Peak Evaluations

10/05/2019

10/05/2019

02/27/2019

At an early age, we read books to our children whose characters fumble, fail, and just can’t seem to get it right. But in the end, those characters figure out…

09/07/2018

Ahoy! Check out this fun way to explore with your children!

Arrrrrrrgh, Matey! A pirate’s life for me! Last night my son and I were reading through High Five magazine. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a lower level…

07/01/2018

Race to the Finish!!! Just one way to work on reading fluency while having fun!

Hello, are you ready for another fun summer activity? We call this one, Race to the Finish! You can start this at any age, I’ve used it with my three…

05/11/2018

Wanting your child to continue their skill development over the summer? Think Peak! We still have a few slots available!

05/07/2018

Who doesn't love a book club? Does your daughter want to join us?

04/21/2018

Do The Paper Shuffle! This week we tackle how to clean out those backpacks and binders, creating an organized system for later learning.

How it the world do you figure out what’s important and what’s not when it comes to sorting through the papers your child brings home from school? Here’s one way to sort through all that paper to create a personal “Learning Library” and get your child organized to boot!

04/11/2018

I want everyone to look for the woozit and a wazit in your house and take a picture of them.
Huh? What in the world is a woozit or a wazit? Does it feel like I am speaking a different language? Would it help if I give you characteristics? A woozit is a utensil with prongs used for eating and a wazit is a flat utensil used to flip pancakes. Still not sure? They're forks and spatulas!

If you found that difficult until examples were given then you have a small glimpse of what it may feel like to have weaknesses in your language development. Students with lower than expected vocabulary encounter this feeling on a daily basis. Think about school and all the new concepts being learned. What about when there is story time and the teacher is reading a brand new book? How about when the class is working on a science project? All these examples require an understanding of vocabulary. When a teacher asks a student, “Where did you go this weekend?”, they are using vocabulary that the student is expected to know:
Where: place
Weekend: Saturday and Sunday
?: I’m being asked a question

Students with weaknesses in their vocabulary development may need several accommodations to be successful learners:
-They need wait time. Wait time is the time between asking a question and gaining a response. They need several seconds extra than the typical student to process through the vocabulary like the example above about the weekend. Wait time also should be provided after an answer is given (especially by another student or the teacher), before you move on to the next topic or ask another question. Just like working through the terms in the question, they need to process the words from the answer response.
-It is highly beneficial to give examples of the directions or instructions. Adding a picture can also help to make concepts more understandable. In the classroom, if you want your students to find all the rectangles in the room and measure them, show them an example of a rectangle, both the simple image of the shape and a real-life connection, like the door.
-Don’t assume that the student knows common terms; check for understanding. Sometimes we read books with images and we assume that the students are making connections with the words and pictures. This may not always be the case if a student has weaknesses in vocabulary development. For example, if you are reading a book about Johnny Appleseed and the picture shows all the trees he’s planted while it talks about apple orchards, do not assume the student links numerous trees in one location to an orchard. Talk through the image with them and help make the connection.
-Don’t “dumb down” your language. Continue to use enriched vocabulary with all students. This exposes the students with weaker language skills to more words; therefore, branching out their understanding and word usage. Just make sure that you help make the connections from the simple terms to the higher level language. For example, if the class is working on a science lab dissecting owl pellets, don’t shy away from using terms like digestion, pellet, dissect, species, or bone fragments. Maybe frame your directions like so, “Today we are going to dissect owl pellets. We are going to carefully take apart the vomit of an owl (They will love a vomit reference!). We will see what the owl has eaten, or digested, by looking at bone fragments, the pieces of bone left by the different species; you know, the animals he has eaten. Cool, huh? Let’s get started!”

Applying this to the home setting is just as simple. Give your child wait time when talking with them or asking them to do something. Show examples. Read to them daily and ask questions while reading. Make those connections. Most importantly, continue to talk with and use the adult vocabulary (well, not the four letter words) with them.

