Now there is a scientific evidence, that concentrating on positive feedback with our little ones works better then pointing out their mistakes!

Eight-year-old children have a radically different learning strategy from twelve-year-olds and adults. Eight-year-olds learn primarily from positive feedback (‘Well done!’), whereas negative feedback (‘Got it wrong this time’) scarcely causes any alarm bells to ring. Twelve-year-olds are better able to process negative feedback, and use it to learn from their mistakes. Adults do the same, but more efficiently.

Learning from our own mistakes is a difficult process. Even for adults. The radically new study compares three age groups: children 8-9, 11-12 and adults 18-25. Previously the studies were comparing kids against the adults, never separating children into different age groups. Apparently, negative feedback doesn’t even activate cognitive areas of the brain for the younger kids, necessary to trigger the learning process. On the other hand, positive feedback, has a very strong effect on smaller kids’ brains:

In children aged 8 to 9, the areas of the brain involved in cognitive control show strong activation following positive feedback.

Read more and review the images at ScienceDaily:Learning From Mistakes Only Works After Age 12, Study Suggests