{"id":2696,"date":"2023-10-20T04:26:26","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T10:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/?p=2696"},"modified":"2023-10-21T00:12:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T06:12:02","slug":"descriptive-praise-use-it-in-the-montessori-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/descriptive-praise-use-it-in-the-montessori-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Descriptive Praise? How to Use It in the Montessori Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2696\" class=\"elementor elementor-2696\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-12147d9a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"12147d9a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-21c82f87\" data-id=\"21c82f87\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29ef1be3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29ef1be3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>\u201cGreat job!\u201d It\u2019s a common form of praise that many parents might use when talking to their children. As a Montessori teacher, it\u2019s a form of praise you want to keep to a minimum. Instead, in their training, Montessori teachers learn to use descriptive praise. This type of praise brings many benefits to children. From helping them build their character to developing positive work habits, descriptive praise is a powerful tool.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>What exactly is descriptive praise and why is it important? Discover what makes descriptive praise different from other praise and how can you use it in the Montessori classroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Descriptive Praise?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Descriptive praise is a type of praise that describes. An example is, \u201cYou\u2019re concentrating hard!\u201d This praise describes the action or process. Another one might be, \u201cYou used so many bright colors in that drawing!\u201d This type of praise describes the work. In each case, the description offers the child input about their attitude or about their choices. It helps them think about how their decisions influence outcomes.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Descriptive Praise vs. Evaluative Praise<\/strong><\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Another way to understand descriptive praise is by comparing it to evaluative praise. How are they different?<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Evaluative praise provides a judgment or evaluation. One example is, \u201cGood job!\u201d or \u201cGood boy!\u201d Some other examples might be, \u201cYour picture is beautiful!\u201d, \u201cYou did great!\u201d or, \u201cYou\u2019re smart!\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The difference is subtle between the types of praise. With evaluative praise, the child finds out whether or not they did something right. With descriptive praise, there\u2019s more room for a variety of focuses. For example, if you\u2019re using descriptive praise to talk about a child\u2019s painting, you might focus on the child\u2019s attitude, workmanship, the colors used, and more:<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:list -->\n<ul><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>\u201cI noticed how carefully you painted!\u201d<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>\u201cThere are so many different textures!\u201d<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>\u201cI love how you blended the colors there.\u201d<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>And on and on.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>However, if you use evaluative praise, there is an overall judgment of the painting. Generally, evaluative praise determines whether something is \u201cgood.\u201d The underlying sentiment then is that if it wasn\u2019t good or great, it might be \u201cbad.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Use Descriptive Praise in the Montessori Classroom?<\/strong><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a19d8ae elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a19d8ae\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-adb6f1b\" data-id=\"adb6f1b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f7dafb7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f7dafb7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In your online Montessori training program, you might learn about using descriptive praise in the classroom. Why? Descriptive praise offers many benefits for children.\u00a0<br \/>Most importantly, descriptive praise fits in perfectly with the <a href=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/how-montessori-broke-the-mold-of-traditional-education\/\">Montessori<\/a> philosophy. Descriptive praise offers a positive way for adults to respectfully interact with children about their work. It also provides many opportunities for learning and development of character. It\u2019s the perfect type of praise to use in the Montessori classroom.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2285814\" data-id=\"2285814\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35da79d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"35da79d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 26-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/6946d948-559d-4a5a-b85b-c4e357931842.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2698\" alt=\"How to Use It in the Montessori Classroom\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/6946d948-559d-4a5a-b85b-c4e357931842.png 1200w, https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/6946d948-559d-4a5a-b85b-c4e357931842-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/6946d948-559d-4a5a-b85b-c4e357931842-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/6946d948-559d-4a5a-b85b-c4e357931842-1152x1536.png 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ce0ea18 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ce0ea18\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c1b74c0\" data-id=\"c1b74c0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4382200 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4382200\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong>Benefits of Descriptive Praise for Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When adults like parents and Montessori teachers use descriptive praise, it brings many benefits to children. Here are just a few:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Building Intrinsic Motivation<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intrinsic motivation is doing something because you enjoy doing it or see the benefit of doing it. For example, a child might practice reading because they\u2019re motivated to learn to read. In your online Montessori training, your trainers may compare this to extrinsic motivation. A child who is extrinsically motivated might only practice reading to get a sticker to put on a chart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive praise builds intrinsic motivation. How? Often, descriptive praise points out the benefits of a child\u2019s efforts. For example, after cleaning up a spill, a Montessori teacher might say, \u201cThank you for cleaning. Now, the floor is safe for everyone to walk on.\u201d Over time, this type of descriptive praise helps children learn the benefits of their actions. That builds intrinsic motivation. Instead of waiting for outside rewards, children appreciate the benefits of their hard work. They do work and choose behaviors for the joy that it brings them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evaluative praise can also act similarly to extrinsic motivation. When children look to adults for approval and ask \u201cDo you like my work?\u201d they want to know if they\u2019ve done a good job or not. Instead of evaluating their own work, they want the stamp of approval from the teacher. In Montessori schools, children often check their own work. That also helps build intrinsic motivation. When children check their own work, they feel satisfaction when they\u2019ve done a good job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children who want the teacher to check their work don\u2019t feel the same satisfaction. Their goal is to get that \u201cgood job!\u201d from the teacher. For this reason, descriptive praise is a better tool. It helps build intrinsic motivation and build joy for learning. