While both encouragement and praise are positive forms of feedback, there are some key differences between the two, and research has shown that encouragement may be more effective than praise for elementary students. Here are some reasons why:
- Encouragement focuses on effort and growth, while praise focuses on achievement. When you encourage a student, you are focusing on their effort, persistence, and progress, rather than simply praising their achievement or outcome. Encouragement helps to build intrinsic motivation and self-esteem, as the student learns to value their own effort and progress, rather than just the praise or recognition from others.
- Encouragement fosters a growth mindset. When students receive encouragement, they learn to view challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than as failures or sources of shame. This mindset can help students develop resilience, persistence, and a willingness to take risks in their learning.
- Encouragement is more specific and personalized. Encouragement is often more specific and personalized than praise, as it focuses on the individual student and their unique strengths and challenges. This can help build a stronger relationship between the teacher and student, as well as a greater sense of connection and belonging in the classroom.
- Praise can create pressure and anxiety. While praise can be a positive form of feedback, it can also create pressure and anxiety for students who feel they need to continue to perform at a high level to receive that praise. This can lead to a fear of failure and a focus on achieving outcomes rather than valuing the process of learning.
Here are some examples of encouragement versus praise:
Encouragement:
- “I can tell you worked really hard on that project. It shows in the quality of your work.”
- “I appreciate your persistence in trying to solve that problem. Even though you didn’t get it right away, you kept at it and eventually figured it out.”
- “I noticed you were really patient with your group members during the activity. That’s a great character trait to have.”
In these examples, the focus is on the student’s effort, progress, and character traits, rather than just the end result. This type of encouragement can help build students’ confidence and resilience, and can motivate them to continue putting in effort even if they don’t always get immediate success.
Praise:
- “Wow, you got an A on your test! You’re so smart!”
- “You did an amazing job on your presentation. You’re a natural public speaker.”
- “I’m so proud of you for winning the game. You’re the best player on the team!”
In these examples, the focus is on the outcome or result, rather than the effort or progress that went into achieving it. While praise can also be motivating and build confidence, it can sometimes create a fixed mindset where students believe that their abilities are innate and cannot be improved through effort.
Shifting towards encouragement
It’s important for teachers to use both encouragement and praise in the classroom, but to be mindful of how they are delivering the messages and what they are reinforcing. Encouragement can be used more often to help students build a growth mindset and develop a love for learning, while praise can be used in moderation to celebrate specific achievements and successes.
Overall, encouragement may be more effective than praise for elementary students because it focuses on effort, growth, and personal development, rather than simply achievement or outcome. By encouraging students, teachers can foster a growth mindset and help students develop intrinsic motivation and self-esteem, creating a positive and supportive classroom environment.
