While children approach performance situations with different combinations of motives, parenting and teaching practices can influence the development of each child's achievement behavior. Because achievement motivation is learned, and its development begins early in life with a critical stage during early childhood, it is necessary that pertinent experiences during these years be identified and planned to maximize development of achievement motivation. Active involvement, coping with frustration, self-challenges, and self-evaluation are some of the behaviors parents and teachers should model to influence children's striving to achieve. It is also important to teach children how to be successful and how to set standards that can be reached. Participation in play and sport is one effective way children can develop achievement tendencies. In order to help low achievers experience the joy of realizing their potential, teachers and coaches can manipulate the probability of success and the incentive structure of a task. Positive behavior must be rewarded, and teachers and parents should help children acquire the ability to set realistic goals, reinforce themselves for hard work, and evaluate their ability and effort. Children enjoy participating in activities if they believe they will be successful; their beliefs are based on past experiences and on others' reactions to these experiences. (RH)