They say that elementary student leaders are made, not born. A little encouragement can go a long way in building elementary student confidence and important leadership skills. Kids of all age groups can benefit from some kind of recognition, whether verbal praise or a small tangible token. Acknowledging academic, social, and behavioral achievements will set your elementary kids up for success later in life. Here are a few reasons why student recognition is so important.
Recognition gets kids excited about learning
Acknowledging good behavior, leadership, or the achievement of a goal will help teach your kids that learning is fun. Whether you verbally recognize with a “Great Job” or give something tangible, like a dog tag, an award pin, or a medallion, your kids will feel great about learning and will be motivated to learn more and more.
Kids will develop focus and good study habits
Elementary age kids are like sponges, absorbing new information at a rapid rate. Take advantage of this and teach kids age-appropriate study habits, like how to listen, take notes, and follow directions. Hand out fun awards like pencils when your kids do these things well to help give them a positive attitude about learning that will help them later in life.
Recognition builds kids’ confidence
Acknowledging a great effort or a job well done lets children know that they are understood, accepted and supported, and that is an important part of building self-esteem. Kids don’t have to be great at everything, but encouraging them to try new things (and to fail sometimes) will help them develop confidence and independence that will take them far in life. Awards like certificates are great for this, because kids can display them as reminders of their achievement.
Verbal recognition helps kids develop language skills
Verbalize your feedback to help kids broaden their vocabulary and hone their listening skills. Encourage them to verbalize their own thoughts about projects they are working on, too. This will help them develop important communication skills and give them a sense of pride about their accomplishments.
Kids will be better readers
Strong reading skills early on set kids up for success in all subjects later. Encouraging kids to set reading goals and charting their progress with tracking tools helps promote a positive attitude about reading. When kids feel good, they will want to read more and learn more. Acknowledge both the reading leaders and those who struggle but show improvement or a great effort. Hang a reading banner in your classroom to get kids excited about reading. Elementary students are constantly learning, and recognizing that will help make them more confident teens and adults. Whether you choose to recognize your kids with words or with something tangible, your kids will only be better for it.
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