SHOULD YOU PAY KIDS FOR GOOD GRADES?

Twenty dollars for an A? Ten dollars for a B? Some might view paying kids for good grades as an incentive. Others might see it as a bribe. But the reality is that paying for good grades may not be the most effective way to motivate your children to do well in school, according to Jared Durtschi, a Kansas State University family studies and human services professor. while monetary compensation for grades may be effective in some cases, parents should know the practice could actually backfire and decrease their child's motivation to perform well in school. How? Cash for grades can cause students' motivation to work hard in school to shift from an internal motivation -- that is, being motivated by how it will make them feel -- to an external one that is driven by the reward they will receive. Many parents who embrace paying students to get good grades do so because, in a very real way, grades do pay. They are a significant factor in determining whether students will get into a top college or eventually secure a high-paying job. Even so, money may not be the most meaningful reward to all students. The most powerful motivator is unique to each child. for some kids, a trip to see Grandma or not being required to do chores for a week might be more motivating than $20.