# Rewards and consequences for grades

**Should we reward or punish our child for grades?**

Whether you pay or reward for grades, reward effort, only praise, or give consequences for poor grades.

In short: Parents choose between 5 main approaches: Cash for grades; Rewards for effort or inputs; Praise only; No external rewards; Consequences for poor grades. Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: school age.

- Area: School and academics
- Evidence: Evidence leans one way
- Best settled: School age
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/school-and-academics--rewards-and-consequences-for-grades

## Rewards and consequences for grades: what are the options?

1. **Cash for grades**: The child is paid for good grades.
2. **Rewards for effort or inputs**: The child is rewarded for studying or reading, not for the result.
3. **Praise only**: Good grades get praise and nothing more.
4. **No external rewards**: Grades bring neither rewards nor penalties.
5. **Consequences for poor grades**: Poor grades lead to lost privileges.

## Rewards and consequences for grades: what does the evidence say?

**Evidence leans one way.** Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. (Leans against paying for outcomes)

Paying for grades had no effect on test scores; paying for reading books did

Sources:

- [Fryer](https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/fryer/files/financial_incentives_and_student_achievement_evidence_from_randomized_trials.pdf)

## What else is worth knowing?

Some families pay for grades or remove privileges for poor ones. Studies of paying for results have found little lasting effect, while rewarding effort or reading has done somewhat better. Others prefer to keep rewards out of learning.

## Questions to ask each other

- Would we ever pay for grades?
- What would we praise instead?
- What would we do after a bad term?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=school-and-academics&topic=school-and-academics--rewards-and-consequences-for-grades