Teaching Tips - General

Encourage Your Children

This may be obvious, but it's worth it to keep reminding ourselves to encourage our children. Sometimes we get so busy with the teaching details that we forget this.

Encourage your children regularly during the learning process. Tell them they can do it. Praise them for every success. Praise them at every step of every success. Keep telling them they will get it, and you will keep helping them until they do.

Also, as our children get older, sometimes we forget to do this as much. When a six year old does a (crude) drawing for us, we thank them, and tell them what a great artist they are. It's important to be honest, but find things they are doing right and well, and give them approval, especially as they get older.

You cannot over do this. If you give them lots of approval, they will learn to approve themselves, and they won't be over dependent on the opinions of others. If you don't give them enough approval, they will be thirsty for approval, and will get it where they can (which may not be best for them).

As long as you are honest, you cannot give your children too much encouragement.

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