If you are concerned about your child’s language development, give Peak a call. We would love to help guide you in the right direction. :)

04/05/2018

Parents have shared with us "facts" they have learned about dyslexia and reading difficulties either from the internet or their child's school:
“You can’t test a child for dyslexia until they’re out of first grade.”
“The best thing to do is wait and see.”
“They’ll grow out of it.”
“They are so close to getting it that I’d hate to put them through all that testing.”
“They haven’t had enough exposure to the curriculum to really say it is dyslexia.”

Guess what, folks?
Multiple scientific studies conclude that markers for dyslexia may show up as early as pre-kindergarten and research suggests you can evaluate a student for dyslexia as early as kindergarten. So the myth of, “You can’t test a child until after first grade” is just that, FALSE!

Wait and See...hmmm. What does this mean, really? Yes, some students have difficulty with reading because they aren’t paying attention, or maybe they weren’t exposed to text prior to starting kindergarten. The wait and see method doesn’t really fly with us at Peak, though. Even if it’s not dyslexia, any type of intervention is beneficial for students that struggle to grasp the concept of reading.

If a child has dyslexia, they won’t “grow out of it”; reading difficulties can be remediated but they may always struggle with reading. Dyslexia a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It creates an unexpected difficulty with reading; people with dyslexia are often very bright, therefore the inability to read can be frustrating or even seen as a lack of effort, attention or motivation. Early, targeted reading intervention is the key to supporting students with dyslexia and reading weaknesses. We want to close that reading gap earlier, rather than later, and here’s why:

Educators often identify the years from kindergarten through second grade as the, "Learning to Read" years.Teachers focus on phonics, letter sounds, rhyming words, letter blends, etc. - all the aspects of reading that create fluent readers.
By third grade, the expectation is that your child is a fluent reader and the reading instruction changes focus. Your child is now entering the "Reading to Learn" stage and the instruction is on comprehension. Can your child independently read a passage and gain meaning from it? Majority of students get to third grade and are able to accomplish this task. They’ve become mostly fluent readers and have learned the strategies needed when they come to an unknown word.

In those early years, when your child is learning to read, a window of opportunity for reading intervention emerges. They are already immersed in phonics. Their brains are learning new information and making new connections with language and the written word every day. Once they start third grade, the expectations go up significantly; which can cause these struggling readers to lag behind. the divide between the struggling and the typical readers really opens up as expectations for independent reading increase. Studies show when older students are still struggling to read there is a strong likelihood the weakness will impact other educational performances, i.e. science, writing, social studies. These reading difficulties may also have an impact on their self-esteem.
Don’t get us wrong; targeted intervention at any age is great and can be helpful. However, the earlier this intervention starts, the better the outcome. If intervention starts later, it often takes longer to remediate the reading deficits. Add on top of that all the academic expectations children have in older grades and it can often become quite overwhelming.

Here are some things to keep an eye on to determine if your child may be struggling in the reading department.

Pre-kindergarten:
-Difficulty recalling the right word (“what’s that word for the animal with long legs and spots?”)
-Gets words mixed up when speaking (ephalant for elephant)
-Trouble with letter sounds, letter recognition, or letter writing
-Difficulty with rhyming
-Understanding that each word can be isolated in a sentence, then that each sound in the word can be isolated.
-Distinguishing sounds, such as /d/ and /t/ or /b/ and /p/
-Trouble with following directions

If your child is in a Pre-K program, talk with their teacher to see if they see similar struggles. If they do, start working on phonics with your child at home. Even if it turns out that dyslexia is not the reason your child was having trouble reading, extra practice never hurt anyone :-)

Let’s say your child made it through Pre-K. You and the teacher had some concerns but nothing major. Now they’ve started kindergarten and are still struggling to grasp reading. Here are some things to look for in your grade schooler:
-Continues to have difficulty with letter recognition, letter sounds, and letter writing
-Isn’t interested in reading and/or reading is boring (It takes a long time to sound out all those words so why bother?)
-Has trouble sounding out new words
-Doesn’t remember details from what they read
-Mixes up the order of letters in a word

Schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher to see if they see similar things. Ask about the types of activities your child participates in to learn phonics. If they are struggling, find out if your child is getting targeted practice. Targeted is the key here - if they need to work on letter sounds, make sure they aren’t working on comprehension. This may sound harsh, but don’t take no for an answer if you are really concerned about your child’s reading abilities, especially if you have proof from school and home to show that they are struggling. As a parent, you have the right to request an evaluation. If the school doesn’t agree, ask why. The school is required to give you pretty specific reasons for why they aren’t going to move forward with an evaluation. Their reasons need to align with your concerns. Meaning, they are addressing the areas of concern with TARGETED interventions. Don't let the myths be the reason for declining an assessment.

If you have questions about your child’s reading abilities and/or their school’s response to your concerns, please call us! We’d love to help you and answer any questions you have.

03/27/2018

"Mom! Why do I have to learn Algebra? It isn't like I use it in real life." Hold up, you actually do. We literally use math all the time.
-Following a map on your phone? You’re using math.
-Measuring while you follow a recipe? You’re using math.
-Counting out money to pay your kid’s allowance? You’re using math.
Math teaches order and logic; it teaches us to problem solve and to extend those mathematical principles to other aspects of our life. With a bigger emphasis on math in the older grades, it’s important to start building a foundation for your child prior to starting kindergarten. This sounds daunting, but guess what? Even babies can grasp math concepts (“More!”) and are interested in learning, especially when puffs are involved. Math at the early level is very visual and hands-on, which is great for young children since this is how they learn best. It’s also great for parents because it makes these math concepts fun and easy to work on!
Here are some math concepts and activities that you can focus on at home with your pre-schooler to get them ready for the big K!

Concept #1: Number Sense - This is a fancy term for your child’s understanding of numbers; do they know that the digit represents a specific amount? Are they aware of how numbers are related to each other (Is 3 bigger than 4 or 5?). As they get older, this term refers to completing operations with numbers, recognizing symbols (+,-,x) and the ability to use mental math.
Animal Line-Up: Line up those cute stuffed animals and have your child count them. This works on their one-to-one correspondence.
Calendar Wake-Up: Incorporate a calendar into your morning routine. Have a dry erase or chalkboard calendar, with a special symbol/marker for the date. Start each morning by saying, “What’s today’s date?” Let your child move the marker to the correct date. Then, work together to count each day from the beginning of the month to the date.
Egg Carton Counting: Using the bottom of an empty egg carton, have your child place little toys in each compartment, counting as they go.
Number Flashcards: Using index cards, put numerals up to 10 on single cards. On other cards, draw a visual of each number (i.e. 1 bear, 2 bears, etc.). Work with your child to match the numeral to the visual representation.
Uno Number Match: Use Uno cards to practice number matching (put all the ones together, all the twos together,etc)
Domino Trains: With colored dominos, have your child match the number of dots to create a train.

