Some people believe that children will have a bright future if they are always rewarded by their parents and teachers when they behave well. However, other people argue that if the children misbehave, they should receive punishment so that they can become qualified citizens. Discuss both views and give your opinion. v.1

Teaching children to behave well through rewards and discipline is an important part of their education as all people are judged by their actions. In order to effectively teach children it is important to balance rewards with discipline as rewards can be used to encourage positive behaviour while discipline can be used to discourage undesirable behaviour. In this essay the role of rewards and discipline in teaching children will be discussed. Rewards are an important tool that is used by parents to reinforce positive behaviour in children. Children who are rewarded for positive actions are more likely to repeat the behaviour and therefore rewards can be a powerful way of encouraging children. However, it is critical that rewards are proportionate to the action otherwise rewards may distort children’s behaviour. For example, performing a simple task such or not engaging in previously discouraged behaviour should be encouraged through praise and acknowledgement rather than by gifts. However, when children perform significant acts that require patience and discipline such as passing an exam or achieving to their potential at school it may be appropriate to reward them with a gift. In this way children can be taught that the greater the effort and achievement the greater the reward. Discipline plays a similarly important role by discouraging undesirable behaviour in children. However, as for rewards, discipline must be proportionate to the behaviour. Children should generally receive warnings for minor and first time poor behaviour. However, more significant discipline should result from more serious or repeated misbehaviour. A further important consideration for both rewards and discipline is that parents must apply a consistent approach. If they do this, children will quickly understand the consequences of any action and can quickly decide whether they wish to accept the consequences of that action. In summary, rewarding and disciplining is important for children in developing positive habits and becoming productive adults. However, discipline and rewards must be applied consistently and appropriately in order to achieve the best results.