What is the ‘First, Then’ Approach?
The ‘First, Then’ approach is based on the Premack principle that was developed by psychologist David Premack in 1965.
The Premack principle is a theory of reinforcement that states:
“ … a less desired behavior can be reinforced by the opportunity to engage in a more desired behavior.”
Source
In layman’s terms, this means that a child will be more motivated to do a task that they don’t like or that is less desirable (i.e. brushing their teeth, doing their homework, reading a book), if they know that once completed, they get to do something they really want to do and look forward to (i.e. watching television, playing a certain game, talking to friends, using the iPad, etc).
How does ‘First, Then’ work in the classroom?
The ‘First, Then’ strategy works in the classroom by demonstrating to children that there are activities that FIRST need to be done, BEFORE they can do the behaviours that they want to do the most. When kids know that they have something to look forward to and their much-anticipated activity is waiting for them, they are more motivated to do their FIRST activities. For example: FIRST we do our math sheet, THEN we get to play math games on the iPAD; FIRST we put our coats and boots away neatly, THEN we sing our songs and do a dance.
The ‘First, Then’ approach can also be a useful tool for parents at home when done consistently to reinforce the transition or order of activities and behaviours.
5 Easy Steps on How to Implement ‘First, Then’ at Home
- Without your child knowing, observe what they do in their free, unstructured time. What do they love doing? What do they prefer to do? If you left them on their own and they had not a care in the world – no homework, no chores, no parent to-dos – what would they choose to do?
Write the activities they choose to do during this unstructured time down on a piece of paper under the category ‘THEN.’ These are the activities that your child enjoys and looks forward to and will be positive motivators for you when they are used in the ‘First, Then’ approach.
- Identify the behaviours that are really tough for you to get your children to do – maybe it’s a chore that they really don’t like to do or a transition that they struggle with. Write these items down on a piece of paper under the category “FIRST.”
- The next step is to create pairings that make sense using the “FIRST” and “THEN” columns that you have created. Perhaps they are two activities that happen in the morning i.e. FIRST you get dressed and make your bed, THEN you get to pet the dog and have some cuddle time. Or maybe it’s activities that have to be done after school i.e. FIRST you do your school work, THEN you get to go to hockey or play iPad.
- Choose one pairing at a time to work through for a period of at least a few days before you move onto your next pair. Introducing more than one at once will be overwhelming to all involved and make #5 (our next point) impossible.
- Consistency is what matters the most. ‘First, Then’ does not work if it’s only done half the time because kids won’t believe in the process and will know that the FIRST you want them to do is not always FIRST (they are smart like that). So choose one pairing and work on it for a week so that it becomes second nature and everyone is used to it. Once mastered, move onto your next desired pairing.
If you try this approach at home, let us know how it works; we’d love to hear from you. Reach us via email here. We also have a ‘First/Then’ Resource available here.
Being a parent is hard. Our goal is to make it a little easier and we hope this blog has helped in some small way. We are so happy that you stopped by and would love to hear from you. Send us your questions or suggestions through our website or socials. We are in this together.
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