Rewards

During the recent school year, I visited many programs. One program made an interesting change. Over a year, the program stopped giving children rewards as a motivation tool. The educators wanted the children to be self-motivated to work and play together. 

What motivated this program to make a change?

At the beginning of the school year, the educators handed out rewards for every activity. Children earned rewards for cleaning after their work, lining up, sitting, being quiet, choosing work, and so on. The children enjoyed getting rewards. The rewards came in the form of paper tickets that the children used to buy toys and snacks at the end of each week. 

Consistently giving out rewards had side effects that included children following adults instead of interacting with peers. Children were communicating with teachers only when rewards were available. Children were quiet and passive and showed less motivation to work and play without teacher input. All activity participation was hostage to a prize offering. This pattern of behavior was consistent for many months.

Then the program made a change and adopted a "no rewards" policy. During my subsequent visits, I noticed new patterns of behavior. The children had more social conflicts and struggled with problem-solving in work and play. The children were unsure of themselves, less engaged in activities, and lacked creative drive. The once calm classroom was now very loud.

An article on PSYBLOG titled "How Rewards Can Backfire and Reduce Motivation" shares similar observations. The piece features a study by Mark Lepper from Stanford University and David Greene at The University of Michigan. In the study, fifty-one children ages 3-4 years old participated. The children in the study liked to draw when the study started. Researchers invited the children to draw. When finished, the children received an expected reward, a surprise reward, or no reward at all. 

After the drawing test was complete, researchers observed the children. They wanted to see if the children would continue to draw independently. The expected reward group drew less than half of what they did before. The surprise reward and no reward group performed about the same. The surprise group decided to draw a little more often.

On Edutopia, an article by Dr. Richard Curwin titled "Six Reasons Rewards Don't Work" shares, "It is best not to use rewards in academic and behavioral situations." Dr. Curwin also outlines the costs involved with this practice: satiation and addiction, finishing vs. learning, manipulation, pressure, and control. The article summarized many of the behaviors I observed. The children needed a reward to do an activity. They refused to work or take part in a project without a reward. Children preferred doing a task for the reward instead of pleasure or joy. Children also followed this behavior when dealing with peers. They asked friends for rewards to do something. Children expressed feeling inadequate, the play turned into a job, and children lacked the motivation to make their own choices. 

The wonderful thing about children is they are resilient. Later in the school year, I was able to revisit the program. A handful of children are working on their own. They are becoming accustomed to finding and creating their work and play. I did not hear any children ask for rewards or mention they missed them. Many children like working alongside educators, while some are still finding their way. The educators are working to support the children who still struggle with motivation. 

The use of rewards is a personal choice. I know many programs use them and have done so for years. In my work, I do not use rewards to motivate children. This topic is not about right or wrong. It is about how we view children and their capabilities to self-motivate. Children want to develop a sense of discovery and wonder about life and their world. Does a toy, sticker, or candy make that experience better? 

Do you use rewards in your program? If so, what are the outcomes of offering rewards to the children?