Rewards and Punishments

My essay on Montessori's abolishment of rewards and punishments was due today. Here is an excerpt from it.

"There is thus born a new child, a child that is morally superior to one who is treated as a helpless and incompetent being. This inner liberation is accompanied by a new sense of dignity. From now on a child becomes interested in his own conquests and remains indifferent to the many small external temptations which would formally have been so irresistible to his lower feelings." (Montessori, Discovery of the Child, p. 59)

This “new child,” that Montessori speaks of is driven by his own desire to
work, by his pride in himself and by his own achievements. He no longer needs to
be rewarded because he is no longer driven by outside approval or by an object
of desire. He does not need to be humiliated into obedience but instead he comes
to desire it within himself. He learns from his mistakes through self correction
and through precise lessons, not through negative marks or scolding. He
has no need for traditional rewards or punishments because he is liberated and
free. He possesses a quiet dignity and self respect which guide his behavior and
his drive to learn and master new skills.