Rethinking Rewards
Food is commonly used to reward students at school. It’s easy and inexpensive however, using food as reward could have unintended consequences. Choose non-food rewards and prizes instead!
Using food as a reward:
- Connects food to mood by teaching children to eat even when they are not hungry
- Confuses children by contradicting the classroom lessons about healthy eating
- Discourages positive attitudes towards food and lifelong healthy eating habits
- Encourages eating outside of meal or snack times, which interferes with natural internal hunger and satiety cues
- Harms children’s dental health since frequent sugary treats can lead to cavities
- Promotes a preference for sweets, teaching children to prefer them over more nutritious foods that don’t taste sweet (e.g. vegetables, plain milk, unsweetened cereal)
- Puts individuals who struggle with food and eating (e.g. eating disorders) at risk
- Puts children with food allergies or other dietary constraints at risk, or else excludes them
Non-Food Rewards and Incentives:
Elementary school:
- Social praise – attention, verbal praise, thanks, pats on the shoulder, high five
- Recognition – trophy plaque, ribbon, certificate or sticker with affirming message, name on morning announcements
- Sit by friends
- Read to a younger class
- Going first
- Make deliveries to the office
- Extra art, music, reading or computer time
- Walk with a teacher during lunch
- Be a helper in another classroom
- Extra gym time
- Preferred activity (play time inside or extra outdoor time)
- Time to play at the park
- Time on the roller racer in the hallway
- Time to jump on the trampoline in the resource room
- Dojo points
- Taking care of the class animal for a day
- Design a class or hall bulletin board
- Recognition cards or earn points or play money
- Fun movie
- Assemblies
- Field trips
- Brainteaser puzzles, group activities or games
- Reduced homework or ‘no homework’ pass
- Treasure box of items – stickers, erasers, highlighters, fancy paperclips, etc
High School:
- Social praise – attention, verbal praise, thanks, pats on the shoulder, high five
- Recognition – trophy plaque, ribbon, certificate or sticker with affirming message, name on morning announcements
- Extra credit
- Fun movie
- Reduced homework
- Last homework pass
- Donated coupons for music or movies
- Drawings for donated prizes
- Pep rally
- Tickets for school events eg. dances