Students who have worked hard for that A who had all Cs previously deserves recognition for a job well done. You may have worked with your child and spent lots of extra time motivating him to do better. Your reward is emphasizing the hard earned progress he has made to receive the good grade. A reward is certainly appropriate for the student who has overcome academic obstacles, rather than the child who gets good grades very easily, according to Scholastic.
Rewarding good grades places emphasis on the importance of education. According to Greg Toppo of "USA Today," students who received rewards for good grades in a Texas program led to a 30 percent rise in high SAT or ACT scores. By rewarding students, it pushes them to try harder to attain higher grades and test scores. In the same Texas program, there was an 8 percent increase in the number of students who went to college.
Rewards are tangible for children who may not see the big picture of education. According to Greg Toppo of "USA Today," in New York underprivileged kids were given cash incentives to earn good grades and high test scores because they did not have very many successful roles models in the community. Children may not see the intrinsic value of good grades early on, but a reward is a short-term and valuable incentive that they can understand.
Going to school is similar to an adult going to work. Adults are paid for their jobs; many parents choose to pay their children for fulfilling their responsibilities as well. If money is used for the rewards, it can teach children to save for bigger rewards or college. Wait until your child's report card arrives and look through the grades together. Set a consistent rate for As and Bs; give your child two piggy banks. One bank is for saving half of the rewards, and the other is for immediate use.