There are no gold stars in a Montessori environment. No grades. No “Look how smart you are!” No reward for learning other than the intrinsic joy the child receives when they discover something new or realize they’ve acquired a new skill. (When Montessori does praise, it’s very specific. For example, “I like how diligently you’re working on your penmanship.”)
One of the defects of our education system which has, in turn, affected our society is the idea we need to have a reward for every accomplishment. Whether a child being toilet trained receives candy for eliminating in an appropriate way, or if a child hasn’t thrown a fit they can have dessert, etc.
It all conditions the child to perform for a reward. The child then expects a handout when they do well or what is expected from them rather than doing well for the joy of learning or behaving appropriately because they realize it’s what a contributing, helpful member of society does.
When we offer rewards we are training them to perform for the reward rather than the intrinsic value of learning, possessing a skill, or contributing to their community (family, class, etc).
