Children Writing Sentences for Punishment

There is remarkably little research available on the topic of children writing sentences for punishment. However, there are definitely two schools of thought on the matter. One group believes that the act of writing something like, "I will not chew gum in class," is highly effective for deterring certain behavior. The other group believes that this does nothing more than make a child view all writing as punishment.

  1. Research Study

    • A study published in "The English Journal" found that the majority of teachers who used this type of punishment did so out of convenience. 22 percent reported using it because it is "fast and easy," while approximately 14 percent revealed they believed it to be a "mild punishment." However, if the purpose of discipline is to remediate behavior, perhaps those in charge should determine whether the punishment fits the crime. This research concludes that more studies are necessary in order to truly understand the impact this penalty has on those who have been required to complete such tasks. In other words, there seems to be no real proof that the process is effective and there seems to be little understanding as to how it may affect those involved.

    What Teachers Say

    • The same study reported that approximately 41 percent of teachers were aware of the practice being used "sometimes" to deter behavior. Approximately 86 percent of teachers reported that they disapproved of the practice. In fact, the National Council of Teachers of English drafted in 1984 a resolution condemning the use of writing as punishment. The NCTE said the practice "distorts the principles and defeats the purposes of instruction in this important life skill and causes students to dislike an activity necessary to their intellectual development and career success."

    Benefits of the Practice

    • Proponents of the practice seem to overwhelmingly agree that they use it because it works. Parents who have asked their children to write sentences as penalty for poor behavior reported that they used the technique because it worked for them. However, like most forms of discipline, the method may or may not be effective, depending on the child.

    Risks of the Practice

    • It seems the most damaging risks of writing sentences as punishment is creating a child who despises writing. Even those currently using the practice cannot possibly know if they are causing irreparable damage to their child's love of writing. NCTE states that writing is far too important a skill to jeopardize. Since hard evidence supporting the benefits is limited, a person should consider whether the possible risks of the practice are worth it.

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