Playing the Game: A behavioural approach to classroom management in the junior school

In a fourth year classroom of 32 children in a state primary school, the class teacher was taught to observe and record behaviour objectively, and to apply a group-orientated contingency on a game basis. Using only house-points, maladaptive behaviour was controlled and reduced still further when the strategy was amended to a ‘leaner’ rate of rewarding. This was achieved without upsetting the informality of the classroom whilst the children's response was co-operative and favourable. Certain demands were made upon the teacher which slightly hindered her teaching function, but she gained in confidence in handling the class whilst output of written work increased.