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Posted By STONERS 8 months, 2 weeks ago in NewsCall them bribes if you will, but the reality is that many upper- and middle-income parents already reward children for getting good grades with cash or dinner at a favorite restaurant. Most of the students in pay-for-grades programs, usually sponsored by private donors, come from neighborhoods where dinners out are rarities.
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Candida8 months, 2 weeks ago
You have a point, but the rewards mentioned don't seem to be very big. It seems to me that $100 to make the honor roll may be just sufficient to motivate the students, but not sufficient to justify all the efforts expended to reach the goal, and may lead to internalization. I still have most of the books I received as rewards at year end ceremonies in elementary school. I didn't study "for" them, but I was hoping to be one of those who received one. Eventually I learned to like learning simply to know more.
When parents reward a good final report with a car, or something of similar magnitude, they may overshoot the goal and actually convince their children that they have studied for the reward. However, when the reward is small, the students have to find additional justifications for trying hard.
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trnscndr8 months, 2 weeks ago
I think of it as encouragement which is otherwise lacking in their lives. But I have never paid, but instead incented.
In South Central LA I had a lottery for a computer system, one to be awarded to one of the students who had a B or better. If you made a B, you got one entry; if an A, you got two chances.
I had twice as many A and B students after I did that, and they learned to enjoy learning along the way so that later they would not require the prospect of reward.
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Spadecaller8 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes -- why not rasie another generation of sycophants that will do just about anything if the price is right?
That's what this world needs more of; people who can become good leaders by screwing their way to the top, by paying of judges, and by working on K street for the lobbyists.
Profiteering, exploitation, and bribery have become synonymous with America's new global economy.
I guess I should feel real bad about raising my children to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
We certainly don't want to raise our children to believe in the kind of giving that asks no rewards. Why that might be a waste of time and money.
To teach our children to learn because it is fun and rewarding in itself would require a lot more effort than paying them off. It is a sad fact that there are some educators that don't belong in education, they justify cheating our children out of the joy of learning for the easiest way to get results.
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Spadecaller8 months, 2 weeks ago
My youngest son, who is in high school, is a powerful example for any educator. The credit goes to him, his personality, and to his mother; because during his formitive years I was often away from home traveling.
My wife, who is a teacher, turned him on to the fun of learning as a child. He had a fair share of teachers who marveled at his interest in learning and helped him to keep it alive. He also had his fair share of teachers that were just plain duds. My wife taught him to not to give away what he valued because of a booring robot.
He is an honor student, takes all advanced courses, and most important, he loves learning. When the time comes for him to get payed at a job, he will, but for now he has learned a lesson that many people never learn.
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rdy2rck8 months, 2 weeks ago
Interesting. I believe it's good in theory but ultimately the rewards should be monitored in the home, shouldn't be overdone and be tempered with loving discipline.
My concern would be that this possibly could "train" kids that they automatically deserve something for good behavior.My heart just says there needs to be a balance with a mix of love.
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jordan118 months, 2 weeks ago
Whether we admit it or not, we act for the consequences. Whether it's a reward from parents, or the good feeling it gives about ourselves, or to keep our parents from smacking us....we all made our choices as kids based on the consequence it would bring. You're right about kids having things handed to them. Good things become entitlements,& I feel sorry for those kids as adults & the bank has closed.
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rdy2rck8 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree. Maybe my comment above wasn't clearly stated.Jordan put it more clearly.Balance.It's all about learning good vs.bad and consequences for actions.
But I'll admit I'm coming from a biased background. As a kid I was really abused but never rewarded.And the Catholic "penguins" really would beat the tar out of you like in The Blues Brothers.That's what I mean by balance.
I don't begrudge the "spankings" but black eyes. Nope.
This applies in reverse. Don't over do it.I just don't want another "ME" generation.
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Candida8 months, 2 weeks ago
Yes, the goal of parents should be to instill a love of learning in their children, but their success depends on a lot of things. Parents who work in two jobs have little time and energy to do that. It also depends on the child.
When I started elementary school, my parents promised me some money for every good mark. Within weeks they figured out that I would drive them into bankruptcy and the plan was abandoned. I got good marks because I have a good memory and I'm competitive, but I don't like to work. It wasn't until university that I discovered the joy of learning simply to acquire knowledge.
