The Importance of Praise
Educators know that general praise sucks the growth out of children. Repeatedly telling children the are wonderful kills their development. Keep praise specific, and always praise action and effort. In fact, praising the action makes criticism and growth a possibility(Cimpian, 2007).
Not "You are a great writer," but, "You wrote a very powerful essay."
Not, "You are a good hitter," but, "You did a great job keeping your head down and following through when you hit the ball."
How to Praise
Keep it simple, praise effort. If your kid is successful, point out the effort behind the task and reward it accordingly. Coaches do this all the time when they start the kid who worked the hardest in practice. Teachers should do it too because students don’t get anywhere with genius alone. Since work ethic and character are critical to success, it makes sense to grade on both quality and effort. That’s right reward the kid who busts his ass.