Following Through with Demands

Have you heard this before?

It is not easy to follow through, however it is something that is worth the effort in the long run. Just remember, if you say one thing, and do another, most likely your child/student will catch on to the idea that they don't really have to listen to you.

Okay, we are going to talk about the Lottery for a sec. . .

So I have never played the Lottery, however I think we all know that winning does not occur every time, right? So how is it that people keep on playing when they win so seldom?

The Lottery "reward system" is based off of what is called a variable ratio schedule.

A variable ratio schedule provides unpredictable rewards. Think about it. . . let's say the slot machine provides a reward after seven plays, then ten plays, then five plays, then six plays. That makes a player a little wary of just quitting because of the thought,  "the next one could be it!"

Okay, so back to following through. If you do not follow through, even if it isn't very often that you do not, it still "reinforces", or in Lottery terms, "rewards" the child. Think of your child thinking, "maybe I can get away with it this time!"

Another tip on following through. . .

Try not to verbally repeat yourself. Prompt using a gesture, such as pointing to the table that needs to be wiped, or another cue such as handing over a wet wash cloth, and prompting desired behavior.


I will post more on prompting in the future. It is very useful to know how to effectively prompt for both teaching skills, and reducing dependency :-)