As parents and teachers, knowing how to increase our children’s intrinsic behavior is essential so that we may support their growth and development. Intrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven by internal rewards. In other words, the motivation to engage in a behavior arises from within the individual because it is naturally satisfying to them. 

During our Parent-Teacher Education Talk, Ms Yustina Ries Sunarti, focused on 3 things. She shared about the psychological needs that must be satisfied for a child to grow and develop. These needs are competence, mastery and relatedness. When children feel competent in an activity, they feel good about themselves and will continue doing it. The child then develops mastery and relatedness. They start doing the activity because it is internally rewarding. Ms Yustina then shared tips on how to support these needs and conditions that facilitate intrinsic behavior. 

Finally, our speaker shared some of the pitfalls of giving praise to children. The audience was able to role play and practice giving meaningful praise that would enhance the child’s level of intrinsic motivation.