Praise, encouragement, and reading can brighten your day!

Encouraging Children in Reading

Positive encouragement can help children develop a competitive spirit in a cheerful way, like learning to READ. Kids realize that if they put effort into studying, reading will gradually improve. They learn more eagerly and quickly if they're told what they do well or right rather than being scolded for what goes wrong.

Boosting Children's Self-Esteem through Reading

Research shows that the way we praise matters. It’s important to be mindful when praising our children. Complimenting a child for being smart isn’t a promise of future success; instead, it can reduce courage and introduce the idea that the child might doubt their abilities and fear failure. A child who receives encouragement for positive behavior or activity is more likely to push themselves and do even better. They simply gain more confidence in their abilities and are less likely to give up when facing difficulties. To boost children's self-esteem, it is crucial to use praise and encourage them along.

How can we praise the children while they're learning to READ? Yes, it’s not always easy because praise should never be empty. We must let children know we see what they’re doing and hear what they’re saying. Be precise in your praise so the child knows what they did well. We discuss and praise the effort and the work behind what they do.

When we praise, we do it sincerely, with a smile, and we are proud of the children. If we are struggling and can’t praise sincerely, we reflect on the child and simply say what we see or hear. For example, “I hear you’ve practiced this word or I see you’ve mastered connecting these sounds.”

Here are some examples of praise and encouragement that are great when children learn to READ:

General Praise for Reading

• “Awesome! I see you can read this all by yourself.”

• “You're really improving in your reading.”

• “You must be proud of yourself for finishing your homework reading!”

Praise for Efforts and Initiative in Reading

• “You tried even though it was tough - it will be better next time.”

• “Good thing you asked about the word when you didn’t know what it meant.”

• “Great that you wanted to READ this again.”

Praise for Vocabulary and Comprehension

• “You understand the story so well!”

• “Great job connecting this to real life.”

• “You used new words correctly.”

• “Well done remembering this word.”

• “You're quickly building your vocabulary.”

Fun and Playful Praise for Reading

• “Wow, you're becoming a reading superhero!”

• “It’s good that you guessed the word.”

• “Who knew this word could be so exciting?”

Encouraging Praise for Independence

• “It’s great that you’re trying to READ on your own.”

• “What you've put into reading is really showing.”

• “You worked really well today.”

• “You always find a way to tackle tough words!”