Something that Teaching Assistants say they find helpful on my Talk for TAs training is thinking about how to give specific praise. For example,
Don’t say: Good girl!
Do say: Wow - you’ve chosen powerful words to show how fast the foxes moved through the woods!
The second, specific version will have much greater impact than the general ‘good girl’ style of praise, as it ensures the child is completely clear on what they did well. It doesn’t have to be a long sentence - it might be as simple as Good listening!
Also, some research suggests that general praise can actually have a negative impact on children’s learning: www.youtube.com/embed/n7Ox5aoZ4ww?start=52
Of course, this is not just for teaching assistants – teachers, parents and anyone else helping children to learn should use specific verbal feedback at every opportunity. Just make sure your praise is genuine.
