Nurturing in children a sense of self, a passion for learning, community, and childhood.
Independent Thinkers
Independent Thinkers
The Attic's goal for children is to become intrinsically motivated, rather than extrinsically motivated. Although extrinsic motivation is often thought of as encouraging a child, in actuality it can produce children who depend on external motivation. While interacting with children at The Attic we make observations, rather than giving compliments and praise. A few examples:
| Observations | Compliments |
| I can see that you are working hard on that | Wow, you are doing so great! |
| Look at the way you've filled your entire paper! | That's such a pretty picture! |
| It looks like you are enjoying yourself! | You're so good at that! |
Give Information to Remain Respectful:
Avoid giving directions as much as possible. Giving information is usually more effective and respectful. In most cases during the Attic day, the structure has been established and children are familiar with the expectation. Making a statement or observation, rather than giving "an order" is more respectful and usually all that is needed. For example:
| Information | Directions |
| It's time for class meeting in the large room | Go to the large room now for class meeting |
| There are several balls in the trees over there | Pick up the balls and get them put away now! |
| I noticed lots of popcorn on the floor | You guys get this popcorn picked up! |