Recognition is a great way to reward a child. When your kindergartner does a good job, smile and tell him. Positive words and recognition from an adult can make a child feel good about what he accomplished and boost his self-esteem. If you are a teacher, remember to tell parents what a good job their child is doing so that they can do the same at home.
Rewards can be educational as well. Use reading a special book or doing a special art project as a reward for a kindergartner. Children at this age love to interact with adults, so select an educational activity that involves one-on-one attention if possible. More computer time or a science experiment are other ideas. Frame the educational activity to be special so the child recognizes that she is getting a treat.
If you have a group that is doing well, using group rewards as an incentive for good behavior can help build teamwork and a sense of community responsibility. Some examples of group rewards include an extra long recess, a special gym class outside or a class party. Rewarding the group is an important way to remind children that their actions can affect the outcome for themselves and their peers.
One way to recognize good behavior of a kindergartner may be to give him a special privilege or responsibility. Some examples might be to make the child a special helper for the day or putting the child in charge of passing out materials for a particular class. By giving the child a special responsibility, it makes him feel special and reinforces his good behavior.
Using a sticker chart is another common way to track good behavior of a kindergartner. Use small stickers for the child to put on his chart after engaging in a behavior that you wish to reinforce. Let each child know ahead of time that after a certain number of stickers is reached there will be something to look forward to. This can be as simple as a special book or a small prize.