Animated, exciting voice

Animated, lively conversations

Loving, appreciative voice

Whispers (quiet voice)

Variety of voice accents for stories, etc.

Squawks and "noises" get attention

Exclamations (do not overdo)

Being silent and still

Praise of results, effort, speed, neatness, etc.

Self-esteem and good self-concept

Certificates of Excellence, of Completion and other printed recognitions of achievement (See: Disc 1 of the Bannatyne Program)

Success and more success must be built into the curriculum making failure very unlikely

Points and other practical reinforcers such as wall achievement chart checks, toys, stars, stamps, stickers, etc.

Ask parents for small donations

Ask students to donate unused toys and other items

Privileges such as "time off"

Toy and/or equipment rental by the week

Prestige and status of classroom jobs; make badges for these jobs (appointed weekly)

Using equipment such as Walkman or MP3 with headphones--for points

Mock auctions of articles and toys

At home rewards--watching TV or movies

Applause, clapping, three cheers

At home rewards--computer games

Computers, balance scales, large business calculator

Wheel-yard measuring; students make the equipment to measure indoors and out

Audio-visual equipment such as viewers with headphones

Weather equipment

Dice mental arithmetic, domino arithmetic

Camera use, photos of students, class news

Real coin money for arithmetic

Tape recordings of stories and plays

Geo boards, spiral-makers,

Measuring cups and spoons

Puppets

Spelling Jump Game: For details of how to construct and use grids for this activity see Appendix Two

"Simon Says" type games adapted to vocabulary building, e.g., "twirl, revolve, rotate, pirouette, spin" -- after a lesson on one of these words

Language Arts Action Grid: Parts of speech in a smaller grid to jump through sentences or make up sentences. See Appendix Two

Five-minute student competitions: ugliest face, funniest face, happiest face, rabbit face, fish face, most contorted body, etc.

Teacher: Instructors who move around a lot hold students' attention, but do not pace back and forth

Teacher: Gesturing, pointing, facial expressions, fold arms, throw both arms in air, body postures hold students' attention

An infinite variety of educational games exists from board games to physical games, from word games to skill games

Games can be played by two or more students who "buy" the time with points, e.g., Scrabble with Key Words and Story Words

There are many games in the Bannatyne Program

Team competitions - say in Speed Reading Activity - change group composition daily

Students like teacher to compete with them

Students love to compete against a stop-watch, especially when Speed Reading

Use all students' sensory-motor functions and processes: hearing, sight, voice, motor, kinesthetic as in Bannatyne Program

Use story themes that are topical and use movie and television show content as lesson content: "Shrek liked the Princess."

Change lesson activities frequently

Use coloring liberally in lessons

Keep lesson material below students' frustration levels

High interest topics: cars, sports, clothes, pop music groups, film stars and pop idols

Alternate active and passive lessons if possible

Discuss with individual students what they like to do and what their interests are; take a personal interest in each one

Accept students, and like all of them. Build their developing self-concept positively on that acceptance

Use admiring terms of recognition of worth with students

Develop a powerful, positive, personal bond with each student

Whenever you can, participate in activities with students, e.g., jump through the Jump Grid Sheets (see above) occasionally yourself

Join in most games and activities in some way

Walk around the classroom and help students when not actively teaching all of them

Allow a student to be the teacher for short periods of time

Allow the very verbally competent students to work with those who are less verbally endowed (the latter may be spatially competent)

Allow students to tell stories to the class if they wish, such as films they have seen. Story telling enhances comprehension and self-confidence

Fun and laughter lighten the day

Smile, grin and laugh often

Use humorous anecdotes, stories, riddles and jokes--keep a large stock on hand

Make funny outrageous statements now and then, but never use sarcastic humor

One way to handle negativity is to get several students to role-play the positive aspect of any behavior, e.g., role-playing what it is like to be a "good sport"

Other beneficial topics to role-play are: kindness friendliness, helpfulness, teamwork, gentleness

Music: jingles and rhymes for memorizing

Background music in non-academic activities such as art, physical education

Lip-syncing to musical plays, songs

Acting: charades, mime, dramatic situations, psychodrama, acting stories and parts of movies, etc. Token costumes, hats, props, make-up for plays

Teach rest and relaxation skills with gentle music--breathing focus--regular "think of nothing" competition with eyes closed

Allow singing--out of happiness: Who can sing the happiest? Demonstrate!

Students love to DO things, so give them projects to do in class. Projects can be done in small groups, or individually

Also invite in all kinds of outside people to speak to the class and demonstrate

Artwork: illustrating stories, movies, own thoughts and feelings--use all kinds of materials/media, twigs, leaves, string, bits of cloth, seeds and nuts. Make masks, funny hats. Artwork does not need to be confined to Art Classes

Projects need not be large, or take a long time, but some may take a semester or term. Use scrap materials you and students bring

Collections: dried flowers, leaves, shells, different stones. Keep these going all semester or term

Photography (if they have cameras): How many different types of buildings can you photograph? Bring photo albums. School, house, church, gas station, shop, office, etc.

OR: trees, animals, vehicles, airplanes, etc.

Drawing Objects: Those who do not have cameras can draw all the different types of buildings, or trees, or animals, or vehicles, or airplanes, etc., they can think of. Pictures of objects are the meanings of the word label. You are teaching comprehension here

Themes: One high school resource class I visited was decorated as a pirate ship. Decorate the room for Halloween, Winter, Spring, New Year, Holidays, etc.

Classroom Shop and Bank: Students spend their points at the shop which contains donated discarded items

Celebrate students' birthdays -- balloons, streamers, make hats, one cookie each!

Celebrate students' achievements. Put a cap and gown on them or a laurel wreath!