When you check work, do you write little notes, smiles, stars, etc?
I didn't do it much last year, but this year (2nd grade) I have been making a point of writting "Nice!" and putting smiles, stars, or stickers on work that is done well. It has been really encouraging her. She actually looks forward to giving me her work so she can see what notes I will put on it when I give it back.
So, I was just curious, what little things do you do to encourage your child?
One of the things you learn to do in a critique or an edit is to remember that encouragement is a big deal, even for grown-up professional writers! :) So yes, I work hard at pointing out the things she does well in her writing.
I agree! I like knowing I am doing a good job, too! It's funny because Julia will tell me I'm doing a good job, or she likes how I wrote my word, etc. It's fun to see her kind of imitate me, and I like that she is learning to appreciate others work.
Quoting SusanTheWriter:One of the things you learn to do in a critique or an edit is to remember that encouragement is a big deal, even for grown-up professional writers! :) So yes, I work hard at pointing out the things she does well in her writing.
Yes i write notes, stamps, stickers, etc! I hang some great work also!
I didn't homeschool long last year so I didn't get to do that sort of stuff. We only made it a 1/3 of the way through the year. I will try to help encourage her with stuff like that this year. She just brought one of the best pages of letter "e's" I have seen her do. They were so pretty. I am so proud of her. This is our 1st day back to school.
Since my friend does the checking and I have to scan the paperwork and send it to her, I don't, but I have bought him stickers and stuff...so I just need to find a way to implement that I guess. However, when he does the work right, I do praise him alot. And when he struggles, I encourage him and tell him he will get there with practice.
When I first started homeschooling and the kids were younger I did stickers and notes all the time.
I still write notes of encouragement or reminders of what they need to work on. Since I grade so many papers It's a note to myself and them on what needs to be worked on or how they're doing.
I don't always give stickers since the middle schoolers could care less if it's got a sticker on it or not.
When my children were in the younger elementary grades I did use written praise as well as verbal. I also used stickers and stamps but they didn't respond to them really...I mean they really didn't seam to care whether they got a sticker/stamp at all so I went with the verbal praises for both my children and they respond better to that than the written words on their papers.
Leaving public school...
- Boobah
on Sep. 10, 2012 at 10:52 AM