Figuring out the best way to motivate a child, or teaching them how to find their own motivation, can be a delicate balance. There is no one-size-fits-all policy on this. Motivation is a function of brain processes, and each brain is unique, and so each requires different types of motivation.
Adults are known to ask, “what’s my motivation?” and it is a fair question. Children, who are told what to do a significant amount of the time, absolutely ask the same question – whether or not they realize it. The answer is that one’s motivation is either extrinsic or intrinsic. The motivation either is offered to the student in the form of a reward, or the motivation is something that comes from the student naturally.
Extrinsic motivations are the ones that parents and teachers must negotiate with each child. Do you reward a child for good grades? What will the reward be? Is this a sustainable policy? What are possible unintended consequences? These are tough questions and thinking about the patterns a child exhibits may provide the best answers.
Intrinsic motivations are the forces inside that compel a person to do something. This is a source of creativity and originality, and in most cases should be fostered. When a child shows a particular inclination towards something, the opportunities to do it and succeed should be found. Even if it’s video games. Colleges are now offering majors in video game productions, which is also an excellent, creative industry to work in.
And, for children who have intrinsic motivation to do any number of things, but cannot seem to muster that motivation for, say, math may benefit from a targeted dose of extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation stimulates the reward centers of the brain which provides the necessary kick for the part of the brain (pre-frontal cortex) which will do the bulk of the heavy lifting in learning algebra. It’s a delicate balance, which with some observation of the child can yield some useful results.
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