Children act in a certain way because they have learned certain attitudes and behaviors. Children are neither good or bad rather, they make either good or poor choices. All students take notice when other students are recognized. This does not negate the fact that children need to be told when they need improvement. All behavior is learned and maintained by positive and negative experiences.
Recognition needs to include both extrinsic and intrinsic values.
As a child moves through the years, it is necessary to develop more intrinsic values in the tasks he or she undertakes. Therefore, children should be recognized with less extrinsic motivation and develop more internal satisfaction for their efforts for a job well done. Our goal is to eliminate extrinsic rewards and to provide students with educational experiences that will lead to intrinsic awareness of success. Verbal praise is a powerful method of rewarding appropriate behavior. Success leads to future success.