Specific Descriptive Praise (E2.1.14)
Sub Category: Relationships with Individual Children: Security, Warmth, and Responsiveness
Credential Level: Level 1 •
Age Group: Infant, Toddler, Pre-K
COMPETENCY STATEMENT
Offers specific descriptive praise and encouragement that lets children know what they are doing well (“Great job, you found the letter ‘A’!”)
DEFINITIONS
Teachers can effectively build relationships with individual children through using specific praise highlighting exactly what the child did well and acknowledging the effort and strategies used to help children recognize their own achievements. Teachers can make personal connections with individual children by using the child's name, making eye contact, and maintain positive body language and warm speaking tones.
EXAMPLES
Specific Descriptive Praise
Age Group: Pre-K
Age Group: Pre-K
In this exemplar video, a teacher is engaging in play with an infant using toy blocks. Notice how the teacher acknowledges the child’s attempts at expression and narrates their communication –an example of responding promptly and sensitively to children’s cognitive and affective signals.
Specific Descriptive Praise
Age Group: Toddler
Age Group: Toddler
In this exemplar video, a teacher is singing the cleanup song to engage children in tidying up. Notice how the teacher uses encouragement and positive reinforcement such as saying, ‘Thank you for helping, friend,’ and ‘I like the way you are helping’– an example of offering specific descriptive praise and encouragement that lets children know what they are doing well
Specific Descriptive Praise
Age Group: Infant
Age Group: Infant
In this exemplar video, a teacher notices an infant becoming upset and gently responds with praise and conversation about the bottle the child is holding. Notice how the teacher acknowledges the child’s cues and offers soothing interaction—an example of offering specific descriptive praise and encouragement that lets children know what they are doing well.
Specific Descriptive Praise
Age Group: Pre-K
Age Group: Pre-K
In this exemplar video, a teacher gives out toys and says, ‘Thank you for being patient with me.’ Notice how the teacher uses specific praise to let children know what they are doing well—an example offering specific descriptive praise and encouragement that lets children know what they are doing well
Specific Descriptive Praise
Age Group: Infant
Age Group: Infant
In this video, the ECE is encouraging the child to pick up the toy and shake it while modeling the action herself. When the child doesn’t try by herself, the ECE helps the child grab the toy and shakes it with her. Notice how the ECE then uses descriptive praise by saying “good job on shaking,” which encourages the child to try it herself.
Specific Descriptive Praise
Age Group: Pre-K
Age Group: Pre-K
In this video, a teacher is seen sitting with a child that is working on a puzzle. Notice how the teacher repeatedly encourages the child to keep going by giving her descriptive praise like “that was a good one…you put the ladybug inside really well,” and “yay you did it you made it fit.”
Specific Descriptive Praise
Age Group: Toddler
Age Group: Toddler
In this video, a teacher is seen asking a child about the color of various objects. Notice how when the child labels a plate as the color green, the teacher provides her with descriptive praise by saying, “good job on calling this a green plate.”
WAYS TO PRACTICE
Act Out Actions
Age Group: Pre-K
Age Group: Pre-K
Act Out Actions is a movement-based activity that supports children’s development of self-regulation and executive function skills through playful physical prompts like hopping, tiptoeing, or clapping. As children participate, teachers can nurture strong individual connections by using warm tone, eye contact, and the child’s name while offering specific praise that highlights the child’s effort and strategy. This approach not only builds confidence but also helps children recognize and take pride in their own accomplishments.
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