At home, in school or during family support sessions, a simple visual prompt can help adults choose praise that feels specific, genuine and useful. The pages focus on praising children’s effort, strategies, progress, choices and character, rather than relying on broad comments about ability or results.
Finding praise that encourages a child without creating pressure can be tricky, especially when adults want to build confidence, motivation and self-worth. The PDF explains meaningful praise as feedback that recognises a child’s effort, progress, decisions and character, with a clear reminder to praise more than the final outcome.
The content is arranged as a practical poster-style handout. It includes a short “what is it?” explanation, a “why it matters” section covering growth mindset, perseverance, feeling valued and strengthening relationships, and a simple framework for giving praise in everyday moments.
The main steps are easy to apply: be specific, focus on effort and strategies, highlight progress, and notice character and values. Examples include comments such as “You kept trying different ways until it worked,” “You’ve improved so much with your reading,” and “Thank you for being so kind and helpful,” making it useful for parents, foster carers, teachers, teaching assistants and family support workers.
A separate “praise to avoid” box helps adults spot common phrases that may be too vague, create pressure or encourage a fixed mindset, including “You’re so smart,” “Good job,” and “You’re the best.” It can be printed for parenting groups, classroom staffrooms, supervision discussions, early help work, or kept on a fridge as a reminder to notice small moments of effort and positive behaviour.
