Growth mindset for elementary students
How to Teach Growth Mindset to Children
Developing the right mindset early on is crucial for a successful, happy life. When children learn putting forth effort and using the right strategies can help them get better at things, they feel empowered, and try harder. When they know their brains are capable of growing, they are more confident, resilient, and not afraid to fail!
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WHAT IS A GROWTH MINDSET?
We all have beliefs about our own abilities and potential. These beliefs are part of our mindset, which is so powerful they can fuel our behavior and predict our success. Mindset shapes our everyday lives, helping us interpret our experiences and future possibilities.
In her research at Stanford University, Dr. Carol Dweck identified two different types of mindsets. A growth mindset occurs when we believe our intelligence and abilities can be improved with effort and the right strategies.
A willingness to confront challenges, a passion for learning, and viewing failure as a springboard for growth are all characteristics associated with a growth mindset. Not surprisingly, this type of mindset is strongly linked to greater happiness and achievement in life.
In contrast, those with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence and abilities cannot be altered in a meaningful way. As a result, mistakes are often seen as failures rather than opportunities to grow and learn. When stuck in a fixed mindset, we may fear new experiences, avoid risks, and feel the need to repeatedly prove ourselves over and over again.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
Teaching a growth mindset to children is not an easy task but it could become one of the greatest contributions you make toward their success and happiness.
In this 4-week guide, you will find the KEY elements for establishing a growth mindset at home or in your classroom. Each week offers a variety of suggested activities and resources, as well as suggested scripts to facilitate easy and fun discussions with your child or students.
3 STEPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS GUIDE- Prepare. Some easy planning can do wonders to create a relaxed atmosphere. Be sure you have the recommended resources before you begin. Though not required, they are designed to make this process much easier for you and more fun for children.
- Set aside time. A dedicated time for the suggested activities will allow children to not feel rushed. Just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.
- Spark their curiosity. When you show excitement about learning this new concept, children will be curious and will want to know why.
Developing growth mindset is a lifelong journey and this guide is designed to help you begin.
When you complete this 4-week program, continue implementing everything you learned in weeks three and four. In addition, your child or students can keep working on their Big Life Journal, listening to the Big Life Kids podcast, and using our Free Friday Printables.
WEEK ONE: INTRODUCE IT
This week, children will learn about the concepts of mindset and how the two types, growth and fixed, differ. You will also discuss the BRAIN and how it can grow and strengthen in response to challenges.
As you introduce these new ideas, keeping the tone fun and light will go a long way towards engaging children.
Step 1: Build the Foundation
Have a family or classroom discussion about the following questions:
-
What does it mean to grow? What sorts of things grow? Answers will vary. Growth means to develop, change, mature, and evolve. Living things grow - plants, animals, and people. Even our brains can grow!
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When you think of the brain or minds, what do you think mindset means? Mindset is the way our brain perceives ourselves and the world.
Our mindset helps us look at problems and mistakes in a positive way! -
Let’s put those words together: growth and mindset. When we combine them, it means something really important. What could growth mindset mean? A growth mindset is believing in the power of yourself and your brain! We know our intellect and abilities develop when we try difficult things, use the right strategies, and don’t give up. So a growth mindset is when we know, with practice, we will get better at something.
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If fixed is the opposite of growth, what does it mean to have a FIXED mindset? A fixed mindset means you think you can’t get better at things, even if you practice. Wanting to quit, giving up, or deciding we’re just not good at something are all clues we have a fixed mindset.
Use this mindset graphic to demonstrate and discuss the differences between the two mindsets.
Use the suggested script below to discuss mindset.
Step 2: Share Examples from Your Own Lives"Everyone in the world has a way of perceiving things.
We call this a mindset. You have a mindset, your friends have a mindset, and your teacher has a mindset.
We can choose to look at the world in a way that makes us feel strong and happy, or in a way that makes us feel frustrated and weak.
People with a growth mindset know they can get better by working hard. They keep trying even when things are tough and they say things such as, ‘I can’t do this...yet’ or ‘Mistakes help me learn.’
People with a fixed mindset feel differently as if they are stuck with the way things are. A fixed mindset can happen to anyone at some time or another but it's important we choose to have a growth mindset, keep trying, and stick with challenges."
Share a personal story about when you were stuck and used hard work and/or help from others to overcome a challenge.
Ask your child or class to share similar examples from their lives.
In the classroom, this could be done with everyone together or in smaller groups. Use the "My Mindset Journey Cards" printable (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) as a fun activity for children to gauge their understanding of two types of mindset.
Step 3: Discuss the Power of the Brain
Discuss the brain and its remarkable ability to change and grow. Use our suggested script below.
“Now that we know what growth mindset is, let’s speak a bit more about our brain and the amazing things it can do! Did you know you can grow your brain when you try new things and don’t give up when something is tough?
Learning something new is hardest the first time, but your brain behaves like a muscle and gets stronger every time things are repeated. Let’s watch a video [see suggestions below] to help us understand this even better.”
Use the "Build a Growth Mindset" poster (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) for this step.
It's a great activity for children to learn more about how their brain works and exercise their creativity.
