Good job and praise

Dear Families,

Thank you for your presence in class this morning.  It is wonderful to observe the joy and engagement of our children as they work and play.

Some of you heard a discussion about the phrase "good job" and how praise can inhibit learning.  I mentioned two articles and am making them available below.  Too much global praise (good job, good girl, great job, you're so smart) can make a child risk averse and less likely to prosper academically, emotionally, and socially. I have published links to these articles before, but I offer them again here to make them easy to find.

This article from New York Magazine offers a parent's perspective on the research.

This article from Scientific American Mind is by Professor Carol Dweck (the researcher mentioned in the previous article) and is a bit more formal in nature.

Parenting and teaching is an art, and we are always moving toward balance.  I would be remiss if I suggested you should never praise your child.  Specific, appreciation of a child's effort and loving and perhaps silent witness of our children's achievements every day are wonderful.  Without worrying too much about it, the more we can be fully present in the situation and describe what we actually see ("You put on your boots all by yourself.  It took a while, but you kept trying") rather than leaving the present moment with an evaluative statement ("You are a good boy.), the more we help our children stay in the present moment, learn from it, and develop in a graceful way.

Next week I will write more on this from the perspective of discipline and guiding our family ship through the waves and currents of the day.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde