Educators Changing Use Of Praise In Classrooms

In a front-page article, the Washington Post (1/16, A1, Chandler) reports, "An increasing number of teachers are weaning themselves from what some call empty praise." Based on psychology and brain research, they are using a "vocabulary for praise that will push children to work through mistakes and take on more challenging assignments" after a growing body of research found "that easy, unearned praise does not help students but instead interferes with significant learning opportunities" and that "children rewarded for being smart become more likely to shy away from hard assignments that might tarnish their star reputations." Instead, "children praised for trying hard or taking risks tend to enjoy challenges and find greater success."