- Growth Mindset Poster (PDF) can serve as an inspirational growth mindset manifesto.
- "Build a Growth Mindset" Poster (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) is a fun activity where children learn about the power of their brain.
- My Mindset Journey Cards (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) will help teach the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset using fun daily reminder cards.
- Big Life Journal (ages 7-10). Use chapter one “Believe in Yourself” to discuss how your thoughts and self-talk can impact your mindset.
- Big Life Kids Podcast is a growth mindset podcast for children, which accompanies the Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition. Listen to episodes 1 and 2.
- Parent's Guide to a Growth Mindset (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) provides specific examples of what to say and ask to help your children develop a growth mindset.
READ
- Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak (ages 4-8)
- The Ultimate Guide to Praising Your Children (article for adults)
- How to Explain Growth Mindset to Children: Neuroplasticity Activities (article for adults)
- The Brain is Like a Muscle (article for adults and older children)
WATCH
- Growth Mindset Video (2.5 minutes)
- Learning and the Brain (3 minutes)
WEEK TWO: NOTICE IT
This week, you begin to identify growth and fixed mindsets in ourselves and others. Everywhere you look, you can find examples of others either quitting or overcoming their challenges.
Step 1: Reflecting on Definitions
Go back to the definitions of growth and fixed mindset from Week One. Did anyone notice a time they were using either mindset? Discuss how we can change from a fixed to a growth mindset with simple words and phrases.
Use the suggested script below.
“Last week we spoke about a growth mindset and how our brains get stronger when we persist and don’t give up. Have you noticed a time you had a growth mindset in the last few days? Did you feel your brain growing? What about a time you felt stuck?”
This week, complete the 5-Day Growth Mindset Challenge (Challenges Kit) to help children solidify the concepts (join them as their challenge buddy). Designed for all learning styles, this challenge includes fun activities such as matching games, word search, and filling in the blanks.
Step 2: Practice Switching from a Fixed to Growth Mindset
Ask your child/class to think of some FIXED mindset phrases commonly used at home or anywhere else (“I am not good at this”, “I can’t do anything right”), and write them down.
Next, create a list of alternate phrases that reflect a growth mindset (“I’m not good at this yet”).
Above the fixed mindset column, write “Instead of” and on the Growth mindset column, “I Can Say…”
Use the suggested script below.
“Let's think of things we say when we're stuck in a fixed mindset and write them down. We can then come up with other words to switch from the fixed mindset into a growth mindset. I'm sure we can come up with lots of good ideas!”
Use the My Growth Mindset Statements printable (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) as a guide for this step. Cover the area under “I Can Say” and only show underneath where it says “Instead of.”
Ask your children how they can change each statement from negative to empowering. For example, you could ask, “What is a better way of looking at a situation?”
Step 3: Display Visuals as Everyday Reminders
Display visuals around your home/classroom as regular reminders of new vocabulary and ideas. Have the child/class locate their favorite spots to hang posters and refer to them frequently throughout the day.
Then, when you hear a child making a fixed mindset statement, you can simply point to a poster and have them read it (or read together).
You can use our printable Inspirational Posters Bundle (PDF). A convenient bundle of inspiring posters with growth mindset messages for kids, tweens, and teens.
Step 4: Discuss How Growth Mindset Looks, Feels, and Sounds
Set aside at least several minutes to discuss how growth mindset can be easily included in your everyday lives.
Use the What Success Really Takes poster (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) to remind your family or class that success is like an iceberg. Most people only see the great outcome, the tip of the iceberg. But, what success really takes lies beneath the surface. Use the blank poster to write everything your child is working on to help them achieve their goals.
In school: Consider how growth mindset LOOKS, FEELS, and SOUNDS in class and use the printables Growth Mindset A-Z Poster (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) to write down everyone’s ideas.
Make Growth Mindset Guide one of your classroom jobs.
Step 5: Use Book Characters
Identify growth and fixed mindsets in favorite books characters. Pay attention to how the characters FEEL depending on their mindset and discuss ways persistence, love of learning, and resilience are portrayed.
Point out when a character shifts from a fixed to a growth mindset too.
Use the suggested script below.
“In so many of your favorite books, the characters are learning to have growth mindsets too. Let’s pick one now and try to find all the ways we see it happening!”
Make the Growth Mindset Bookmarks (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) as a fun activity for children to practice noticing growth mindset characters in books.
Suggested Resources for Week Two:
- 5-Day Growth Mindset Challenge (Challenges Kit) will help your child practice growth mindset concepts and vocabulary.
- Inspirational Posters can be hung up in a bedroom or a classroom.
- My Growth Mindset Statements (Growth Mindset Printables Kit)
- What Success Really Takes (Growth Mindset Printables Kit)
- Growth Mindset Bookmarks Activity (Growth Mindset Printables Kit)
- Big Life Journal - use chapter two “Mistakes Help You Grow” to discuss how mistakes are just opportunities to learn and grow.
- Big Life Kids Podcast - listen to episodes 3 and 5 (they accompany chapter two of the Big Life Journal).
