5 Free Online Point Systems for Students 

Students love to be rewarded for their hard work. A classroom point system app can help you with classroom management and make it a fun process for your students along the way. A reward system can work in different ways, both physically and digitally. Whether using an app or a simple classroom chart, you can reward student behavior with prizes, points, or other incentives. This can give students the motivation they need to stay focused in the classroom.

Benefits of point systems

Point systems, or a token economy, can significantly benefit student behavior. Research has shown that point systems can improve academic and social skills, attention, speech, self-care, and disruptive behaviors. Additionally, research shows that reward systems can attract students’ interests, foster good learning habits, establish a positive learning atmosphere, and increase students’ motivation. The key is consistency when using point systems to reinforce positive behavior.

Online reward system for students

Here are 5 free online reward systems to try in the classroom:

1. Reward System: If you’re looking for a comprehensive points tracking system that’s free for teachers, try the UK-based program Reward System. It will track behavior and allow you to designate your own rewards for students. These can look different depending on the classroom and may include points to be collected toward a goal or classroom privileges that can be earned. It can also help you communicate better and more efficiently monitor your classroom.
2. PocketPoints: Are you hoping that your point system will specifically address students’ cell phone usage? For schools where phone use is allowed in classrooms, phone usage in the classroom is a disruptive reality for many teachers. PocketPoints uses gamification and rewards to encourage responsible mobile behavior. It’s an effective tool to help students lock their phones and spend less time on them.
3. CritterCoin: Try this app that allows your school to create teams or “houses.” Teachers can send students a coin reward toward their house total for an accomplishment or positive behavior. Students can compete with other groups and track all the team point tallies on an app. This can be a fun group project for students as they can come up with a house logo, colors, and name for their team.
4. ClassDojo: This tool allows students to receive personalized monster avatars and earn “Dojo points” for positive behaviors like teamwork and participation. Teachers can customize the behaviors they want to reward. Parents can monitor their child’s progress through the app. ClassDojo also includes messaging features, the option to share classroom photos and updates, and student portfolios.
5. ClassroomScreen: Based out of the Netherlands, ClassroomScreen offers free classroom management templates that work great for classroom rewards. For example, the “positive behavior jar” allows you to drag virtual smileys into a jar as students earn them for positive behavior. Another template, the “classroom points tracker,” helps you track group or individual points visually during class activities.

Try one of these free online points systems for students and see how it encourages positive behavior, teamwork, and helps with your overall classroom management strategy.

This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.

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HMH Classcraft supports engaging, in-person K-8 instruction with point-of-use classroom management tools.