Today’s article from ExchangeEveryDay – Bad Praise, Good Praise –

When is praise expected?  Am I praising too often?  Is my praise authentic?  Am I hurting or helping my child?

Parents, teachers, and well-meaning caregivers are often faced with these questions when they are working with young children.  With practice, you can quickly learn the difference between bad praise and good praise.  Our teachers are extremely knowledgeable regarding this topic, and can provide guidance at any time.

“Many people assume that superior intelligence or ability is a key to success.  But more than three decades of research shows than an overemphasis on intellect or talent – and the implications that such traits are innate and fixed – leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unmotivated to learn.”

Parents and teachers can engender a growth mind-set in children by praising them for their persistence or strategies (rather than for their intelligence), by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning, and by teaching them about the brain as a learning machine.

“According to a survey we conducted in the mid-1990’s, 85 percent of parents believed that praising children’s ability or intelligence when they perform well is important for making them feel smart.  But our work shows that praising a child’s intelligence makes a child fragile and defensive,” reports Carole Dweck in her Scientific American Child article, “The Secret of Raising Smart Kids.”

For more on this fascinating topic, please visit www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-secret-to-raising-smart-kids1/