100+ways+to+say+'GOOD'

//**100 w**////**ays to say "GOOD"**// As a mother and eventually a teacher I am always looking for ways to encourage my children, I have now found a quick reference list which can help everyone. Most children, adults included would like to hear a variey of positive comments than always saying "GOOD". Give these words a try and watch your children grow with enthusiasm and self esteem and add variey to your vocubulary list. These words can also be posted on the wall for the children to use to help praise and acknowledge each other efforts withn the classroom.

sourced from www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resources

Bill Roger's (2011) reminds us that it is important to make sure the student/child knows //what// is 'excellent, perfect, marvellous etc.'. By adding a descriptive phrase you can describe what was 'excellent' about their work and this acknowledges the effort they put into it.

Rogers B., (2011) //Classroom Behaviour: A Practical Guide to Effective Teaching, Behvaiour Management and Colleague Support// 3rd Edition 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP

This is another resource sourced from www.teachthis.com.au which is similar to the above resource. It also has words for big, little and sad. These list can also be posted on the walls to help children use other words in their everyday language and also a great reference guide for when they are wrting stories, letters or in reflective journals.

What an encouraging wonderful resource!

//**Praise the process, and not the person**//

The use of praise is common in Australian schools to encourage and affirm the achievements of students. However, care must be taken to use the right sort of praise, as the wrong sort not only has little effect but can be damaging.

Mojdhe Bayat (2011) gives an interesting history of the use of praise as a motivator, noting that it is highly culturally specific. There is, for example, no linguistic equivalent of the phrase “good girl!” in other European languages. Bayat argues that the entrenched use of praise is a peculiarly Anglo-American phenomenon, and traces its roots to a (possibly arguable) belief developed in the US in the 1960’s that individual success and achievement were linked to self-esteem, which can in turn be boosted by lavish use of praise.

Bayat observes that much of the research in behavioural studies focuses on children with developmental and intellectual disabilities or challenging behaviours. In this context, praise is considered a positive reinforcer (as described in Skinner’s behavioural philosophies), and is now integral to the use of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and Positive Behavioural Support frameworks. Bayat cites strong evidence that, for children with special needs, praise does increase the display of appropriate behaviors and reduce the display of inappropriate behaviours.

Critics of the use of praise include Alfie Kohn (2001) who claimed that praising children (a) manipulated them into behaving in ways that are convenient for the adult rather than the child, (b) created “praise junkies” who were reliant on adult’s approval for their determination of self-worth, (c) stole the child’s own sense of achievement by emphasising the adult’s pleasure in the activity, (d) replaced the child’s interest in the activity with an interest in receiving praise, and (e) reduced the child’s achievement by discouraging risk-taking behaviour. Studies carried out in the 1990’s did indeed conclude that praise “discouraged children from exploration and learning”. (Mueller and Dweck, 1998, cited by Bayat, 2011)

Importantly, Bayat explains that Mueller and Dweck distinguished between praise for the person (for example, “What a clever boy!”) and praise for the process (for example, “My, you worked so hard to finish that!”). Praising the person tends to focus the student on performance and status rather than on learning. Praising the process is more likely to motivate students to seek out challenges, to take risks, and to develop a healthy understanding of their own capabilities.

In subsequent work, Dweck (2008) elaborates on the “fixed mindset” which results from person praise and which is characterised by fragile self-esteem and loss of motivation to learn; and contrasts this with the “growth mindset” held by students who are eager to work and to learn, which is encouraged by process praise.

Praise needs to be recognised as an extrinsic motivator, whose use can undermine intrinsic motivation if used inappropriately. For students with learning difficulties, who may have a longstanding experience with failure and for whom motivation can be a problem, even an extrinsic motivator can be essential to give them the impetus to attempt and persevere at new tasks.

For early childhood settings, Bayat makes the following recommendations :
 * Always praise the process and not the person
 * Acknowledge publicly good examples of appropriate behaviour
 * Be aware that not all children react positively to praise – especially those who are perfectionists or self-critical.
 * Comment favourably on appropriate behaviour without praising (for example, “You managed that all by yourself.”)
 * Do not be afraid to add judgement value to praise to recognise qualities which are valued by society (for example, “It was nice of you to be kind to the little girl who was looking lonely at lunchtime.”)

Bayat, M. (2011). Clarifying Issues Regarding the Use of Praise with Young Children. //Topics in Early Childhood Special Education// 31 (2) 121-128. Dweck, C. (2008) Mindsets : How Praise is Harming Youth and What Can Be Done about It. //School Library Media Activities Monthly// XXIV (5) 55-58. Kohn, A. (2001). Five reasons to stop saying, “good job!” //Young Children// 56 (5) 24–30. Viewed July 2011 at []
 * References**