Riding the school bus is a big deal. But what are the school bus rules for students to make sure everyone gets to and from school safe? And how do you teach students these rules?
School Bus Rules For Elementary Students
There are a few basic themes when it comes to rules when riding the school bus. These include body position, attitude, voice, and objects.
Body Position: this includes how the student’s body is on the bus. Things like sitting on back pockets (their behind) while the bus is moving. It also includes facing forward and staying seated while the bus is moving. Don’t forget keeping body to self (this usually involves hands and feet the most).
Attitude: attitude is a big one. It includes attitude both towards the adults on the bus (including the driver) as well as other students. Being respectful with words and following directions are big ones here.
Voice: buses can get loud very quickly so a common rule is talking in a conversation level voice. This keeps the bus from getting too loud while students chat. Using kind words when talking to others is another rule that can be grouped in here too.
Objects: the biggest rule for this category is keeping your personal objects (backpack, coat, boots, etc.) in your seat area. Keeping the aisle clear is a safety rule for many reasons.
Focusing on these four main areas of body position, attitude, voice, and objects are great ways to make sure students are doing what is expected so everyone is safe and has a positive experience on the bus.
School Bus Rules Sign
Hanging up a sign of the expectations is a great idea. This helps to remind everyone of the rules.
A list is a great way to structure the sign. Number the items so students can see how many expectations there are. Putting a number by each also helps if an adult needs to refer to a specific expectation. They could then simply draw attention to it by telling the student the rule number they need to reflect on.
Make sure to hang up a few of these signs. If the bus is long, putting one up only at the front isn’t going to make sure those in the back see it. So post a few along the walls of the bus too.
Another idea is to make sure the sign has both words and pictures. For little riders or those who struggle reading text, images make the sign more accessible. Pairing one visual per rule is a great idea. Also, make sure to keep the images simple with thick black lines so they are easily seen from a little distance.
Don’t have enough time to create your own? Then check out this school bus rules pdf that is already done for you. There’s a great one page sign that is simple featuring both words and images. Both full color and money saving black/white versions are included. Plus you’ll get some scenario task cards to help students look at real-life situations and decide if expected behavior is been shown or not. This comes in both Google Slides and digital Boom Cards formats so you can use (and reuse again and again) in whatever way works best for you and your student. Find this great school bus rules printable resource here.
School Bus Behavior Incentives
So you have your printable school bus rules for students up but students need a bit more to stay on track.
A great idea is to incentivize expected behavior. This simply means recognizing those who are following the rules.
This can be done in many different ways. Some children need recognition during the ride itself. This can usually be done with a simple verbal or non-verbal cue. Other children do best when given an incentive after each bus ride. This can be with a verbal statement, non-verbal cue, or with something more tangible. Lastly, some students only need to be recognized on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. These students have usually worked up to this longer time frame (by starting as a per-ride recognition) and now understand the expectations as well as can perform at that level.
Many times, the longer between recognition that students go, the “larger” the reward is. When students need daily direction, it is often something smaller like a ‘good job’ or a small treat. When students can go longer between, they many times will learn a bigger incentive such as lunch with a preferred teacher or positive note home.
If you need a done-for-you incentive for students working on bus behavior, check these out. You’ll find incentives in the form of sticky note charts. Simply print off and have students attach stickers each time they are showing expected behavior. You and the student can set how frequently they earn a sticker – each ride, each day, every few days – whatever works best for that student. Then when the chart is filled up, they can earn the agreed upon incentive. Also included are some print and fill in reward certificates. This is an awesome way to recognize student behavior. Find these school bus behavior incentives here.
Rules Of School Bus Riding Contract
Making a contract with a student surrounding rules for school buses and riding them is another way to help a struggling child.
Behavior contracts are simply written agreements between the adult (usually the teacher) and student. If you want to learn more about these behavior contracts in general, check out this article.
When writing a contract surrounding bus riding, it is important to state what the expectation is while on the bus. These things are what you would expect for behavior. Such as sit in seat, following directions of adults, and facing forward.
Another important part of the contract is to state what will happen if the student follows the contract. This can be something they earn for each individual ride or something that builds up over a few days or even a week. Again using an incentive, like above, is great here.
One last important part is what will happen if the student doesn’t uphold the contract. Often times this piece includes re-teaching. Re-teaching is important because it verifies that the student does know the expectations. Adding in role-playing with re-teaching is also a great reinforcement. Social stories can also come in helpful during this step.
Need help writing up a school bus behavior contract? Check out this resource. Included is a rules of school bus riding contract with all the important parts. Simply print out, fill out with the student, sign, and go. Use the included social story to reinforce the expectations or if re-teaching needs to happen. Find this time-saving bus rules for students contract here.
Hopefully, this gave you some great ideas on school bus safety rules for students and how to go about teaching and reinforcing them.
Happy Teaching!
