WHEN PRAISE IS INEFFECTIVE:
a. The use of praise and rewards does not make children feel supported. It makes them feel evaluated and judged.
b. Appreciation is different from praise because it is not manipulative.
c. Some praise statements may have the potential to lower a child’s confidence.
d. Trying to use praise as a systematic reinforcer in a classroom setting is unpractical. (Studies show once every two hours for each child).
e. When it becomes more global than specific
f. When it provides no information
g. When it makes the child compete or compare with other children
h. When it uses accomplishments of peers of describing a child’s present accomplishments
i. When children focus on teacher’s authority figure who is manipulating them
j. When teacher is not important to them
k. When reinforcer is easy for the child to get
l. When too much praise may fall into great expectations, it becomes a trap. Children feel this is the only way to be accepted an loved an to keep high levels of performance going.
*Remember that children have a limited number of ways in their bag of tricks for attention.
Next week: INTERACTIONS TO BE AVOIDED OR MINIMIZED