While it is particularly important in the preschool years, praise that is given mindfully and sensitively to any child, with the inclusion of reasons why the performance by the child deserves praise, can serve as a positive reinforcement of pro-social behaviors and enable a child to develop new skills with pride in their ability. This excludes the use of praise as a form of manipulation for desired behavior, or praise that is given when it is not deserved.
In the article, Does Giving Praise Harm Children?, Alfie Kohn asserts that giving praise reduces achievement, that is to say, he claims that through praise giving, adults unwittingly reduce how well children may perform at a task (2005, p. 112). However, Laura Berk states that young children …show more content…
110). To be clear, I would and do use praise to motivate my children. However, after writing this paper, I have become more mindful of what praise looks like and I will take pains to be sure not to fall into the trap of coercion or the manipulation of what I consider to be acceptable behaviors. Social learning theory explains that children learn behaviors through modelling, that is, they learn to behave in certain ways through their observation of adult behavior and that learned behavior is reinforced or becomes more frequent through praise (Berk, 2010, p. 266). A child needs guidance and modeling as their ability to understand themselves and the world around them grows. I think that if praise, that is, the acknowledgment of pro-social behavior and effort put into a task are handled in a mindful manner, it will support the process of this growth. Emotional regulation is also a hallmark of children’s early development. Berk expounds on how children observe parental emotion regulation to develop their own approach to self-regulation (2010, p. 259). In the same way, I see my children’s reliance on my praise and acknowledgment to develop mastery in skills and competencies as an important development in the attainment of their intrinsic satisfaction in their own
In the article, Does Giving Praise Harm Children?, Alfie Kohn asserts that giving praise reduces achievement, that is to say, he claims that through praise giving, adults unwittingly reduce how well children may perform at a task (2005, p. 112). However, Laura Berk states that young children …show more content…
110). To be clear, I would and do use praise to motivate my children. However, after writing this paper, I have become more mindful of what praise looks like and I will take pains to be sure not to fall into the trap of coercion or the manipulation of what I consider to be acceptable behaviors. Social learning theory explains that children learn behaviors through modelling, that is, they learn to behave in certain ways through their observation of adult behavior and that learned behavior is reinforced or becomes more frequent through praise (Berk, 2010, p. 266). A child needs guidance and modeling as their ability to understand themselves and the world around them grows. I think that if praise, that is, the acknowledgment of pro-social behavior and effort put into a task are handled in a mindful manner, it will support the process of this growth. Emotional regulation is also a hallmark of children’s early development. Berk expounds on how children observe parental emotion regulation to develop their own approach to self-regulation (2010, p. 259). In the same way, I see my children’s reliance on my praise and acknowledgment to develop mastery in skills and competencies as an important development in the attainment of their intrinsic satisfaction in their own