Concept #2: Geometry - This part of math looks at shapes, sizes, position of figures in a field, and the properties of space. It becomes much more in-depth and complicated as your child grows, but with little ones, it really focuses on shapes: identifying shapes, learning shape names, and finding shapes in everyday life.
Shape-Sorting 101: Playing with a shape sorter or shape matching puzzle is an easy way to talk about and learn shapes. Letting your child work on these activities is beneficial on its own but step it up by narrating their play and problem solving. Name the shapes, talk about where they go. Did it fit? Where else it might go?
Everyday Shapes: Use shape language when you’re talking about common items. For example, when making breakfast, if your kids eats waffles, “Look at the waffle! It’s a circle. What other things can you see that are a circle?” The clock, the plate, the rim of the glass...you get the picture. Step it up a notch and talk about how the shape changes as they take bites. "Oh, now I see a crescent moon. Wait, if you rotate it, it becomes a boat sailing the choppy, blue sea."
Shape Book: If your child likes to take pictures with your phone (Whose kid doesn’t?!), consider making an environmental shape book. When you’re out and about, talk about the different shapes you see. Let them use your phone to take pictures of the different shapes. You can then review these pictures on your phone, or if you’re really motivated, you can print them out and make a book.
Construction Paper Shape Sorting: Cut out different shapes from construction paper. Have your child sort the shapes into categories. Then they can use a glue stick to paste all the triangles onto a piece of paper, all the rectangles, etc.
Spaghetti Shapes: I saw this on www.teachingmama.org and thought it was just great! (FYI - this website has a lot of really great at home activities for learning). Make spaghetti (probably the thicker noodle, the better) and have your child make shapes with the noodles.
https://teachingmama.org/learning-shapes-spaghetti-noodles/

Concept #3: Spatial Relations - This term describes how an object is perceived in space as it relates to another object. Some key terms here would be: bigger, smaller, next to, inside, and outside.
Key Word Scavenger Hunt: Kind of like I-Spy but with description. Pick a visible object and then describe it using words such as beside, next to, in front of, etc. and see if your child can find it.
Directional Hide and Seek: Start this game by hiding an object. Then give your child directions to find the object: “It’s behind the chair. It’s underneath your blanket. It’s outside under the tree.”
Item Line-Up: Remember those stuffed animals you guys lined up to count? Now have your child put them in order from smallest to biggest. Have a set of nesting blocks? Have your child stack them from biggest to smallest.

All of these concepts are exposing your children to math vocabulary; shape words, number words, ordinal and positional words, and money words are all words you can start using even when your children are teeny. Building that vocabulary will increase their knowledge base, which in turn, will help increase their ability to learn and understand when they get to kindergarten.

03/20/2018

Spelling tests seem to be a “one and done” concept for many children. They study and study from Monday through Friday morning, memorizing those 10-20 words with the hope that they can make a 100 on the test. Some students memorize the words and then they are forgotten by the following week because a new set has taken their place. Others will store the words in their memory and from then on can spell them correctly in any writing situation.

Beyond learning spelling patterns, these tests are designed to increase your child’s vocabulary, to expose them to new words or remind them of the texts read during the week. So, let’s use these tests to our advantage by creating a personal dictionary each time there is a spelling test.

Most students will revert to words they are able to easily spell when they are writing essays; i.e. using “happy” when they really are “excited”. Sally doesn’t know how to spell “xsited” so she just puts “happy”. With a personal dictionary, she can search for the word she wants to use and boost her writing to the next level. Teachers looooooooooove when their students go beyond the basic terminology and use those “dollar words”.

How to set up a personal dictionary:
Get a composition notebook, staple some construction paper together to make a small flipbook, or have a folder with brads where papers can be added.
At the top of each page have your child write one letter of the alphabet.
Look at this week’s spelling list. Talk about the words and get their definitions. Listen to what your child’s definition is because that is the way they are going to remember the word.
Ask your child if this is a word that they would want to use again. This is an important step because it helps your child establish ownership of their dictionary, prioritize their terms, and lets them know they have control of it. Most of the time adults tell them what to do; so this is big. You may be thinking, “This is a great word. Just put it in there for later. You really will want it.” but hold off soliciting your thoughts in the beginning.
If they deem a word important enough, have them find the letter it corresponds with in their dictionary.
Write the word under the letter. Make sure they are writing the words in columns because the hope is to have enough room to add many words (like a true dictionary).
Next to the word, ask your child if they want to put their definition or draw a picture to help them remember what the word means. They may have a mixture of both, and that is ok.
Continue to do this with each spelling test.

Now that they have a growing personal dictionary, they can bust that out when they are asked to write in their journal, asked to write an essay, or when they are working on homework and they aren’t sure what a word means. (maybe it was a previous spelling word. Look it up to see!)

