The Costco Connection

18 The Costco Connection AUGUST 2014

from members: from members:

INFORMEDdebate

Should children be rewarded just for participating?

YES NO

Levingston D. Hodges III Kapolei, HI

Awarding something to someone for just showing up does not give them incentive to strive for excellence.

Lindsay Kirstein Urbandale, IA

I believe it’s important for children to understand that losing isn’t failure; that not trying is failure.

Matt Baggett Nashville, TN

Rewarding people for showing up does not prepare them for the rigors of the actual world.

Karen Gordon Temple Hills, MD

All kids should receive some type of incentive as a sign that they are appreciated, and it encourages them to do better to get a higher reward.

Rebecca Schwarzberg Placerville, CA

Participation awards build a false reality that these children will carry with them the rest of their lives.

Nancy Gravador Richmond, TX

Effort [for partici-pating] should be rewarded. It will give them a sense of fullfillment.

S H UT T ER S TOC K

IT USED TO be that kids in the classroom or on sports teams received awards for outstanding achievement. More and more, however, awards are given to everybody, just for participating. Some say that giving rewards universally may help make all kids feel motivated to participate. Others think if everybody gets an award, there is no incentive for anybody to achieve excellence beyond just showing up.