--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Without knowing it, the adults in our…" description: "\"“Without knowing it, the adults in our lives practiced a most productive kind of behavior modification. After our chores and household duties were done..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/mildred-armstrong-kalish-68089_adults_without-knowing-it-the-adults-in-our-liv_1827117.jpg" --- # Without knowing it, the adults in our lives practiced a… ![“Without knowing it, the adults in our lives practiced a most productive kind of behavior modification. After our chores and household duties were done we were give "permission" to read. In other words, our elders positioned reading as a privilege - a much sought-after prize, granted only to those…” quote by Mildred Armstrong Kalish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/mildred-armstrong-kalish-68089_adults_without-knowing-it-the-adults-in-our-liv_1827117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/mildred-armstrong-kalish-68089_adults_without-knowing-it-the-adults-in-our-liv_1827117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/mildred-armstrong-kalish-68089_adults_without-knowing-it-the-adults-in-our-liv_1827117.jpg) > ““Without knowing it, the adults in our lives practiced a most productive kind of behavior modification. After our chores and household duties were done we were give "permission" to read. In other words, our elders positioned reading as a privilege - a much sought-after prize, granted only to those goodhardworkers who earned it. How clever of them.”” Mildred Armstrong Kalish ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adults subtly conditioned children to value reading by linking it to earned privileges, making books a reward for work. **In simple terms:** Reading became a reward for hard work. Key Takeaway Use rewards wisely to foster lifelong learning. Themes motivation learning parenting habits Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice observational When to use this quote - homework completion - after‑school routines - library visits - parent‑child bonding Key Concepts behavioral conditioning intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance incentives with genuine curiosity? - What other skills benefit from similar reward structures? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on rewards may reduce intrinsic love of reading. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Behavior modification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior-modification/) [Duties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duties/) [Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elders/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [These 'free' applications ask for permission to read your emails, your text messages, listen to your phone calls, record video from your phone. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/these-free-applications-ask-for-permission-to-read-your-emails-your/) [John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/) > [I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification. -Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/i-like-maxims-that-don-t-encourage-behavior-modification-calvin/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [The aim of spiritual formation is not behavior modification but the transformation of all those aspects of you and me where behavior comes from...Circumcision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-aim-of-spiritual-formation-is-not-behavior-modification-but-the/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [“God is reaching out to us, wanting us to see we need him. But since he is God, we think he wants some song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-allen/god-is-reaching-out-to-us-wanting-us-to-see-we-need-him-but-since-he/) [Jennie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-allen/) > [I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/i-like-maxims-that-don-t-encourage-behavior-modification/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [“Be wary of information sources that consistently evoke fear, anger, or outrage. Be cautious also of ones that yo-yo followers between such negative states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/be-wary-of-information-sources-that-consistently-evoke-fear-anger-or/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [“Silence is not always complacency. It is contemplation and forethought taking place in the minds of those who would be careful with their words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/silence-is-not-always-complacency-it-is-contemplation-and-forethought/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [It's a whole lot more productive to be in problem-solving mode than it is to be in behavior modification mode.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-w-greene/it-s-a-whole-lot-more-productive-to-be-in-problem-solving-mode-than/) [Ross W. Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-w-greene/) > [My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION - Stop acting like your father!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/my-mother-taught-me-about-behavior-modification-stop-acting-like-your/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Based on its clear energetic signature as new technologies are breathlessly rolled out following a blatantly prewritten script, the current era might best be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/based-on-its-clear-energetic-signature-as-new-technologies-are/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [“Consider the telling expression ‘pay attention.’ Attention, as I see it, is the original currency. If you look closely enough at this divine sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/consider-the-telling-expression-pay-attention-attention-as-i-see-it/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [What motivates most people to change their behavior is consequences. No consequences? No behavior modification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-pinsky/what-motivates-most-people-to-change-their-behavior-is-consequences/) [Drew Pinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-pinsky/) > [“We are tampered with, our opinions manufactured for us, all without our permission. What was the purpose of these behavior modifications? It was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-marrs/we-are-tampered-with-our-opinions-manufactured-for-us-all-without-our/) [Jim Marrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-marrs/) > [Because if I smashed anything, Team Jaiden would just get me into a behavior modification program, or maybe some doctor would put be on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-petrucha/because-if-i-smashed-anything-team-jaiden-would-just-get-me-into-a/) [Stefan Petrucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-petrucha/) > [“It was quite obvious that without severe behavior modification, this boy would grow up to be a serial killer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/it-was-quite-obvious-that-without-severe-behavior-modification-this/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) ## More by Mildred Armstrong Kalish > [“I was walking ahead of our little group and, as the Wallace princesses approached, I stepped off the sidewalk into the dew-dampened grass to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-armstrong-kalish/i-was-walking-ahead-of-our-little-group-and-as-the-wallace-princesses/) Mildred Armstrong Kalish > [“The way to whistle for a horse is to purse your lips together loosely, blow moderately hard and sing "Whee-oo! Whee-oo! Whee-oo!" in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-armstrong-kalish/the-way-to-whistle-for-a-horse-is-to-purse-your-lips-together-loosely/) Mildred Armstrong Kalish > [“There was a saying in our family that no one ever died; people just dried up, were hung on a hook, and conducted their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-armstrong-kalish/there-was-a-saying-in-our-family-that-no-one-ever-died-people-just/) Mildred Armstrong Kalish Explore all 4 Mildred Armstrong Kalish quotes ## More Adults quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. 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As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Without knowing it, the adults in our lives practiced a most productive kind of behavior modification. After our chores and household duties were done we were give \"permission\" to read. In other words, our elders positioned reading as a privilege - a much sought-after prize, granted only to those goodhardworkers who earned it. 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