Natural & Logical Consequences

Reward and punishment deny children the opportunity to make their own decisions and to be responsible for their own behavior. Natural and logical consequences do the opposite -- they require children to be responsible for self. Natural consequences allow children to learn from the natural order of the physical world (e.g. I only picked at my lunch, now it’s outside time and I am hungry). Logical consequences allow children to learn from the reality of the social order. A consequence must be seen by the child as logical in order for it to be effective.

The purpose of using consequences instead of punishment is to motivate children to make responsible decisions, not to force their submission. A teacher cannot use consequences successfully if she has any hidden motives. In disciplining, a teacher must be both firm and kind. Firmness refers to the follow-through, and kindness refers to the manner in which the choice is presented. Two good rules of thumb are consistency, and talk less/act more. When you do things for children that they can do for themselves, you are robbing them of self-respect and responsibility.

Created by: Robin Mcconnell