Gene mentions in his national seminar about the concept that the younger children you work with, the quicker a teacher needs to make a behavior training program work. Placing marbles in a bottle every time children in the classroom demonstrate responsible choices, with a goal of filling the jar so they can participate in a special celebration, won’t be effective if the jar is too large and you fail to put tape on the jar to represent steps toward the classroom behavior goal. Mary Kay Lowery recommends using golf balls instead of marbles. The younger the child you work with the sooner the jar needs to be filled. Kids will follow your classroom behavior standards if the program you use works! For younger handicapped children One tennis ball in a jar would even be better!

– Mary Kay Lowry