Be Specific When Giving Praise!

“Good Job!”,  “We did it!”, ” I’m so proud of you!”  Who doesn’t want to hear that after a job well done?  If you are giving your kids lots of praise, that’s great, keep it up!  You may  also want to consider being a little more specific when giving praise.

Because I want to expand kids’ vocabulary and understanding of language, I will use phrases such as:  “Thank you for putting the blocks in the bag . . . I like the way you turn the pages so gently . . . Yes, you put the crayons in the box, thank you”.

If I need to use shorter phrases, I will say:  “Crayons . . . in the box . . . thank you . . . good job”, as the child cleans up.  I like to be specific:  in the box, under the chair, on the tower, in the basket, in the bag.

I often coach families on providing commentary during play tasks.  Talk about what your child is doing as he is engaging with toys and activities.  This is especially helpful when you are just beginning to engage with a child who is not yet tolerant of social tasks.  If this is the case, you may want to sit close by and just comment on what is happening.  Almost like you are explaining what is happening to someone who is not there:  “I see you stacking the blocks . . . uh-oh, they all fell down . . . build again . . .  more blocks please . . . building up . . . up up up . . . wow, that’s a big tower”.

Now you are praising your child and encouraging him to continue.  Keep up the great work!  They are listening!