Effective vs. Less Effective Verbal Praise
1. Focus on Effort and Strategies (Effective)
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Praise how students approached the task, the strategies they used, and the effort they put in.
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Example: “You tried several methods to solve this problem—that’s excellent perseverance!”
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Why it works: Encourages a growth mindset, showing students that effort leads to improvement.
Less Effective: Praise only the result
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Example: “Great score on the test!”
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Problem: Students may believe only outcomes matter, not learning or effort.
2. Praise the Student’s Actions, Not the Person (Effective)
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Example: “Your explanation was very clear” instead of “You are so smart.”
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Why it works: Reinforces specific behaviors and encourages skill development.
Less Effective: Praise the student personally or innate ability
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Example: “You’re so clever!”
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Problem: Suggests ability is fixed, which can reduce motivation when tasks are difficult.
3. Praise Progress and Improvement (Effective)
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Highlight how much a student has improved, even if the result isn’t perfect.
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Example: “You improved a lot in reading this week—you’re becoming more confident.”
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Why it works: Motivates students to keep learning and recognize their growth.
Less Effective: Ignore progress and focus only on perfection
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Example: Praising only top scores
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Problem: Students may feel discouraged if they haven’t achieved the “best” outcome.
4. Make Praise Specific and Immediate
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Example: “I noticed how carefully you organized your experiment today—that helped you get accurate results.”
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Reinforces exact behaviors and ensures students connect praise to action.
