Praise and feedback are crucial for helping children develop a positive mindset and succeed. Sometimes, our words, like “You’re so smart!” can unintentionally create problems. This is known as “person praise” because it focuses on personal traits.
The issue with praising the outcome is that it can make a child think they succeeded because they are naturally smart, rather than recognizing their effort. Instead, we should use what’s called “process praise.” This type of praise acknowledges the effort, journey, strategies, or actions that lead to success.
Here’s how it looks in practice:
Person Praise: “You are so smart at writing!”
Process Praise: “Your effort in practising and making mistakes is making your writing stronger.”
When you tie success or failure to effort, strategy, or action, your child understands that it’s not about being smart or not. It’s all about perseverance and the learning process. This helps them develop a growth-oriented mindset.
In vague praise, we don’t specify what was done well, like saying “good job” or “nice work.” Instead, we should use specific praise that tells your child exactly what they did right.
Here are some examples of specific feedback statement openers:
– I noticed how…
– Look at how much progress you’ve made on…
– I see a difference in this work compared to…
– I admire how hard you have worked on…
– I can see you really enjoyed learning…
– Could it make a difference if you…?
– Have you considered trying a different strategy to…?
Positive feedback is essential for children, especially when they are learning to follow rules. It’s important to provide immediate feedback when they do something right, no matter how simple it may seem. When giving feedback, remember to:
– Base it on appropriate behaviour or the child’s effort.
– Describe the desired behaviour.
– Be sincere and enthusiastic in your feedback.
By using process praise and specific feedback, you can help your child develop a positive mindset and encourage them to keep trying and improving.