I had no idea something like rewarding a child for progressing greatly in his or her literacy skills would be controversial, but then I must live in my own world at times.
Limos For Learning™, founded by Betsy Ross, was recently added to the 2006 South Carolina Angel’s List for charitable organizations. They provide ‘celebrity’ luncheons and Limo rides to students (chosen by teachers) for outstanding improvement in reading skills. The program is so successful it is expanding throughout South Carolina and beyond.
That is a great thing, right? Well, some people don’t understand — just yet. They feel that children should not be rewarded with limo rides for doing something they should be doing anyway; that educators are coddling them, or bribing them. Valid points, but. . .
. . . if they think back to the other children they grew up with, perhaps to their own children or children of friends or colleagues, they will realize that, right or wrong, there were and will be students who are not self-motivated. Whether their lack of motivation was just lack of self-discipline, lack of previous guidance, personality, previous failures, or learning disorders, some children don’t have it.
Gold stars, getting an extra recess, blue ribbons, certificates, being chosen to help the teacher — were rewards I received in my elementary days (remember I am 56 and they were doing it long before I got to school) - and I was already self-motivated, but they sure made me smile.
Special lunches, even special field trips were added in later years. That doesn’t count all the parents that paid their child for A’s or B’s or even C’s or bought them something special for a good report card. Oh, and many deem hugs as rewards. . .
. . . How many kids do you know (be honest), that do something just to please their parents, to get that smile or hug? Yeah, there is a difference between doing something for a smile or hug and monetary or material game. . . and there are people who never self-motivate, they need someone else to push them. . . That won’t change, but what can change is that once someone tries something new or learns to read better, whether on their own or NOT, the skill is now theirs and the world has opened to them. . . so, I say, go for it! Let the child try, even if it is for a material reward of a limo and luncheon and they may get to eat something they never would have tried, or see a part of town they may not have — and that smile they are wearing on their faces may be 80% because of the star treatment, 10% because they experienced a new place, but that other 10% is their sense of accomplishment, of learning how to do something — and that is 10% more than they had!
Whether you just need to see a smiling face to get your own working at this moment or you are truly curious about the organization, check out their website, listed in links to the right.
December 29th, 2006 at 9:01 am
