My favorite reward systems for boys
It can be hard to grab the attention of boys when you’re teaching them online for an entire 45 minutes or an hour and know you’re competing with online games or Youtube for entertainment. One way to combat class boredom is to insert some joy in your class via fun rewards and games. Here are my favorite, tried and true, reward systems for boys.
Fun Rewards and Games for Boys
- step by step drawing- google search “step by step” drawing versions of your student’s favorite characters from movies or online games and watch their faces light up in your next online class
- collecting stickers in sticker books – be sure to pick your student’s favorite subject for the stickers and you can get cheap stickers at the Dollar Store or Target dollar section or just order some on Amazon and don’t bother getting a real sticker book- just fold a piece of paper and write your student’s name on the top to make it their personal sticker book. When your student completes the lesson unit, fold the paper and mail it to them as a special end-of-unit reward. You can collect digital stickers, too!
- magnets- you can stick them on the back of a baking tray that you hang behind you so the student can see their progress throughout the lesson. Add a magnet each time they show enthusiastic engagement with the material and space out the rewards so the student gets them throughout the hour.
Over the years, I have found that traditional “boy” subjects have been crowd-pleasers for most boys I have taught.
Popular traditional subjects for reward systems for boys
- ninja turtle
- robots
- pirates
- one piece– this a Japanese manga series that I have found is very popular with elementary school-aged boys)
- dinosaurs- these work best for younger boys under 5
- superheroes- Batman, Superman, The Flash, Ironman, Spiderman, Black Panther
- trucks and cars and firetrucks
- spaceships
- cowboys
- swords
- sharks
Try to break up your lesson by inserting some interactive games for the kids. These make great extensions to lessons, too. For example, you can complete a crossword puzzle, or a trace by number or, if using an interactive whiteboard, you can do a color-by-number of their favorite characters.
I made a blog post about different kinds of games you can play, too-> Fun Rewards
Top 3 Websites for Free Online ESL Games
Here are some other good websites to check out if you are looking for reward systems for boys. They are also great resources for teachers who like to play online games during their ESL classes., and are particularly appropriate for younger kids.
Starfall
Starfall.com® is free and a great resource to teach students to read. The website includes language arts and mathematics lessons for elementary school kids of all lessons. Use it in your online classes and see your students flourish in their reading and math.
Games To Learn English
Games To Learn English is exactly what its name says, and it’s a real hidden gem. The site is streamlined so its best tailored for the student experience. Even young, and very beginning language learners can use this site independently because it utilizes a very easy user interface.
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