I am a huge advocate for rewarding positive behavior, but I don't want to spend the money on maintaining a "goodie box" of candy, pencils, erasers, etc. all year long! I would much rather reward students with something fun and class oriented. I have given out homework passes before, and those work well, but this year I'm trying something new -- Incentive Scratch-Off Cards!
First, I made each of my cards using Microsoft Word. I could have made them prettier, fancier, and more colorful, but I'm a fan of simplicity sometimes! I managed to fit 18 on a page and printed them on white cardstock. I chose incentives that I can use for any of my classes -- since I teach two different grades and courses. I chose +5 pts on a Quiz, Vocabulary Pass, Classwork Pass, and Lab Pass. The best part is you can totally customize the options for your classroom, regardless of grade level! You could make rewards for treats like computer/iPad time, choosing their seat or group, front of the line, etc. So many options!
I cut out each of the cards using my handy dandy little paper trimmer (what would I do without that thing, seriously...). I then covered the reward portion with scotch tape. I could only find the satin gift-wrapping type, but experiment and see if other types work! You could also use clear contact paper or packing tape. Notice I only covered the portion with the reward, not the top heading section.
Next I had to mix a very specific concoction (insert sarcasm) of dishsoap and acrylic paint - I tried to use about 1 part dishsoap to 2 parts paint. I'm not sure it matters, but I used Palmolive original green dishsoap. I used boring grey paint, but you could really use any color! Mix them together, but not too vigorously or it makes a lot of bubbles.
Paint over the taped section of the incentive cards. Only the paint on the tape will scratch off. Don't worry if it doesn't cover perfectly with one coat! I didn't want to spend the time making them into perfect little designs, but you certainly could! Give them a few minutes between coats and keep adding coats until you can no longer read the words. It took me three coats.
Let them dry completely and try one out! How awesome is this? I think my kids are totally going to love them -- and I didn't need to buy any special supplies!
I plan on giving them out as rewards for winning games, staying on task on those particularly difficult days, or doing something awesome in class. I really want to make sure these are rewards for ALL my kids, not just my "A" students!
Let me know if you are going to try this out too! Endless possibilities for all grade levels!