By the end of the year your child will have an amazing set of words that are tailored to them. These words are unique and are an example of how your child thinks and wants to communicate themselves in writing. This is a great way to retain vocabulary terms to increase their language. As an added bonus, your child is also building sight word recognition.

Happy Writing!!

03/08/2018

SPRING BREAK! Our children cheer and we sigh, because let’s face it, it is hard to come up with ideas of how to fill the week with activities besides YouTube Kids, movies, and the neighborhood park. Never fear; Peak is here! We have compiled a list of activities for you!!! Some appeal to all ages while others are more specific. Enjoy the break and your kids!

Spend an afternoon at one of Dallas’ amazing kid-friendly venues: The Dallas Arboretum, The Dallas Zoo, The Perot Museum, The Nasher, and the Dallas Museum of Art are all great places to explore with your little ones. (High Schoolers, don’t forget your student IDs) If you head downtown, build some time into your schedule for running around at Klyde Warren Park. They’ve got great food trucks to grab a bite for lunch and lots of neat things for your kiddos to explore.

If you’re looking for a day (or two) trip, head over to Fort Worth and check out the Museum of Science and History (http://www.fwmuseum.org/). They have the Omni theater and the Planetarium for some viewing fun and their children’s section is a great way to spend a free hour or two (our kids love playing grocery store and ambulance driver).

If you have older kids, check out the Kimball Museum of Art (www.kimbellart.org) and Fort Worth’s Modern Art Museum (http://www.themodern.org/). They currently have new works by Ron Mueck (through May 6th). His amazingly “realistic” figures depict couples lounging on the beach, moms and kids, and emoting faces to name a few. It's a great way to talk about how the pieces make your children feel (invoke feelings from a previous vacation, maybe?), and what feelings they give you. Art is one of the best ways to express ourselves and can encourage conversations with a teen that is reluctant to talk with their “lame” parents.

Fort Worth also has an amazing zoo and botanical gardens that are worth a visit if you haven’t been. Wednesdays are half priced days at the zoo; so if you aren’t a crowd person, you might want to pick another day. If your kids are into trains, there is the Forest Park Mini Train right outside the entrance. It runs hourly and is an easy way to relax (for the older kids), talk about the scenery (for the little ones), and see parts of the Trinity. https://www.fortworth.com/listings/forest-park-miniature-railroad/7220/

If you have a little more time in Fort Worth, take your kids out to Glen Rose to explore Dinosaur Valley State Park (https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/dinosaur-valley) - your kiddos can walk the same path as the dinosaurs did! For older kids, check out geocaching (Geocaching.com). Think of a scavenger hunt set up by strangers. There are rules to follow, so make sure you are prepared. You will need some trinkets of your own to leave. It can end up being hours of fun. (There is also geocaching around Dallas)

We haven’t been to Spark yet (sparkdallas.org), but it seems like it’s all the rage right now. They’ve changed their hours for spring break so go check them out. There is a minimum age requirement, so make sure your child makes the cut before you go. While you’re down in Deep Ellum, if you find yourself with a sweet tooth, head over to Rocket Fizz. My kids love this candy shop. The amount of candy they have is kind of overwhelming in a good way.

Not feeling like a day on the town? Want to stay in your jammies? Plan a puzzle gallery walk - my kids love to do this. We get out all their puzzles and then spend time putting them together and lining the finished products along the walls. Then we act like we are in an art gallery as we view and critique each one.

If it is a beautiful day, consider having a Nature Scavenger Hunt. This can be a trip to White Rock Lake, the Trinity River, or a nature trail. Don’t want to pack up to go somewhere? Do one in your neighborhood. It’s easy! Simply make a list of items that your child can find in “nature”. Depending on your child’s age, the list may be picture or words. These things in nature can be specific types of plants, trees, acorns, collecting at least 5 different leaves, seeing a duck, seeing 3 types of birds, a squirrel… you get the idea. It is all about getting your kids off the couch and active when they are older. For the littles, it is all about using their senses and building their vocabulary.

