Changes in the Sky

Investigation 1: Sunrise and Sunset

-How does the Sun's position in the sky change during the day? What can we see in the sky during the day? How can we use the sun to create shadows? What time do day is the air the warmest? 

Investigation 2: Moonrise and Moonset

-How does the Moon change? What time of day can we observe the Moon? What does the Moon look like at the different times of the month?  

Investigation 3: Patterns Through the Year 

-How does the amount of daylight change between June and October? How does the amount of daylight change over the seasons. 

There are small quizes at the end of each investigation!

It's natural for adults to offer praise whenever kids are successful in school or in other parts of their lives. However, many adults discover that praise can sometimes backfire. One parent’s comment is typical: “It’s like my daughter can’t handle anything going well. She sabotages things as soon as I say something like, ‘Great job.’”

What Is “Praise”?

One dictionary definition of “praise” is “to express approval or admiration of.” Often praise arises spontaneously from sincere excitement over something a child has done. Usually, adults can relax and allow this type of praise to happen. Sometimes praise is intentional and is done by well meaning adults attempting to shape a child’s behavior. Because many kids have finely tuned intentionality detectors, this type is the most likely to backfire.

Some Problems With Intentional Praise

Intentional praise can sometimes have unintended effects on kids. For example, children who feel poorly about themselves can feel extremely uncomfortable when praised. On a subconscious level they might think, “This doesn’t match up. I’m not that great.” Children can also feel pressure because they worry they won’t be able to maintain the performance that led to the praise.

An Alternative: Notice and Describe

Love and Logic has developed an effective technique that avoids the pitfalls of intentional praise but still sends a reinforcing message. Simply notice and describe the behavior without judging it. Here are some examples:

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• I noticed that you finished the assignment even though it was challenging.

• You did all your chores without being reminded. How does that feel?

• I noticed that you spent a lot of time today helping your little brother.

• You completed nine out of ten correctly. I imagine that feels very good.

Why Notice and Describe Works:

Taking this approach also sends several subtle but positive messages. It lets kids know that you love them unconditionally, that they don’t have to earn your love, and that they get to decide how they feel about their accomplishments. These are all positive messages that help build a healthy self-concept.

Helping kids develop a healthy self-concept can be challenging, and the way we respond to their successes is just one of many factors that can affect how they see themselves. Our audio, Shaping Self-Concept, provides strategies for helping kids develop confidence and resilience, take healthy risks, and learn from setbacks.