Excerpt from “Accelerator”, Accelerated Christian Education, Oct-Nov 2014, pg 13.
We all thrive on praise, and children are no exception. Accelerated Christian Education recognizes a child’s need for praise and has incorporated into the program some specific features to give parents an opportunity to inspire, encourage, and motivate their children through praise. What are these features/ Every Goal Card, Progress Chart, Progress Report, Congratulations slip, and even a Homework Assignment slip is an opportunity for praise. When your child completes his goals each day, turns in a PACE for testing, or gets a star and a new PACE, he has passed a significant milestone. At School, the staff find various ways to recognize achievement and to give words of praise. Build on that at home.
Consider the Goal Card. Every day, as your child completes and crosses off his goals, he demonstrates several character traits — diligence, persistence, consistency, ect. When he arrives home and says, “I finished all my goals today,” take the opportunity to praise character and hard work.
If you child comes home from school discouraged because he was not able to complete all the day’s goals, look at the Homework Assignment slip, assure him that you are there for encouragement, and then commend his efforts toward determination and commitment. When the homework is complete, see that the homework has been completed and praise a job well done.
Completing a PACE and receiving a Congratulations slip is definitely a highlight for your child. When he brings that Congratulations slip home, use the opportunity for special recognition and praise. Try displaying the slips on a bulletin board or the refrigerator, and comment often that you are pleased with your child’s efforts and progress. You may even want to put the slips into a scrapbook along with other important keepsakes, or as one parent did, save all of them over the years and present them tied with a ribbon at graduation.
Your child’s Progress Chart is very important to him. The stars represent not only the number of PACEs completed but also academic balance. Do you make it a point to know what your child’s Progress Chart looks like? Try dropping by the Learning Center just to see it, or better yet, make a similar chart at home and add stars or dots every time he brings home a Congratulations slip. Praise not only PACEs completed but also academic balance.
Progress Reports provide another excellent opportunity to praise your child’s diligence and character. Place more emphasis on effort then high grades, and praise character as reflected on the “Desirable Habits and Traits” evaluation. Give special note to improvement in any area, and consider some kind of reward to support your praise.
It’s easy to focus on what a child does wrong, but that will not build confidence or aid achievement efforts. Instead, use the special features A.C.E. has given you to give honest praise for character, positive attitudes, and effort. Remember, nothing motivates like praise, and PRAISE goes a long way!
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, thing on these things. Philippians 4:8