I recently gave a class of 4th graders the opportunity to take home math fact worksheets so they could improve their scores on multiplication tests. Out of 19 students, 4 raised their hands eagerly wanting the extra practice and excited to put in the work to do better. The others simply had no interest. I was shocked and honestly disappointed! You tell this educator, mom, and writer of self-improvement that you don’t want to ‘better yourself’ and you may get a lecture or two. 🙂
The math lesson was paused and I pulled up a stool to the front of the class for a heart-to-heart. I explained to these young students that there comes a time when they assume more responsibility for their own learning. This shift in ownership will determine who is going to excel. Who is going to do the extra work, read additional materials and ask more questions to expand knowledge? Where does this drive come from? It has to come from within!
Intrinsic motivation “is the drive that comes purely from within, without any ostensible external rewards. You do it because it’s inherently enjoyable, and not because of any anticipated reward, deadline, or outside pressure.” 1 It is out of joy that people are motivated and desire to fulfill the outcome, It becomes a personal mission to do something better like running faster, eating less sugar, or scoring higher on math tests. Many people use extrinsic motivation, which utilizes an external reward to encourage behavior such as toys, stickers, or even money. However, extrinsic motivation doesn’t last. There’s no real internal compass that continues to drive you when situations get tough or drag on. So how do we help kids begin to feel intrinsically motivated so that they can develop skills that will benefit them into adulthood?
Let’s MAP it out! Kids need mastery in a topic, autonomy in their learning and purpose of why they are even learning in the first place!2 Providing successful opportunities builds confidence and a platform for wanting to continue the feeling of victory. When given choices of what to learn and how to learn it, students will increase their enjoyment during the process which will allow for taking on more work or problems. Acknowledge their successes and increase awareness of how they are feeling after they accomplish their goals. What was their process? What worked for them? What did they learn? These questions place the responsibility back on themselves as they reflect on hard work, organization, and commitment to spend time on their goals.
Here are 5 ways to increase intrinsic motivation in your kids today:
- Praise their effort, not the outcome. You focused on building that Pinewood Derby car every Sunday for three weeks! You made it a priority to refine the design as you tested its speed.
- Focus on one area at a time. Make a goal of getting 95% or higher on weekly spelling tests.
- Devise a plan for your child to complete tasks on his/her own. Create a chart, calendar or checklist with activities to be done independently to help reach his/her goal.
- Explain the why! Mastering math facts on timed drills will help you solve problems faster and make more complex math easier. When you are checking out of a store, you can make sure you get the correct change back by completing the math in your head!
- Point out feelings. You tied your shoes all by yourself! How do you feel?
Developing intrinsic motivation does not happen instantaneously. It is a process, but so incredibly important for lasting success. Guide your children to look for challenges as a way to better themselves and when they see a challenge have them shout, “BRING IT ON!”
1https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-brain-and-value/202101/the-power-intrinsic-motivation
2https://www.edutopia.org/article/help-students-build-intrinsic-motivation/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953616303689
the Essentialist Family 