|
During the early years of Head Start programming Bereiter and Engelman developed an approach aimed at helping children from low socio economic backgrounds to gain skills needed for success in elementary school.
This approach is based on behavioural principles of cause and effect, stimulus and response and behavior modification.
Behaviorist educational approaches focus on teacher-directed activities, with carefully planned lessons, drills and exercises for practicing important concepts. This model offered lessons in three academic areas; language, mathematics and reading with precise teacher’s questions requiring specific student responses.
Teachers use constant reinforcement to motivate children’s participation with the use of both positive words of praise and tangible rewards. Other forms of reinforcement for learning include prizes, special privileges, special certificates etc.
Critics of this approach point out that over reliance on such external reinforcement, takes away the internal or intrinsic motivation of children. The satisfaction of successful task completion is considered as optimal type of reinforcement.
|
Participants