Encouragement verse Praise. How are they different?, and Why you need to know the difference?
Encourage rather than praise. Both focus on positive behaviours, but they are not the same. Praise is reward based, usually within a competitive context. Praise is given for winning or being the best. Praise attempts to motivate a child with external rewards. Encouragement, on the other hand, is given for effort or improvement, however slight. Encouragement is given at a time when a child may be 'down', when they feel they are not doing well enough or even failing. Encouragement is not based on reward or requires competition. It allows a child to feel worthwhile.
How do you react to being encouraged? Think about how it would feel to receive frequent encouragement. Encouragement lets our little-ones know they are valued. For example, Charlotte has missed 5 words out of 15 in a spelling quiz. Instead of concentrating on the 5 miss spelt words, point out the 10 correctly spelt words. This focuses on the positive and allows Charlotte to feel she is okay. Charlotte is well aware of the errors and there is absolutely no need to repeatedly point them out. Accepting Charlotte as she is helps her to feel worthwhile and will give her the courage to try.
A sense of self worth begins at a very early age. If we want our children to see themselves as worthwhile persons, we need to genuinely accept them as they are. This includes all their imperfections.
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