In my years working with parents, I’ve noticed that star charts are one of the most popular interventions for parents to try on their own. And yet, time and time again, parents will tell me, “Oh yeah, I’ve tried a star chart and it didn’t work”.
Unfortunately, like most anything else, star charts take some time to implement well. But when done correctly, they can be a nice tool to help improve your child’s behavior.
First, what are star charts or token systems?
A star charts is another term for a token system or token economy. All token systems have some common elements:
1. Tokens
This is the object or symbol that’s given to your child to acknowledge their positive behavior. Some common tokens are stickers, stamps, coins, smiley faces, and you guessed it . . . stars! Tokens, by themselves, aren’t that reinforcing. Sure, your child might like stickers. But overtime, they’ll probably lose their excitement. That’s where back-up reinforcers come into play . . .
2. Back-up Reinforcers
This is the most important part of your star chart! When your child earns a pre-determined number of tokens, they exchange their tokens for the back-up reinforcer. Think of this as the ultimate prize or reward that your child wants to earn. As with all reinforcement, the back-up reinforcer should be individualized for your child. What works for one child, might not work for your child. Pick something that your child really likes, and that they don’t get all the time. Your child might love playing with her toy cars, but if she can play with them anytime, then they probably won’t work as a back-up reinforcer. Now if you took her toy cars and put them in a special container, and only gave her access to them when she earned all of her tokens, then you’ve probably turned them into an effective back-up reinforcer.
3. Target Behavior
This is what your child has to do to earn a token. Think about something that you want your child to do . . . play nicely with her brother, share toys, get dressed by herself, listen to your instructions. When starting off, pick one or two behaviors to target. Pick something that’s within your child’s reach. If she’s never gotten dressed all by herself, then you probably shouldn’t start there. Instead, maybe you could start with putting on her pants by herself. Over time, you can pick more difficult behaviors or add to the number of target behaviors.
Is this sounding confusing? Think about the most common token economy that we all have experience with . . . money! Money (the coins or bills) are the tokens. Money is reinforcing, because we can use it buy things (back-up reinforcers).
Putting it all together.
Now that you have an idea of the key components in a star chart, let’s review how they work together.
Let’s say you’ve decided that you want your child to clean up her toys.
Before you start, show your child the star chart or token board. This doesn’t need to be fancy! I like using a piece of paper and drawing boxes on it. When you’re first introducing a start chart, start with no more than three boxes. Over time, you can build up. Introduce the system to your child by telling her what she has to do (the target behavior), what she’ll earn (the tokens), how many tokens she has to earn, and what she gets as the prize once she earns all of her tokens (the back-up reinforcer). Once your child has earned all of her tokens, acknowledge that and give her the prize.
Check out this video to see a star chart in action.
Want to learn more? Check out this blog on the three most common mistakes parents make when using star charts with their children.
If you want to learn how to make a star chart for your child, feel free to contact me to schedule a free phone consultation.
About Me
Alissa Greenberg, PhD, BCBA-D, has extensive experience working with parents and helping them address their child’s challenging behaviors. As a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level, Alissa uses Behavioral Parent Training when working with families in the Bay Area and beyond. She’s also available for telehealth parent training sessions for families throughout CA. Contact her at info@focusedbehavioralsolutions.com or 925-800-3398 to schedule a free consultation.
Please note that many states are waiving state licensure requirements during COVID-19. This means that you might be able to work with a licensed psychologist who lives in another state. If you have questions, please reach out.
This blog is not intended as therapeutic or clinical advice. If you’re in need of support, please consider speaking to a professional.