I've read that whole class incentive systems should be used for about the first month of school and should then be discontinued and brought back to work on specific problems. Do you use the scoreboard all year long or just in the beginning and then at certain times? Another question is about the frequency of rewards. I teach first grade, so I think in order for the scoreboard to be effective they need to receive their reward each day, rather than say at the end of the week. Any suggestions on rewards they can get at the end of the day?

A lot of people use one of the WBT games. You could also do things like an extra minute of free time (if they have free time), or get ready to leave a minute early, or an extra minute of your read alouds.

Look at "Mind Soccer" as an end of the day reward ... it's a free download on this site. Roxie Barrett, a WBT pro, simply lets her students take balls out to recess if they score more smilies than frownies! ... I think this is a good reward to begin with ... keep it small and somewhat hard to achieve at the beginning of the year. And yes, we use the Scoreboard all year long. See "Teaching Challenging Elementary Kids" a free download on this site for more details.

I teach third grade and have played "Mind Soccer" with my students at the end of the day as a reward. They love playing it. It is great because they are always reviewing important concepts. They work so hard during the day just to be able to play the game. I think your first graders would also enjoy playing the game as well.