If Students Are Underperforming, Are Punishments Or Rewards The Best Way To Go?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Now that most children are back in school, homework and studies should be top priority.
However, it could take some coaxing to get your kids back in the groove. So are punishments or rewards to best way to do so?
If your child is taking some time to get back into the swing of things, don't panic. Experts say it's normal for a student to take up to eight weeks to adjust.
"Whatever happens at the beginning of school doesn't mean it's going to be a trend throughout the school year," said parenting expert Julie Ross.
Ross encourages families to start the year off on the right foot: Have a family discussion about responsibilities and expectations, before there's time for confusion. If your student isn't performing as well as you'd like, punishment isn't always the best solution.
"They don't learn the lesson, they don't understand why. Sometimes if a teacher yells at them, they take it personally, they don't see that they may have contributed to the problem," said parent Karen Koerner.
Instead, experts recommend proactively setting consequences. Try telling children they'll have no screen time if they don't do their homework.
One Hoboken teacher even suggests having a discussion to get to the root of the problem before resorting to punishment.
"I think talking it out. Why are you getting the bad grades? Why are you missing the assignment? What is it about the work that's making you do this? Because there's got to be a cause and effect, it can't just be 'cause'," said Melissa McCallihan.
On the flip side, when your student is doing well, experts advise against rewards as well. After all, there's a limit to what parents can do. Instead, use words of encouragement that can help build a child's internal motivation.
"When a kid expresses pride in something they've done, don't say as the parent, 'I'm so proud of you,' but 'You must be so proud of yourself.' And then the kid goes, that's what that feeling is," Ross said.
Another way to encourage students to be passionate about their studies is to have them teach you. That way they can really internalize and get excited about what they're learning.