Most of us believe that we need to praise our children more. However, there is some controversy regarding this point. If we always reward a child with praise after a task is completed, then the child comes to expect it. However, if praise is not forthcoming, then its absence may be interpreted by the child as failure. According to Naomi Aldort, "Children who are subjected to endless commentary, acknowledgment, and praise eventually learn to do things not for their own sake, but to please others." But the avoidance of all praise is not a solution either. According to Jan Hunt, it is the intention behind the words. "Genuine praise" would be loving words that arise spontaneously and warmly from the parent's heart, without the thought of manipulating the child's behavior. I believe, the real message we want to communicate is encouragement, encouraging a child (or any learner, including adults) for trying even in the face of failure.

The following are example sentences to illustrate the difference between praise and encouragement.

One of the main differences between praise and encouragement is that praise often comes paired with a judgment or evaluation, such as "best" or "highest" in these examples.

Evaluative praise is the expression of favorable judgment about another person or his behaviors: "Ali, you are such a good boy." Evaluative praise often utilizes superlatives like "wonderful," "marvelous," "superb." and so on. This kind of praise, especially when it constitutes a favorable global evaluation of the person, is rarely constructive.

Evaluative praise also creates anxiety, invites dependency, and evokes defensiveness. It is non-conducive to self-reliance, self-direction and self-control. These qualities demand freedom from outside judgment. They require reliance on inner motivation and evaluation.

Effective Praise
Praising a child correctly is important to the development of positive behaviors. Most experts agree that if you aren't praising your child for something every day, you and your child are missing out on an important "good-behavior-booster." Follow these six steps to make sure your praise is effective:

1.Watch for praiseworthy behaviors. Don't try to praise everything your child does. Wait for unexpected or previously unnoticed good behavior and praise your child for it.

2.Praise immediately. As soon as you notice a positive behavior, make sure you mention it to your child.

3.Look your child in the eye. She is more likely to recognize and accept your words of praise if your eyes are focused on her.

4.Touch your child. Your praise is more powerful when given in conjunction with a hug, a touch on the arm or a caress of the cheek.

5.Be specific. State exactly what you find worthy of praise. For example, "You were very patient while we were in the store. I am proud of you."

6.Don't follow praise with negative comments. Make sure you allow praise to sink in before you discipline for misbehavior.

The following are classified as differences between praise and encouragement!