Take your teenagers to the mall for a mall scavenger hunt! The employees may hate you, but your kids will have fun! Here’s how it works: give them a list of predetermined items to find in the store fronts (not on people...that would be weird). So like a mannequin wearing a black hat or a picture of someone running. Using their phones, they can scour the mall looking for these items. Reward them with a shake from Sonic if they find them all :-) Make sure that they know the goal is to find them all, not to be first. Why is this important? If they are running around the mall, they are more than likely to get kicked out by security. Yikes! But walking around and taking in the sites is totally cool.

This is one of my favorites because it reminds me of when I was growing up. Have your kids become Top Chefs! This can vary depending on your children’s age. When I was a little (3-5 years old) I helped my parents make meals by cutting with a butter knife, looking over the recipes with them, and pouring in the already measured cups. When I was in elementary school, I took on the task of deciding what meal we were going to make and I did the measurements and cooking (with parental guidance). Once I was in high school, I had free reign. I got to pick the meals, follow the recipes, and cook! It was awesome to be in the kitchen and be in charge. It made me feel great when my brothers and parents would compliment my tasty treats. Sometimes the meals were canned green beans and chicken nuggets. Sometimes they were salads, spaghetti, and cookies. Nothing too complex, but I thought they were at the time. This is a great activity to keep your kids busy, learn responsibilities, and see how reading/math/science work in real life.

Are your kids super crafty and itching to create? Head over to Joann’s or Michael’s and get a blank canvas and some paint. Spend some time talking through what your child wants to draw and how they’re going to get to the finished product (throwing in a little problem-solving here!). Work with them through the steps of how to get the final outcome they want, rather than just slapping paint on the canvas and calling it a day...or they can do that too. Whatever! It’s spring break, folks!

If you’ve run through these ideas and you need more, you are a POWER HOUSE. Last stop can be your neighborhood Dallas Public Library, a great place to spend a couple hours perusing the shelves with your kids. Here are some great events the library is hosting at nearby branches:

Lakewood Branch:
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/toddler-storytime-692
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/book-bike-pi-day-festival
J.Erik Jonsson Branch (downtown):
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/dallas-young-makers-4
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/women-wonder-con
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/st-patricks-day-craft
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/legomania-0
BookMarks (at NorthPark):
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/kraftykids-9
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/preschool-palooza-stem-storytime-20
Audelia Road Branch:
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/touch-truck-event
http://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/steam-action-19

For other library activities (aka FREE!), check out their website: http://dallaslibrary2.org/

What are some activities you like to do with your kiddos when you have bunches of free time?

03/06/2018

It doesn’t seem to matter the age or the gender, kids seem to be pushing all sorts of limits these days. It is easy to equate them to a carousel horse (the never ending circle, the ups and downs of emotion). For instance, the other day I was in awe and happily surprised at the kind way my older daughter helped her younger sister built the ultimate dream Lego house. Cut to the not so distant future and I’m blown away by the pitch at which she’s screaming at the same sister. SMH. If your house is anything like mine, having some tips to deal with behavior in your back pocket can be life saving.

Parent Tip: Leave your frustrations and anger at the door before stepping into the Danger Zone. If you are with them at the moment of impact, leave the room and count to ten. You can even say, “I really need a minute before I can deal with this.” It helps them see how others regulate their emotions. For more suggestions and information about ways to regulate your own behavior when disciplining your children, check out Mindful Discipline: A Loving Approach to Setting Limits and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by by Shauna Shapiro PhD and Chris White MD. It has some great suggestions and exercises.

