Effective Praise Less Effective Praise Why Effective Matters?
| Effective Praise | Less Effective Praise | Why Effective Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Focus on effort and strategies | Focus only on result | Encourages growth mindset |
| Praise actions, not innate ability | Praise student personally | Builds skill-based confidence |
| Highlight progress and improvement | Ignore growth, focus on perfection | Motivates continuous learning |
| Be specific and immediate | Vague or delayed praise | Connects praise directly to behavior |
MCQs based on effective vs. less effective verbal praise:
1. Which type of praise encourages a growth mindset?
a) “You are so smart!”
b) “You tried different strategies to solve this problem—well done!”
c) “Great score on the test!”
d) “Everyone else did better than you.”
Answer: b) “You tried different strategies to solve this problem—well done!”
2. Why is praising progress more effective than praising only results?
a) It discourages students from trying
b) It helps students focus on learning and improvement
c) It makes students competitive
d) It ignores effort
Answer: b) It helps students focus on learning and improvement
3. Which of the following is an example of ineffective praise?
a) “You organized your experiment carefully, that helped get accurate results.”
b) “You are a genius at everything you do.”
c) “You improved a lot in reading this week—great job!”
d) “I noticed how focused you were during the activity—excellent effort.”
Answer: b) “You are a genius at everything you do.”
4. How can teachers make praise more meaningful?
a) Give vague praise like “Good job!” for everything
b) Focus on specific behaviors, effort, and strategies
c) Compare students to each other frequently
d) Only praise students when they achieve perfection
Answer: b) Focus on specific behaviors, effort, and strategies
