Well done, good job, great!
We often think of feedback as expressions that show children they “got it right,” that they managed to do something the way we asked.
Teacher: “What’s this?”
Student: “It’s a dog.”
Teacher: “Good job!”
We use these expressions daily, without much thought, as markers of “getting it right.”
However, feedback is a much more powerful tool than that and can be used as a part of the learning process. For this to happen, you need to know the characteristics of effective feedback and when to use it.
It’s important to know that feedback practices have been extensively studied by researchers, and there are many publications discussing their characteristics and effects in the classroom. Researchers like Carol Dweck and John Hattie are two of the most influential names you can easily find in YouTube videos, like this one and this one.
If saying “well done” is not good feedback, then what is?
Feedback is essential information that guides children toward their learning goals. It offers valuable insights into their progress, helping them develop the knowledge and skills aligned with our teaching objectives. As such, it is a crucial tool that demands careful consideration.
How to transform your feedback into a teaching strategy?
According to Hattie, feedback answers one of the following three questions:
- Where am I going? (Feed up)
- How am I doing? (Feedback)
- What’s the next step? (Feed forward)
Let’s look at this in practice:
Your objective is for children to accurately identify and verbally label a specific set of farm animals. Having already introduced this vocabulary, you’re now asking students to orally name these animals using miniature models. This clear learning goal provides a strong foundation for delivering effective feedback.
You show a miniature horse and ask, “What is this animal called?”
Child 1: Neigh! (or however a horse sounds like in their native language)
You: Yes! It goes “Neigh”, but we are looking for the word in English, remember last class when we were learning the names in English? (Feed up – a phrase that shows the child your teaching intention, indicating where you want them to go.)
Child 2: Cavalo! (the word “horse” in the child’s native language)
You: Yes, that is the name in (your language). Can you say it in English? It starts with /h/ (Feedback – shows the child they are on the right track by correctly identifying the animal, but indicates how they should proceed – in English – to reach the goal.)
Child 3: Horse!
You: Well done, it’s a horse! Can you name any of the other animals we have here? (Feed forward – shows the child what the next step is.)
Imagine a typical early childhood classroom with children engaged in various activities. A teacher is circulating, offering feedback to students.
As she passes the playdough area, she sees a child sitting quietly. Assuming the child is focused on their play, the teacher provides positive reinforcement: ‘Good job, Sandra!’ However, unbeknownst to the teacher, Sandra has just put playdough in her mouth. This example highlights the challenge of providing effective feedback without a complete understanding of the child’s actions.
Good job for what? For sitting, for being quiet, for eating playdough? That’s why it’s so important for feedback to bring precise information! In this case, if your goal is for the child to continue using the playdough while sitting, you could say “Nice to see you sitting while playing” (how I am doing – feedback) or “Keep seated while playing, you are doing great” (next step – feed forward).
But what if I need to correct a student?
Feedback isn’t solely about praise. It’s equally crucial for redirecting children when they’re off-track. While we excel at providing positive reinforcement, we must also offer constructive guidance. Effective feedback should always be informative and empower children to succeed.
Let’s practice?
You’ve introduced a memory game where children match animals with their homes. To win, they must correctly identify the pair and say, “The [animal] lives in the [place].” As you observe a group of four playing, the first child successfully matches a pair but simply exclaims, “Point! I got it right!” How can you provide feedback that encourages the child to use the target language?
One option for feed up (where I am going) is: “Nice memory! Remember you have to say the sentence to score the point. Do you need help saying it?”
An option for feedback (how I am doing) is: “You got the correct match! Now you need to say the sentence so you can score the point.”
If you want a feed forward option (what the next step is), you could say: “What do you have to do after getting the correct match?”
As you can see, feedback is not about praise, reward, or punishment. Feedback is informative speech that guides the child’s learning process! Send this article to those who could use this reminder as well!
