Celebrating Progress: Small Wins = Big Futures
It's important to celebrate the small wins of every child. This confidence building allows them to tackle more challenging scenarios.
Recognising and celebrating small wins isn’t just a gimmick, it’s about building confidence, resilience, and motivation. When children feel seen and valued for their efforts1, they’re more likely to take risks, push through challenges, and engage in their learning. The little things add up. A child who feels capable when mastering a small task is more likely to approach bigger academic and social challenges with confidence2.
The key is actively acknowledging progress. It’s easy to notice and call out negative behaviours, but shifting our focus to catching children doing the right thing can be game-changing. Below are five simple, effective ways to celebrate small wins and reinforce positive behaviour.
🗣️ Instant Verbal Praise
Think back to last week. I bet you can think of at least 3 occasions where you told a child off for misbehaving or not following instructions. We all do it, it’s almost a natural response! However, I bet you still find yourself telling them off for the same or similar behaviours!
Next week, try and focus more on the positives. This can be anything from children following instructions to other things such as praising children for picking up rubbish, speaking nicely to their peers or completing random acts of kindness.
Ask the other staff you’re working with to do this too so you’re all singing from the same hymn sheet. I guarantee you, that the more you praise positive behaviors, the more you'll see them reflected in the classroom.
What: Acknowledge and reinforce positive actions in the moment.
Why: Immediate praise helps students connect their behaviour with positive reinforcement, making them more likely to repeat it.
How: Be specific. Instead of a general “Well done,” say, “I really appreciate how you helped your friend just now” or “Great effort in staying focused on your writing!” Even in difficult moments, catching a student doing something right, however small, can shift their mindset.
📨 Postcards or Notes Home
I’ve mentioned the benefits of using these previously here in relation to parent engagement. However, they also have a hugely positive impact on increasing children’s self-confidence.
These are great for boosting a child’s self-confidence in a short space of time. I used to send these out just before mock exams or assessments. I’m not a psychologist or researcher but I’m convinced the children who received these gained better results!
What: Send home quick, handwritten notes celebrating a child’s achievement.
Why: It builds strong home-school relationships and boosts a child’s sense of pride. Parents/carers are more likely to engage when they hear positive news instead of just behaviour concerns.
How: Keep it simple. A short sentence like “X had amazing creativity in English today!” makes a huge impact. Stick to positives and set your own threshold, whether it’s acts of kindness, effort, or resilience. The best part? They take seconds to write but can mean the world to a child and their family.
🔦 Spotlighting Achievements
If you take the time to purposefully shine a spotlight on a child’s achievement, it pays dividends. It’s all about building up the credit in that emotional bank account! Acts like this show the children that you really do care and you’re proud of them. Not only is this beneficial for their mental health but it can increase their motivation and engagement with school.
If your setting is lucky enough to have radios or a quick comms system, a message to the senior leadership team or the child’s key adult to come and view their amazing work is well worth it! Trust me!
What: A quick, unexpected call home to celebrate a child’s progress or a trip to the headteacher’s office.
Why: The impact is huge. Children light up when they realise their teacher has taken the time to share their success. It shifts the dynamic of home-school communication from reactive (only calling about issues) to proactive and uplifting.
How: Keep it short, one or two minutes is enough. Even something as simple as “I just wanted to let you know that X was brilliant today in maths, showing great perseverance” can make a lasting impression. Altering SLT to a child’s achievements is a great way to showcase their achievements.
🎉Celebration Rituals in the Classroom
This one takes time to embed but again, it’s really worth it! It’s also great as a mindfulness activity. Having a dedicated time during the week to focus on the achievements of the class can really change the culture within the classroom.
5 - 10 minutes is plenty of time for this activity. I’d also model how to do it in the first 2 - 4 weeks. For example, the staff choosing a child or group of children that have particularly impressed them that week.
What: Build moments of recognition into daily routines.
Why: When celebration becomes part of the culture, children start recognising and celebrating each other’s successes too.
How: Try a “Shout-Out Wall” where students or staff can write positive notes about others, a “Friday Wins” discussion where everyone shares a proud moment, or a simple round of applause for someone who has shown resilience that day.
🦆 Tokens of Recognition
I’m sure you all use these already, they come in many forms! Stickers, dojos, badges, green ticks etc. They’re great and on a similar level to instant verbal praise. I think pairing these can be more impactful for certain children. For example “Thank you for speaking so kindly to Alex. Here’s a sticker to show my appreciation.”
You can make these unique to your class though or the individual children. You could also do something a bit silly like buying 50 miniature ducks and giving a handful out throughout the day to show your appreciation - collecting them back at the end of the day.
What: Small, tangible acknowledgements of success (stickers, certificates, badges).
Why: Physical reminders of success help reinforce positive behaviour, especially for younger students who thrive on visible rewards.
How: Designate a system that works for your class—golden tickets for great teamwork, star stickers for perseverance, or a ‘Student of the Day’ badge. The trick is consistency: children will quickly learn that their efforts are noticed and valued.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Celebrating progress doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, but it does need to be intentional. When we take the time to acknowledge small wins, we help children build the confidence and resilience they need to tackle bigger challenges. Whatever behaviour you celebrate will increase—so let’s make sure we’re reinforcing the right things.
Which strategies do you use to celebrate success in your setting? Let me know in the comments!
Did You Miss These?
Something bothering you in the world of education? Use this method to figure it out!
Understand the real risks of using reduced timetables for children!
Animals can work wonders in educational settings! Learn how and why!
Fantastic ideas and such an important aspect of creating positive daily experiences for the children who we teach. I think the golden thread through all of your wonderful suggestions is noting the specifics. Young people are astute beings who will notice the difference between, "Well done, you have had a great day today" and "Thank you for holding the door open for the Year 2s earlier, it was lovely to see the children smiling at you as they walked by and Mrs Smith noticed your impeccable manners". Another excellent post :)