Mark Lepper: Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation and the Process of Learning By Christine VanDeVelde Luskin, Bing Nursery School at Stanford University Lepper, of the detrimental effects of over-reliance on rewards to shape children’s behavior. The child looked around, picked up a crystal glass from the table and asked, “How many points not to drop this?” A fine example, says Dr. Until, that is, the first time the family dined at a nice restaurant. “He sits up straight and eats his peas and the Brussels sprouts and he is really very well behaved,” they reported. Some years ago, after a lecture, Professor Mark Lepper was approached by a couple who told him about a system of rewards they had set up for their son, which had produced much improved behavior at the dinner table. Problem solved.īut very soon, you will notice some unintended results. You present the prize and the child complies to get it. Parents love them because they work almost instantly. Rewards (and sometimes punishments) are many parents’ go-to motivators. If you’re thinking about toys, money, iPad time, points, stickers, etc., you’re not alone. When you hear the word “motivate”, what do you think of it? It’s no wonder that some kindergarteners are not motivated to do homework.Ĭhildren naturally love learning, if we provide the right environment and motivate them appropriately. To add to that, many kindergartens also assign homework to these little children, further reducing their available play time. Going from playing all day at home to behaving or sitting still in a structured environment for hours at a time is a tough transition. Once a place for socialization and play, kindergartens now emphasize the importance of learning to read, to count, to sit still and to listen to the teachers. Kindergarten has changed a lot over the last decade. Why Do Kids Hate Homeworkįor many children, kindergarten is their first formal experience in school. No yelling, screaming, threatening or crying required. It is possible to love doing school work. In this article, I will share the secret on motivating your child to not only do homework but also love homework. Getting kids to do homework is not always painful. “How to motivate a child to do homework” is on almost every parent’s mind right now.

I will do your homework for you