Encouragement is praise for effort – for example, ‘You worked hard on that maths homework’.
Praising effort can encourage your child to try hard in the future. But you can also use encouragement before and during an activity to help your child do the activity or behaviour. For example, ‘Show me how well you can put your toys away’ or ‘I know you’re nervous about the test, but you’ve studied hard. No matter how it turns out, you’ve done your best’.
Some children, especially those who are less confident, need more encouragement than others. Encouragement is particularly important for older children.
Rewards