Conditioning Books as Reinforcers: How to Increase Reading Engagement in Young Children: Inside JABA 26

Episode Summary In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Daniel Fienup, Dr. Kate Loomis, and Lilian Morales to discuss their recent paper in JABA, Turning the Page: Increasing children's preference for looking at and engaging with books.

In this episode, we explore how books can function as powerful reinforcers for young children, especially in early learning and ABA contexts. We discuss how to identify when books are actually reinforcing, how to condition books as reinforcers if they're not already, and practical strategies for incorporating them into teaching and behavior support.

Key Topics Covered 1. What Makes Something a Reinforcer? Reinforcers are defined by their effect on behavior—not by intention

A book is only a reinforcer if it increases the likelihood of a behavior

Preference ≠ reinforcement (must test it)

2. Are Books Naturally Reinforcing? For some children: yes (especially those with strong interest in stories, visuals, or routines)

For others: books may be neutral or even aversive

Depends on learning history and prior pairing

3. Conditioning Books as Reinforcers Pair books with already-established reinforcers (e.g., attention, snacks, praise)

Make reading interactive and engaging (voices, movement, pointing, questions)

Start with short durations and build up tolerance/enjoyment

Follow the child's lead (let them turn pages, choose books, etc.)