Save money on expensive colored ink and print these labels on colored paper instead! Get them for FREE on Playdough to Plato.

Foster a growth mentality

Lucky Little Learners is another Teachers Pay Teachers seller with a huge range of reward tags. We especially like this set that rewards kids for demonstrating a growth mentality.

Recognize them for good sub behavior

Give students another reason to look their best for a substitute teacher. Get these free printable tags from The Proactive Classroom.

Hand out reward tags for students to color

How cool are they! You’ll also save money because you can print them out in black and white. Find out more and buy them at Minds in Bloom.

Make trial time more rewarding

Exam time is a stressful time for most children. Recognize their efforts with these cute free tags. Grab here from Lindy du Plessis on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Looking for easier and cheaper ways to reward students? Check out these ways to encourage good behavior without junky prizes or sugary treats.

Plus, 10 creative ideas for tracking behavior in the classroom.

Via: toplistreviewstoday.com

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