Positively reinforcing a child’s academic achievements is absolutely essential, especially with modern curriculums becoming more challenging. A sound education is the road to success, so children should be rewarded for performing well. While a monetary award is always nice, studies have shown that non-monetary rewards are just as effective at encouraging continued academic success over the long term. Pizza, trips, increased freedoms, and other incentives are great alternatives to money.
Incrementally Increase Their Allowance
A great way to positively reinforce a child’s academic success is to incrementally increase their allowance. Increasing the allowance, rather than giving a direct monetary reward, shows a child the long term benefits of succeeding at school. With a structure similar to that of a regular job, this exercise helps children to become acclimated to future real-world scenarios.
Expand Their Rights
If a child performs well at school, a great reward to offer them is increased freedoms. For example, if they typically are only allowed to watch television for 30 minutes a day, consider increasing this to 45 minutes. Showing a child real-world benefits for great academic performance will hardwire them to seek these rewards out well into adulthood. Providing additional freedoms and incentives as they continue to succeed shows them that their efforts are recognized and valued.
Plan a Trip
Nothing reiterates positive reinforcement more than lasting memories. Many psychologists believe that the best way to reward a child for great behavior is to give them a reward to which they can attach a great memory. The child will then grow up to associate academic and life success with fun-filled memories which will encourage them to seek out more.
Have a Pizza Night
What child doesn’t like a fresh, hot pizza? Whether it’s all-cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian, or supreme, having a pizza night with friends and family to celebrate good grades is an excellent means of positive reinforcement. The child’s brain will then associate delicious food with academic success, a practice called positive pairing by psychologists. Positive pairing conditions a child to associate success with things they like such as delicious pizza.
Buy a Memorable Gift
Another great way to reward a child for good grades is to buy them a memorable gift that is akin to an heirloom type of product. In other words, the gift should be something that the child can keep for the rest of their lives and always associate it with doing well in life. This kind of gift would not be a simple toy, but rather something that would have value in the moment and over the course of many years.