“It only takes one experience to completely ruin someone’s confidence in a classroom…” School student
A new practical guide designed to support teachers has been launched by Words Matter, offering research-informed strategies to help build students’ sense of belonging and ensure they feel valued, safe, and ready to learn. Teachers play a vital role in children’s development, spending many thousands of hours together over the course of a child’s schooling. The words, tone, and responses teachers use during this time can profoundly shape children’s confidence and engagement, even when teachers are under pressure and may say things without realising the lasting impact.
Words Matter: A practical guide for communicating with children in any classroom so that they flourish has been developed by Dr Fiona Pienaar, child and adolescent health specialist with over 25 years’ teaching experience, and Delyth Lynch, Director of Safeguarding at Wellington College.
The new resource provides helpful advice and tools for everyday classroom situations – from supporting students who are struggling, to giving feedback, setting clear boundaries, and encouraging participation and persistence. It focuses on children’s mental health and wellbeing, building trust, motivation, and a positive classroom environment where students feel seen, supported, and able to thrive.
Grounded in the understanding that behaviour is a form of communication, the guide encourages teachers to approach challenging moments with curiosity rather than judgment, helping to reduce shame and anxiety, which can act as barriers to learning. It also highlights the importance of proactive, everyday interactions – such as greeting students by name, acknowledging effort, and showing interest – that encourage and support children’s engagement and growth.
The launch of this resource is especially timely, as the Department for Education’s 2026 draft update of Keeping Children Safe in Education explicitly recognises verbal abuse for the first time within the definition of emotional abuse. This major step reflects Words Matter’s mission to end childhood verbal abuse by adults, and its work to highlight how persistent criticism, belittling, or name-calling can seriously affect a child’s wellbeing.
Dr Fiona Pienaar, child and adolescent mental health specialist, said:
“Children’s brains develop in response to the relationships and the language they experience every day. Teachers have a unique influence: their words can support a child’s safety, self-belief, and readiness to learn – or undermine it. This resource helps teachers use language intentionally to build confidence, resilience, and engagement. When children feel safe and understood, they can focus, participate, and take risks as they learn.”
Delyth Lynch, Director of Safeguarding at Wellington College, said:
“Strong and safe relationships are at the heart of both learning and safeguarding. This resource gives teachers practical ways to communicate positively and respectfully, even in difficult moments. When children feel seen and heard, it supports their sense of belonging, helping them engage and succeed. Every word we use shapes their confidence and self-belief.”
Jessica Bondy, Founder of Words Matter, said:
“Words shape how children see themselves, their abilities, and their place in the world. We can all get overloaded sometimes and teachers have a huge amount to deal with. This resource will help them communicate with children in ways that build them up and help them feel safe, valued, and able to thrive.”