Those children who are not lucky enough to have a good memory or encounter failure early and have to work hard from day one may need a bit of external incentive to motivate them. That incentive can be many things, like the approval of the parent, praise from the teacher for good work, some valued item, or even money.
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uncle-dave8 months, 2 weeks ago
Like the Nuns use to tell in grade school Shad..."Being good is it's own reward".
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Dicax_Maximus8 months, 2 weeks ago
Folks, re-read the article a little more carefully. It appears (from the arcticle) that most of these schemes are aimed at "poor" kids, where the familly is more often than not, single parent, never enough money, no role model, no discipline, and zero "home" education.
If these programs can help kids from this kind of social background to break the cycle of lack of education, how can they be a bad thing ?
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RedstateLib8 months, 2 weeks ago
Here, here I agree with you. These programs are targeting kids who have no role models to show them education has value. Sorry if a private group wants to do this and they cause even a 5% improvement in these areas the long term benefits good for society.
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rdy2rck8 months, 2 weeks ago
I can agree to that. I'm a "Big Brother."Parents just scream and holler, have no money but seem to afford things that keep him out of their hair(bedroom TV,DVD,Gameboy.) That's where they ground him to.
He's learned to trust me(miraculous).He recently got into trouble. He's 1500 miles away now and I just mentioned on the phone, "you know what DJ, if I were you I'd spend the weekend in my room without you're gadgets thinking."And that's what he did and told his parents why. You'd think he'd say who the H are you and his parents say mind your own business.
Rewards work the same way.I send him little treats like a paddle ball or something and he cherishes them more than when he goes on a field trip(rewards).
My babbling point is this.Rewards are good. But DJ also craves loving discipline and realizes in his own way that the LOVE with the reward is more powerful.
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BronxBomber8 months, 2 weeks ago
It is any different than let's say ...the corporate world? You work hard,do you're job diligently, and show you're undying loyalty, then you reap you're rewards. A bonus, a raise in pay, and a possible promotion as far as I'm concerned. Same difference! Should that be denigrated as a social bad??? I remember stating earlier that it should be tempered with wisdom, and severe afterthought. Like it or not, 'incentives' are a part of the working world in life ladies and gentlemen.
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uncle-dave8 months, 2 weeks ago
Rewarding a child for good behavior or good grades is nothing new, but institutionalizing it another matter. There are children out there that certainly could use the money now, but I think that just giving them a check at the end of the semester is wrong. If local governments or even private donors for that matter want to reward children for scholastic achievemnets it would serve the students better if the rewards were put into a personal education account for the children that could only be accessed after they successfully graduate.
By doing this children would learn the importance of saving for a goal over spending their assets for instant gratification. Imagine what the credit card companies would do when these kids become adults.
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Dicax_Maximus8 months, 2 weeks ago
UD - Don't see that many of these children have any capacity for future planing, as all they see is the poverty of their parent(s), and their future.... By giving them an imediate reward (for something THEY have achieved THEMSELVES), they can start to learn how what they do NOW can lead to a better future (IMHO).....
In a perfect world (sigh), no problem.... This isn't !!
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Ryan8 months, 2 weeks ago
I think the problem here extends to how parents teach their kids to handle money. Kids today (good lord, how old am I?) don't understand the value of money. If parents were to sit their child down, and make sure that they grasp the true meaning of money, and that wealth doesn't stem from more money, then I would have a lot less problem with it being used as a reward.
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koranagirl8 months, 2 weeks ago
Children don't work on that level, and neither do we.
The concept of payment for good grades is a great one! And to pay teachers for improving test scores over a year is another one, (as long as neither cheats).
The reality of the world is that financial incentives do work, and not just based upon the financial strength of the parents.
Like it or not, money being the root of all evil or not, paying kids to get great grades (and test scores) is a wonderful idea.
It may very well revitalize our sagging educational system.
In a country where someone who kicks or bats a ball makes millions of dollars per year, paying kids a few bucks to get good grades is a terrific idea I support wholeheartedly.
And you know, teenage deaths due to car accidents is on the rise. perhaps instead of doing all this take more hours of driver's ed, spend more time driving with parents (most of whom are bad drivers anyway) perhaps we should install monitoring systems in their cars....
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koranagirl8 months, 2 weeks ago
and pay when they don't tailgate or drive over the limit.
We could save lots of money on expensive extra driving class hours.
Just a thought
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