The use of a token system in project Head Start.
A quick token board with classroom jobs can teach preschool handwriting and spark extra language and play.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Four Head Start preschoolers worked on handwriting.
The teacher gave plastic tokens for each correct letter.
Kids traded tokens for fun classroom jobs like line leader.
Researchers removed the tokens twice to see if writing would drop.
What they found
Handwriting stayed high when tokens were given.
Writing dropped right away when tokens stopped.
Kids also used more words and played better with peers during token phases.
How this fits with other research
Silva et al. (2020) ran the same ABAB logic 50 years later.
They showed the Good Behavior Game still works whether you give or take tokens.
Ratih et al. (2024) used the same reversal design to help one ADHD child focus with Tetris blocks.
All three studies prove brief reversal designs still spot what really drives classroom behavior.
Why it matters
You can set up a token board in minutes.
Pick classroom jobs the kids already want—no need to buy candy.
Watch for bonus gains like talking and sharing.
If the skill drops when tokens pause, you know the system is doing the work.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present experiment sought to develop a practical and effective method for teaching the beginning elements of hand-writing in a Head Start program. The method consisted of reinforcing responses to a writing program by giving the children access to a variety of activities normally available in the pre-school classroom. Tokens were presented for correct responses. The children then used the tokens to select reinforcers, such as snacks and access to a variety of play activities. In an experimental evaluation of the token system, it was found that responding was maintained as long as access to the reinforcing activities was contingent upon responding. When reinforcement was no longer contingent upon responding, virtually no responding occurred. Informal observations suggested that the token system had several unanticipated effects: the children's vocabulary and ability to understand instructions improved; a favorable attitude toward school developed; and their ability to play cooperatively with other children increased. It was concluded that the token system is a practical and effective method for teaching beginning writing skills and that it has other desirable, if unanticipated, effects.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1970 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1970.3-213