Acknowledgement+vs+Praise

Children need information about their personal skills and qualities, they don’t not, however, need to be judged for their performances and raise their ideals. Acknowledgement differs from praise as it describes children’s skills and qualities, without judging them and implying they must reach that standard in order to be considered worthy. It allows children to verify their own assessment, that they have achieved something worthwhile, highlight their success so they notice these and give them the opportunity to expand on what they have achieved ( Porter, L, 2008).

As educators, we must also be cautious about the way we are speaking to our students in an Early Childhood setting. An inclusive classroom has everyone treated equally and provided with the same resources and possibilities for learning. With the use of acknowledgement we can eliminate disciplinary actions altogether which will raise children self-esteem and promote cognitive development as a result of deeper thinking. The following is an example of praise, and what it should sound like if acknowledgment is used in an inclusive classroom where we are fostering creativity, collaboration and cooperative learning:


 * **Praise – what we say as teachers…** || **Acknowledgement – What we should say…** ||
 * What a beautiful picture Julie… || Wow Julie, I really like the way you used different colours on your snowman, why did you do that? ||
 * Good Boy Tim || Thank you very much for helping me pack up the chairs Tim. ||
 * You look so adorable Sammy! || Wow Sammy, I really like your dress, did you pick that or did mummy? ||

Reference List:
 * Porter L, 2008, “__Young Children’s Behaviour – Practical Approaches for caregivers and teachers__”, MacLennan and Petty Publishers, Sydney


 * Positive Reinforcement**

The same can also be said when it comes to reinforcing behaviour in the classroom. Often, I have seen sticker charts or other similar systems used to reward a child for their behaviour. Good behaviour is rewarded with a sticker, and bad behaviour results in a sticker being taken away. Usually by the time they get a certain amount of stickers, they get some reward from the teacher. Same goes for work a child has produced.

I don't believe this method is beneficial to a child's learning or self-esteem at all. I remember a time in primary school when I had worked really hard on a piece of art work. Art has never been my strong point, and I was rather proud of what I had created. Instead of scknowledging what I had done, and acknowledged that I found the task difficult, the teacher ignored the work and instead rewarded the students who had produced something which looked nicer. The message this sent to me was that it's the quality of the work that counts, not the effort you put into it. Consequently, I never put much effort into art after that. What was the point if it was never acknowledged, and I didn't get some credit for it??

I believe that verbal acknowledgement should be given to students, not just a good or bad mark. Each child is different, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. We as educators so encourage children to try their hand at something, even if they don't think they're any good at it.

Porter L, 2008, “__Young Children’s Behaviour – Practical Approaches for caregivers and teachers__”, MacLennan and Petty Publishers, Sydney