Good Behavior Game

The Good Behavior Game is a practical, straightforward method for managing disruptive behavior via rewarding children for engaging in on-task behaviors during instructional periods in elementary and younger middle school classroom settings. This program was first experimentally tested in 1969 by researchers at the University of Kansas, and several subsequent research studies substantiate its effectiveness.

Implementing the game is relatively easy, given that some preparatory time is allocated to becoming familiar with the main steps and identifying which classroom-accessible, effective reinforcers will be used for the “winning team.” Prior to introducing the game to students, teachers must (a) determine during which daily instructional periods the game will be played, (b) identify specific negative behaviors to monitor via use of a “marking” procedure (i.e., “leaving ...