Effective Words of Praise

How do we best help motivate children to achieve their very best? Although many forms of praise often focus on talent or intelligence, what we should really focus on praising is effort and hard work.

As the BBC covers in their article, “The words that could unlock your child,” a study by psychologist Carol Dweck found that students who are praised for effort rather than intelligence not only will seek out challenge (as opposed to their intelligence-praised counterparts who will avoid challenge), but also actually increase their performance following failure. The theory is that:

“Intelligence-based praise orients the receiver towards the fixed mindset – it suggests to them that intelligence is of primary importance rather than the effort through which intelligence can be transformed…if, on the other hand, she (the child) really believes that effort trumps talent – labelled the ‘growth mindset’ – she will persevere. She will not see failure as an indictment, but as an opportunity to adapt and grow. And, if she is right, she will eventually excel.”

Be sure to read the full article on the BBC’s website for the fascinating details of this study and the implications for motivating your own children. And check out our recent post on “Student Motivation.”