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Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

from Classroom Instruction that Works Robert J. Marzano, Debra, J . Pickering, Jane E. Pollock, MCREL, 2001.

Summary of Research on Reinforcing Effort

  • People generally attribute success at any given task to one of four causes: ability, effort, other people and luck.
  • Not all students realize the importance of believing in effort.
  • Students can learn to change their beliefs to an emphasis on effort.

Classroom Practice in Reinforcing Effort

  • Teach and exemplify the connection between effort and achievement.
  • Students can see the connection between effort and achievement by periodically keeping track of their effort and its relationship to achievement,

Summary of Research on Providing Recognition

  • Rewards do not necessarily have a negative effect on intrinsic motivation.
  • Reward is most effective when it is contingent on the attainment of some standard of performance.
  • Abstract symbolic recognition is more effective than tangible rewards.

Classroom Practice in Providing Recogntion

  • Make the recognition as personal to the student as possible.
  • The Pause, Prompt and Praise strategy of providing recognition is best used when students are engaged in a particularly demanding task.
  • Concrete, symbolic tokens of recognition should be given for accomplishing specific performance goals.

Technology Resources
Title: Extra Effort
Grade Level(s):
Curricular Area(s):
Description: Websites of heros, admired athletes, politicians, musicians or others who became successful with extra effort.

Resources (Files, Websites, etc.): - Famous people who had dyslexia (Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Cher, George Burns and others).
Title: Kids Bookshelf
Grade Level(s):
Curriculuar Area(s):
Description: KidsBookshelf publishes original book reviews, poems, and short stories of no more than 1,000 words.

Resources (Files, Websites, etc.): Kids Bookshelf

Title: Rubrics
Grade Level(s):
Curricular Area(s):
Description: Use a rubric to help assess effort or achievement.

Resources (Files, Websites, etc.):
Create a rubric:

Rubric Collections:


Effort Rubric Examples

Title: Award certificates
Grade Level(s):
Curricular Area(s):
Description: Create award certificates.

Resources: Microsoft Word, AppleWorks or iWorks templates, http://www.microsoft.com/education/MonthCertArchive.mspx,
Article on creating certificates: http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=226

Title: Charts
Grade Level(s):
Curricular Area(s):
Description: Chart personal progress by tracking effort and/or achievement

Resources (Files, Websites, etc.):
Use personal data to create a spreadsheet with Excel, AppleWorks or iWorks.

Title: Recognition on classroom or district website or newsletter
Grade Level(s):
Curricular Area(s):
Description: Provide students' recognition in newsletters or on websites (use caution with photos on the web used with student names).

Resources (Files, Websites, etc.):
Title: Recognition by e-mail
Grade Level(s):
Curricular Area(s):
Description: Give students' recognition by e-mailing their parent(s)/guardian(s).

Resources: e-mail programs


from Classroom Instruction that Works Robert J. Marzano, Debra, J . Pickering, Jane E. Pollock, MCREL, 2001.