REINFORCING EFFORT AND PROVIDING RECOGNITION
Generalizations from Classroom Instruction That Works
The authors of Classroom Instruction That Works drew three generalizations from the research on providing recognition.
1. Rewards do not necessarily have a negative effect on intrinsic motivation. Although educators once thought that providing recognition decreased intrinsic motivation and did not improve student achievement, more recent research has proved otherwise.
2. Rewards are most effective when they are contingent upon the attainment of some standard of performance. Rewarding a student for simply completing a task can have a negative effect on motivation. You do not want to convey the message that students have to get paid off in order to accomplish something. Rewarding a student for reaching a specific performance goal, however, can have a positive effect and enhance intrinsic motivation.
Have you ever walked into a classroom and seen ELLs relegated to a corner and assigned to completing jigsaw puzzles while the rest of the class is engaged in academics? Rewarding ELLs for finishing jig saw puzzles would undermine achievement and the students’ perceptions of their abilities. Feel confident in the modifications you make for these students, as long as your expectations are high. ELLs will meet or exceed your expectations.
3. Abstract recognition (e.g., praise) is more effective in improving performance than are tangible rewards (e.g., candy, stickers). In fact, the more abstract and symbolic the reward, the more powerful a motivator it can be.
Verbal praise is one type of abstract recognition. Effective verbal praise specifies the particulars of the accomplishment. Preproduction and Early Production students will need to see and hear effective verbal praise. You can provide visual cues by pointing to what they accomplished or by adding pantomime, gestures, or body movement to verbal praise. Hearing you explain the details of their achievement will motivate higher-level ELLs.
