Rewards for Grades
Posted by PLB Administrator Assistant · 2 Comments
I was recently reading about different ways students can be motivated to get good grades, and different strategies parents and schools have used in the past. Rewards have been used frequently and they can be as simple as candy, or as expensive as a car. In fact, some parents have given students money to reward them for good grades.
I was wondering if this has crossed a line, or if it is something that schools can adopt. Does it make sense to pay students to get good grades? Or is it acceptable if carefully masked in the form of prize money for exceptional performance?
Have you ever come across a student being given money as a reward for good grades? Do you think its a practical strategy or an unhealthy practice? I would love to hear more about what you think.
Discuss Here: Should parents or schools pay students to get good grades?
No. Absolutely not – unless you want your kids to be dependent on extrinsic motivation. And what happens when the rewards go away?
Extrinsic rewards are a substitute for teaching and parenting. What you want to do is find out what makes your kids tick, then help them see why doing their homework, or their chores, or whatever, will make a difference for someone, even if it’s not for them. Remember that kids generally want to please you, and, at least when they are young, are more than willing to follow your lead. They grow up by imitating you. Set the example, help them feel good about themselves by praising their hard work and persistence. You want to find ways to build their motivation from the inside, to become more self-reliant. Then again, they could also experience the natural consequences of failing to do those things, which might offer healthy learning, as well.
No! Effort should be more important than the actual grade. Money should not be a used as a reward. What happens when the money well gets low-it is an unsustainable practice. Helping students be proud of their effort is the goal.