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Improving Self-Esteem<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may seem like evaluative praise would provide more self-esteem than descriptive praise. However, that\u2019s not true! When children hear evaluative praise, they get their self-worth from an adult. They learn to wait for their teacher or parent to decide whether they or what they\u2019ve done is \u201cgood\u201d or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have also shown that children with low self-esteem are harmed by evaluative praise and over-the-top praise.\u00a0 Why? When children receive evaluative praise like \u201cYou\u2019re smart!\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019re a good kid!\u201d it might contradict their very real experiences. When the same child then struggles with their homework, they might think the adult who told them they are smart was lying to them. That type of praise starts to feel insincere to children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive praise helps children create a realistic idea of what they\u2019re capable of achieving. When Montessori teachers say things like, \u201cI noticed you concentrating for a long time to finish that work,\u201d children feel proud of their hard work. This type of praise feels more genuine to children because they know that they did work hard. Recognition of this hard work helps build the child\u2019s self-esteem from within.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Encourage a Growth Mindset<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive praise can also help children adopt a growth mindset. This mindset is the idea that you can learn new things. Fortunately, this mindset can be taught. Part of teaching a growth mindset is showing children that hard work pays off. Also, children need to try challenging tasks and fail before mastering them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With descriptive praise, Montessori teachers can praise a child\u2019s hard work, effort, concentration, and determination. All of these characteristics are what children need in order to build a growth mindset.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive praise helps children build confidence in their ability to do hard things. With encouragement, children can work through difficult tasks and succeed. This helps them build their growth mindset and self-esteem at the same time!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Building Vocabulary<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive praise can be creative and use rich vocabulary. When children hear new words, they\u2019ll pick them up. Don\u2019t be afraid to use big, complex words like \u201cdetermination\u201d and \u201cperseverance\u201d. You can use these words alongside synonyms to help build understanding. Soon, children will understand these words and begin to use them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The descriptive praise you use with children will also become their inner voice. Children will soon begin saying to themselves \u201cI persevered on that!\u201d and \u201cI didn\u2019t give up!\u201d This can in turn have a positive impact on their mental health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f7a2cac elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f7a2cac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1305\" src=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/473d6985-6d34-4216-93d0-e6de7f47337b.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2699\" alt=\"Montessori Classroom\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/473d6985-6d34-4216-93d0-e6de7f47337b.png 1600w, https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/473d6985-6d34-4216-93d0-e6de7f47337b-300x245.png 300w, https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/473d6985-6d34-4216-93d0-e6de7f47337b-1024x835.png 1024w, https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/473d6985-6d34-4216-93d0-e6de7f47337b-768x626.png 768w, https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/473d6985-6d34-4216-93d0-e6de7f47337b-1536x1253.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-728fec8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"728fec8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong>When to Use Descriptive Praise in the Montessori Classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you acquire the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/5-characteristics-of-a-montessori-teacher-youll-gain-through-online-montessori-training\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">characteristics of a Montessori teacher<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, using descriptive praise in the Montessori classroom will come naturally. Here are some tips to keep in mind:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Avoid interrupting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When children are working, it\u2019s best to let them work. However, many children look to adults for approval or want to share their work with you. When this happens, it\u2019s a great time to use descriptive praise!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Use descriptive praise to redirect<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Descriptive praise can help redirect children. For example, if a child needs help choosing work, you might remind the child of an activity they\u2019ve enjoyed or done well with before. You might say, \u201cRemember how you carefully lined up the beads yesterday? I wonder if you can do it just as carefully today.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Use descriptive praise with a group<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In small group lessons, you can also use descriptive praise. For example, you might praise the group for cooperating with one another, working hard, being helpful to each other, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Descriptive praise is an excellent tool that all Montessori teachers can learn to use. Once you feel comfortable, you\u2019ll find that there are many opportunities for using descriptive praise. Each small interaction with a student provides the chance to slip in descriptive praise. As long as it\u2019s sincere and relevant, it can be a valuable tool for helping children build self-esteem, a growth mindset, and develop intrinsic motivation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Learning About Descriptive Praise in Your Online Montessori Training<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During your online Montessori training, you\u2019ll learn about many topics including descriptive praise. Through online Montessori training, you\u2019ll learn the steps for giving descriptive praise in greater detail. Plus, you\u2019ll gain practice giving descriptive praise when interacting with other future teachers and your trainer through online meetings. If your <a href=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/montessori-early-childhood-introductory-course-online\/\">online Montessori training<\/a> includes a hybrid element, you may even get the chance to work with children and use <a href=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/\">descriptive praise in a Montessori classroom<\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As one of your many <a href=\"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/montessori-training-courses\/\">Montessori teacher tools<\/a>, descriptive praise will help you connect with students, build their intrinsic motivation, and so much more.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cGreat job!\u201d It\u2019s a common form of praise that many parents might use when talking to their children. As a Montessori teacher, it\u2019s a form of praise you want to keep to a minimum. Instead, in their training, Montessori teachers learn to use descriptive praise. This type of praise brings many benefits to children. From&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2700,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2696"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2696"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2710,"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2696\/revisions\/2710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montessoriptc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}