Sending your child to the best international school in Manila is an incredibly fulfilling experience for you and your child. As a parent, it is paramount that you constantly motivate him in his studies; and that you do things that will enhance his performance in school—all these are, needless to say, an integral part of one’s parenting journey.
There’s one seemingly inconsequential thing that can do wonders to how students perform, whether they belong to some private school in Manila or elsewhere—that is, giving them praises, which is something that you might normally take for granted.
The Importance of the “Right” Praise
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as casually throwing praises to your child every time an opportunity arises. It’s a lot more complex than that.
In fact, you should exercise caution when giving praises, since not all of them are appropriate. What seems to be an innocuous remark might actually be detrimental to how a student perceives himself and how he functions.
What you should keep in mind is how to give the right praise that might improve his overall academic performance.
Take into consideration these two phrases:
- You’re smart.
- You got high grades because you studied hard.
Statement (a) directly praises the child, an example of the so-called person praise. One might assume that it is a perfectly fine thing to say. Sadly, praises akin to statement (a) injure your child’s motivation and weaken how he views his intellect.
On the other hand, statement (b) commends the process itself—that is, your child’s perseverance and effort. Praises that fall under the second category are called process praise, and as you might have guessed, they are the praise that a student sorely needs.
How Do Children React to Person and Process Praises?
A study revealed that children, who are exposed to process praise more often had a heightened desire for challenges.
Process praise also leads to them to believe that intelligence is mutable, that it’s subject to change, and that it can be developed through diligence and effort.
If you praise your child for working hard, he’ll eventually surmise that his accomplishments stem from perseverance.
On the contrary, if you offer him person praises, he’ll believe that his accomplishments largely derive from fixed and inherent traits.
Ultimately, he’ll start thinking that intelligence is unchanging, that all his efforts are essentially rendered futile. After all, why would he keep on working if he can never advance his intellect?
Parents Make a Difference
You might be wondering: Will it make a difference if your child were exposed to the right praise when he’s much younger?
The answer is a resounding yes.
A recent research revealed that the more process praise 1 to 3-year olds received from their parents, the more they were motivated to perform excellently in school later on—when they’re already fourth graders.
Key Takeaway
As a parent, it’s vital that you always motivate your child to work hard in school.
And one thing that might boost his academic performance—whether he’s studying in private schools in Manila or somewhere else—is giving him the right kind of praise.
