Lower School Blog: Intrinsic Motivation

"Montessori education is designed to awaken interest and to allow children to pursue learning about issues that personally interest them. This is necessary to a system that is based on intrinsic motivation." - Montessori the Science Behind the Genius - Angeline Stoll Lillard

Children are born with an innate curiosity to learn and explore their environment. It is not until later that they learn to do something in order to gain a reward (good grade or a praise) or avoid a punishment. Natural curiosity is driven by intrinsic motivation, while behavior linked to reward is driven by extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivators are those influences from the outside like stickers, stars and grades. These types of motivators rarely have a lasting impact and most of the time only work in the moment. They can get children to act, but not to change for the long term.

Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards. It leads to life-long learning and success. This type of motivation arises from inside the child as they experience the excitement of accomplishing the task, that moment when they are able to say, “I did it by myself!” Young children, like Toddlers and Primaries, are naturally intrinsically motivated. They are proactive and choose to do activities without a promised reward.

Research shows that intrinsic motivation is best developed in classrooms that incorporate autonomy, mastery, and purpose - the characteristics of a Montessori environment. In the Aidan Primary community, we work on the development of intrinsic motivation daily, which goes hand in hand with responsibility for self and others. 

Here are ways to foster intrinsic motivation:

Devise a supportive environment.

In the Montessori prepared environment, children learn to have a positive attitude towards mistakes. We encourage them to try activities with no criticism or judgements. It is important to teach children to see failure as a beginning, a place from which to grow and learn, and not an endpoint. For that reason, we do not correct a child; most of the time they do not need our help to overcome a difficulty. When we let the child solve a hard problem on their own while making mistakes, it helps them to become intrinsically motivated to do work. Step back and let them discover how to do it better.

Set up for success.

We have clear and attainable expectations with a defined end and outcome so that children can accomplish a task with little effort and a sense of self-satisfaction. We offer an activity that they can succeed at and that is right for their stage of development thus providing opportunities to build skills and confidence. We observe and know the child’s abilities, and provide them with opportunities to stretch their wings just enough to challenge, but not frustrate them.

Allow for autonomy. 

In the classroom, we provide children with choices that generate intrinsic motivation and engagement. When they select activities based on their interest, it increases their responsibility and commitment towards completion of the work. Children want to do their best to finish it. This is where the call for independence is the loudest.

Avoid praise, rewards, and punishment.

Praising can become a form of control that interferes with natural learning: children get dependent on adult’s feedback. They learn that their actions are celebrated and can begin performing for adults versus interacting with them. In the Montessori environment, instead of praise we give encouragement, and find opportunities to intrinsically motivate children. We acknowledge their effort and make genuine comments. Instead of “Great job!” (extrinsic motivation) we say, “I see you put in a lot of effort! Aren’t you something!” It helps the child to reflect on the process of work, and not to concentrate on the result and praise that comes with it.

The transition from praising to encouragement takes a lot of practice for adults, especially since it is something that is almost automatic in society. Consider this your new 2021 challenge as you help foster intrinsic motivation in your child at home. 

Sincerely,

Katia Kozhakova

Dogwood Lead Primary Teacher