Early Learning Project
Dr. Katz
The constant empty praise that you mentioned is the result of several factors, I think. Some research suggests that many teachers do with children what they remember their own first-grade teachers doing—even though they are teaching children of different ages. Also, if you believe (incorrectly) that children want or need a lot of praise, this kind of positive declaration is almost inevitable because teachers work with a good number of children, and they don't want to leave any one of them out!
There is also research—some of it quite recent—to indicate that the constant empty praise you are referring to is damaging in the long run. It is better to instead ask teachers to give what is called "informative" feedback rather than empty positive feedback like "Good job!" or "Awesome!" A teacher should keep the total amount of feedback lower but make it informative—for example, "That came out well, the way you built the bridge right there." In other words, the feedback should refer to something the child does or says in terms of its significance rather than just in terms of "nice" or even "right."
Resources
Here are some resources you might find useful:
- Encouraging Words
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/encouragingwords.htm
Also available in Spanish, Polish (PDF), and Chinese (PDF) - Self-Esteem and Narcissism: Implications for Practice
http://ceep.crc.illinois.edu/eecearchive/digests/1993/lk-sel93.html - Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!"
http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/gj.htm
http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/muybien.htm - How and When to Praise
http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/how-and-when-to-praise - How Can We Strengthen Children's Self-Esteem?
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/strengthen_children_self.html - Self-Esteem: Too Much of a Good Thing?
http://library.adoption.com/articles/self-esteem-too-much-of-a-good-thing.html - Understanding Children: Self-Esteem
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1529H.pdf - Motivating Learning in Young Children
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/earlychildmotiv_ho.aspx - The Effects of Person versus Performance Praise on Children’s Motivation: Gender and Age as Moderating Factors. (2007). Jennifer Henderlong Corpus & Mark R. Lepper. Educational Psychology, 27(4), 487-508.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01443410601159852
Disclaimer
The opinions, resources, and referrals provided on the IEL Web site are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of medical or legal advice, or of other appropriate services. We encourage you to seek direct local assistance from a qualified professional if necessary before taking action.
The content of the IEL Web site does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education.