Here are some tips for facilitating children’s growth, engagement, and intellectual curiosity through praise.
Parents often think that intelligent kids learn quickly, with very few errors and little or no difficulty. Many parents feel that speed and ease are, in fact, proof of being smart. And, most parents praise their children for these attributes.
For example, they might say something like this:
“Julie, you’re a math whiz. You never even make a mistake!”
“Sammy, you learn things SO fast! You’re a superstar!”
These parents are proud of their children’s abilities. However, they may not realize that praising children for being smart can compromise their motivation and performance, and actually be detrimental to their learning. It’s important to stay attuned to children’s attitudes, work habits, creative initiatives, learning trajectories, and resilience.
Let’s consider two things: 1) the nature of intelligence, and 2) the nature of praise that parents may convey about their children’s intelligence.
