Question

What would be the most effective reinforcer in the kindergarten teacher's positive reinforcement program to increase the length of time the children listen quietly during reading time (which lasts about 20 minutes)?

A. Providing a token to the children who are listening quietly approximately every two minutes throughout reading time that can later be exchanged for five minutes of screen time.

B. Thanking the children for listening quietly approximately every two minutes throughout reading time.

C. Providing five minutes of screen time to the children who listened quietly for the entire reading time.

D. Thanking the children for listening quietly at the end of the reading time.

Answer 1

Option A is the correct answer. The most effective reinforcer to keep children listening quietly during reading time is providing a token every two minutes for silent participation, which can be traded for screen time, aligning with operant conditioning and token economies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most effective reinforcer in the kindergarten teacher's positive reinforcement program to increase the length of time the children listen quietly during reading time would likely be Option A: Providing a token to the children who are listening quietly approximately every two minutes throughout reading time that can later be exchanged for five minutes of screen time. This approach aligns with principles of operant conditioning, specifically the concept of token economies. Token economies have been demonstrated as effective at modifying behavior, as tokens act as secondary reinforcers that can be exchanged for primary reinforcers like screen time. Moreover, providing reinforcement at regular intervals (approximately every two minutes) helps maintain the desired behavior throughout the activity, rather than just at the end. This also aligns with B.F. Skinner's ideas of rewarding small steps in learning to maintain student engagement and promote desired behaviors.