Kid Tip: Does your child become a terror when they’ve reached their emotional limit and there is no way that you can move them anywhere without it getting worse? Don’t move them. Move yourself and anyone else in the room. This can sound like, “It seems like you need some time to calm down. Little brother and I are going to give you some space and we are going to go play outside. We’d love for you to join us when you’re ready.” When they come to join in play you can talk about what happened and some better ways to cope with the situation.

Kid Tip: My older child is starting to talk about the consequences of negative versus positive behavior. This is greatness; however, picking the moment to talk is crucial. You don’t want to do this during the bad behavior situation. It needs to happen once deescalation has happened; talk through what happened and help them come up with a pros and cons list of how they acted. Just know, this doesn’t mean they’re able to immediately think of them every time they explode, but it does allow us as parents to remind them about the pros and cons, which is helping to create that inner voice of reason managing their frustrations.

Parent Tip: Give your kids a warning of the consequences. Remind them, “If you do XYZ one more time, you won’t get dessert.” Don’t give a consequence without following through. For example, don’t warn them that they will miss out on the already purchased trip to Disneyland. They can see through that empty threat. If you warn of a consequence, be prepared to back it up.

Parent Tip: Not all kids respond to negative consequences, mine don’t. For example, everytime my older would act out, I'd take something away. Didn't work for her. She ended up forgetting about the items I had taken and they spent the next three months in my closet. Everytime that dolls stared at me while I was getting my outfit for the day was a constant reminder at my failed attempts to discipline. HA! What I do see working is rewarding good behavior. Tangible rewards work best in our house; my children can actually see their good deeds. We use a penny jar, good behavior equals a penny. Pick whatever you think might motivate your child visually (pompoms, Legos, etc.) Let them choose what goes into the jar. If I worked on a token system, I would earn foot massages.

Wanna try the token system? Here’s how it works for us:
Each child gets a jar (*cue Oprah. “You get a jar. And you get a jar. And you get a jar!)
- not too big now; they need to see progress. If you are doing pennies, consider the 4 oz baby food jar. If you have an older child (think junior high or high school) these tokens can be points towards a desired game, dress, pair of shoes, etc.
Shopping!!!!! Take your children to Target, the dollar store, Forever 21, H&M, Home Depot, Game Stop (whatever floats their boat) and let them pick out things they will want once a certain amount is earned. Obviously the amount of things will vary depending on the price tag.
Talk with your child about how a reward system works. Now isn’t the time to get into specifics about what each item is worth, it is more just to introduce them to the idea of working towards a goal or desired outcome. For older children this can also be translated into jobs in the community and their first paychecks. It can lead into budgeting talks and help you see how far off they are on the realities of money.
Determine what the intervals will be for rewarding good behavior. Initially, you want your child to feel rewarded for their good behavior A LOT. MAKE IT RAIN!!!!! Just know it can’t rain all the time. HA! Maybe they reach prize level of earnings everyday, but as the system goes on, the expectations change. The price for prizes is higher, better quality. The behaviors to reward change. Some ages or children may need to be rewarded once a day, others once a week. My girls initially have to earn 5 pennies to get a reward. Then it moves up to 10, then up to 20, etc. until the jar is full. If you chose something other than pennies, such as pompoms, the jar might fill up more quickly. Side note: this can also help with counting; my younger loves to dump her jar out and count how many pennies she has collected.
Talk and write out examples of the positive behaviors that will earn rewards. Obviously this is going to vary with age. Toddlers get pompoms for sharing. Elementary kids get pennies for playing fairly with their sibling or from switching from playing to homework or bedtime routine without complaining. Teens get points for doing homework and chores before using technology.
Keep your tokens handy. Reward every good behavior in the beginning and have conversations about why they are positives.
You cannot take pennies out of the jar for bad behavior. This exercise is really only about positive behavior. Obviously, they still need consequences for bad behavior; the token system is associated only with good behavior; that way they’ll want to keep earning.

Parent Tip: Whatever method you choose, consistency is key. If we are consistent with our children by rewarding good behaviors, they will display more positive behaviors, which will then turn into habits. YAY!