Rewarding knowledge- what says the hive?

[KristenR]

Okay- I have a question. I have it in my head to make up a way to try and incorporate my dd's Latin vocabulary into more of a daily usage instead of just during our Latin lessons.

 

Last night she joking referred to her lectus when we were going to bed and it got me thinking. Maybe I could pay her in ancient roman coins (laminated printouts of course-- what would that be denarius?) and hand her one for every correct use of vocab done above and beyond her lesson. After she has earned a sizable amount I can let her got to the dollar store or something and cash out. I used a similar system when we first started introducing money. I would give her Penny Points and for every 100 pennies she earned she would get a dollar for the nearby dollar store.

 

But then I started wondering if this sort of thing is more bribery and I shouldn't be rewarding learning like this. :glare: Am I over thinking it? I don't see any negative effects right now but I don't know if I am setting a trend?

 

Anyone do anything like this? Or adamantly against it?

[Miss Tick]

I think that kind of thing is fine if you are interested in it. You could always set a casual limit - "let's try this for a month", or something.

 

If you over think it, bribery for things they should be doing (or learning) anyway doesn't make a lot of sense. But if you are both having fun, I don't see any harm.

 

What a fun way to incorporate Latin vocabulary in daily use!

[missmoe]

I think it is fun. It doesn't seem you are doing it for everything, so the expectation of a reward isn't set up as the norm.

 

I still do it occasionally with my 12 year olds. Lets get this done before lunch or the end of the week and we'll go get ice cream.

 

During the summer, I wanted my kids to be a bit more imaginative on their own, so set up a system of points. The earned a meal at a special restaurant.

 

I say, why not make things fun when we can.

[KristenR]

Thanks guys. :001_smile:

[Jay3fer]

Anything with the words "dollar store" is not, imho, sufficient to consider a bribe. :-)

[matilda]

We do this! All of my dc have a different thing that they get points for and 25 points can be exchanged for either a pixie stick or one chore. I am amazed at how hard they work on their vocabulary or their math facts just to get out of unloading the dishwasher once.

[Farrar]

I don't object to all rewards, especially when they come up organically, but I've only ever had negative experiences with rewards systems like you're describing - eventually it becomes too much about the reward and not enough about the learning or there's annoying management involved that doesn't justify the payoff. But I also don't think they "ruin learning" or anything like that, especially not long term. And some kids and adults can undoubtedly make them work better than others, so...