Is there any difference between praising the intelligence of children and praising the efforts they put in?
Let’s explore this.
Praising intelligence can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can boost children’s self-esteem and make them feel good about their abilities. On the other hand, it can also lead to a fixed and rigid mindset, where children start to believe that their intelligence cannot be changed. This can make them afraid of challenges and less likely to take risks.
A better approach is to praise effort rather than intelligence. When we praise effort, we are telling children that we value their hard work and determination. This can help them to develop a mindset that is growth-oriented, where they believe that their intelligence can be changed for the better through hard work and effort. Children with a growth mindset are more open to learning and tend to make efforts to succeed.
Here are some tips for praising effort:
- Be specific. Instead of saying, “Good job,” say something like, “I’m so proud of how hard you worked on that math problem.”
- Focus on the process, not the outcome. It’s more important to praise children for their effort and persistence than for their final score.
- Make it personal. Tell children why you’re impressed with their effort. For example, you could say, “I can see how much you’ve been practicing your reading, and it’s paying off.”
Praising effort is a powerful way to help children develop a growth mindset and reach their full potential. So next time you’re tempted to praise a child’s intelligence, take a step back and consider the long-term effects. The results can be pleasantly surprising as they workn much more effectively than praising intelligence.
- Praising intelligence leads to complacency. When children believe that they are naturally gifted, they may be less likely to put in the hard work necessary to succeed.
- Praising intelligence can make children feel anxious about failure. If children believe that their intelligence is fixed, they may be afraid of making mistakes, which can prevent them from taking risks and learning new things.
- Praising efforts help children develop an abundance and growth mindset. A growth or abundance mindset is the belief that intelligence can be changed or developed through hard work and effort. This mindset helps the overall success and holistic growth of children.
