As a parent there is a fine line between praise and just words said just to placate the child. If that parent is also the homeschool teacher there has to be a fine line between praising the child and merely mouthing the words. How much praise is enough and can you over do it?
Let’s take a look.
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Why do you praise your child?
The primary reason for praise from the parent is not just appreciation of a particular behavior but a positive push to reinforce it. When you tell your child that he did a job well you are giving him your approval. This will make the child feel good and in the future he will seek this approval by repeating what he has done.
When do you praise your child?
Ideally you should praise your young child while he is doing the job or immediately after her has finished the task. That way he knows precisely what action is being appreciated. The older child can be told a bit later as well, but praise is most effective when delivered at the time of action completion.
How can you go wrong?
Some parents get carried away in their enthusiasm to get their child to do things right. They begin praising all kinds of basic behavior. This reduces the efficacy of praise as an incentive to strive to do better. Praise is earned for doing something out of the norm: something that takes more effort and concentration to do than every day mundane activities.
Give genuine praise without going over the top
Children have a built-in fakeness alarm. If you are not being genuine in your praise they can detect it in an instant. So don’t praise them for something routine, and don’t praise them when you don’t mean it. Try to give feedback for their actions, especially those which you know took them some effort to complete.
As the parent you know best how to deal with your child, as each child will need a different amount of reinforcement. Some are okay with being told they did a good job once, however others many want to hear how well they did a few times before they are satisfied.
Article Inspiration: About Homeschooling
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