How to Use a Tally System in the Classroom
Employing a tally system for your classroom can help train your students. The system, which functions essentially on keeping a tally of merits and demerits, is particularly appropriate for younger children in kindergarten and elementary school, where teaching proper classroom behavior is sometimes challenging. The tally system cannot only help with classroom management but can include a student's learning as well. Award points for more than appropriate actions, but also for correct answers and for having homework completed. Use the tally system to install all correct behaviors and practices.
Instructions
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Decide if you wish to use the tally system on classroom groups or on individuals. If awarding individuals, you may stay busier keeping track of all tallies, unless the class is small. For larger classes, managing a tally system with groups is more easily done. For groups, divide the class into at least three groups for better competition. For really large classes, you may wish to try four or five groups.
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Make a place to record the tallies. For individuals, this can be in a grade book. Most grade books have two rows of boxes for recording grades. Use one row for tallies. For groups, designate a part of your board to record the tallies, so the groups can see how they are doing. Use part of your chalkboard or whiteboard or even a bulletin board. Mark the numbered groups in a column. Then create a table across the top with the days of the week, so you can record each group's tallies by the day.
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Award students or groups tally marks every time an individual or group exhibits positive behavior you wish to reinforce. Make sure students are aware they have earned a tally point. Tally points can be awarded for having homework, getting a question right when asked, for doing the right thing in class or whatever behavior is being taught.
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Remove tally points for negative behaviors. Make sure the student or group realizes when this occurs as reinforcement for not repeating the undesirable behavior. If giving tally points for having homework or the right answer, not having homework or giving the wrong answer simply results in receiving no tally point.
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Decide how often you are going to reward the highest tallying individual or group. For particularly unruly children with short attention spans, a daily reward works best for reinforcement. For other students, a weekly reward works fine and makes the end of the week something to look forward to.
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Hand out rewards. Rewards can be whatever you feel you have the budget for. They can be small pieces of candy or balloons or inexpensive, plastic toys, the sort bought by the bagful. Make sure you know, before offering candy, what your school's policy is toward candy considering current health and obesity concerns. Rewards can also be extra time at recess or privileges in the classroom. If you have a class pet, the reward can be getting to take care of the pet. Consider what it is your students like and want in determining rewards that will motivate them.
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