ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the feedback strategies that the teacher uses in order to give feedback directly to children. Feedback could be verbal, non-verbal, written, or written and verbal at the same time. The content of the feedback itself fell into two broad categories. First, feedback could be evaluative, that is judgemental, with implicit or explicit use of norms and could be positive or negative. Second, feedback could be descriptive, with specific reference to the child's actual achievement or competence and could relate to either achievement or improvement. The giving of rewards and punishments was a form of evaluative feedback. The child is being encouraged and supported in making a self-assessment or self-evaluation by reflecting on his or her performance in relation to the standard expected, and thinking about how performance can improve. This end of the feedback spectrum involves children in using metacognitive strategies, whereby they monitor or regulate their own learning.