READ
- Top 85 Growth Mindset Books is a list of our favorite and most popular books for you and your children!
- Empowering Self-Confidence Affirmations
WATCH
- Top 50 Growth Mindset Movies for Children is a list of good movies with characters who demonstrate a growth mindset, grit, perseverance, courage, and determination.
WEEK THREE: MODEL IT
Your ability to MODEL a growth mindset can make the difference between a child understanding the concept and actually living it. Let them see your growth mindset in action.
Step 1: Share Your Experiences
Be honest when something is difficult for you. Tell children when you’re discouraged, share your fixed mindset thoughts, and brainstorm solutions out loud. Show them we’re ALL learning this growth mindset thing together!
The Big Life Journal Daily Edition is a great connection tool which provides opportunities for discussions and experience sharing.
Use the What Happens When Someone Has a Growth Mindset poster (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) to discuss which of the benefits you have already experienced yourself since you began your growth mindset journey.
Step 2: Discuss Feelings
Discuss how positive feelings such as satisfaction, contentment, and happiness come from persisting through challenges and not giving up when it gets difficult.
When stuck in a fixed mindset, share how you felt sad, anxious, or even hopeless. Negative feelings happen to everyone and are perfectly normal. At the same time, they may serve as clues you need to shift your thinking and attitude.
You can use the Feelings Bingo (Emotional Intelligence Kit). A fun spin on a classic all-time favorite game! Use the Feelings Spinner to play with the bingo. The Feelings Ice Cream poster will help you identify similar feelings so you can cross them out and win the game.
Step 3: Set a New Goal
Set a personal goal to learn something new and share your learning process with your child or students. How did you feel at the start? What can you do to be certain you don’t give up before achieving it? Review ways children can set and meet their own goals.
Step 4: Use the Power of Yet
With one simple word, any fixed mindset phrase can be transformed into a statement of hope. “I can’t do this.
..yet.” It’s all about the FUTURE, and not giving up until we get there.
Make a “YET” bulletin board or designate a wall at home for all the things you can’t do...yet!
Use the suggested script below.
Suggested Resources for Week Three:“Even though I know about growth mindset, I still have to work on it. Especially when something is difficult for me. I can tell I’m in a fixed mindset when I have thoughts about quitting and start to feel frustrated. When I feel like that, I know I need to change my thinking to a different mindset.
One way that works is just using the word ‘yet.’ We can add it onto the end of almost any sentence to change our thinking. For example, when I get frustrated by a challenge and think ‘I’ll never get it,’ I just say, “I don’t get it...yet.” Or if I think I can’t do something, I’ll say, “I can’t do it...yet.”
‘YET’ is almost like a magic word because it can instantly make us feel stronger. It gives us hope and strength to keep going when things become difficult.
Can you think of a sentence that ends with ‘yet’ that can make you feel stronger and more powerful?”
- What Happens When Someone Has a Growth Mindset poster (Growth Mindset Printables Kit)
- Feelings Bingo (Emotional Intelligence Kit)
- Famous Failures Kit is a set of stories highlighting famous people from around the world who have failed and struggled on their way to success.
- Big Life Journal - use chapter three “Be Persistent” to discuss how sometimes we just need to give our brain enough time to learn new things.
- Big Life Kids Podcast - listen to episodes 5 and 6 (they accompany chapter three of the Big Life Journal)
READ
- Not Yet by Lisa Cox (ages 4-8)
- Flight School by Lita Judge (ages 4-8)
WATCH
- Janelle Monae “The Power of Yet” (Sesame Street, 2015) (2.
5 minutes) - C.J. Luckey - The Power of Yet by Andre Kahmeyer (4 minutes)
WEEK FOUR: PRACTICE IT
Having a growth mindset is all about effort, so what better way to teach it than through practice, practice, practice?
Step 1: Praise for a Growth MindsetPraise for perseverance in problem-solving rather than being smart or talented. Connect positive results with effort rather than innate ability, and children will be more willing to take risks and value working hard. When you notice hard work or positive self-talk, make sure you tell them!
If you need some ideas on what to say, download our FREE Your Words Matter Kit. With these 10 popular parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your children to help them develop confidence, internal motivation, and a can-do attitude.
Step 2: Make It a Game
Introduce various games like the "Mystery Fun Game” (Growth Mindset Printables Kit) to make the learning fun.
Print out the Mystery Fun poster and write a mystery prize or activity on it (a trip to the zoo, favorite breakfast, popcorn party, etc.)
Next, cut out the growth mindset task squares ("Celebrated a mistake", "Used a YET!") and tape them over the mystery prize. Whenever someone completes a growth mindset task, remove a square.
When all the squares have been removed and the mystery prize is revealed -- it's time to celebrate!
Step 3: Encourage Productive Struggle
In the safe environment of your home or class, give children time to think through their challenges, brainstorm solutions, and seek help if needed. Grappling with a problem builds resilience, so give children time for reflection before jumping in to help or “save” them.
Use My Mighty Treasure Coins (Self-Esteem & Confidence Kit) to help your children or students understand the challenges they’re facing and practice finding ways to overcome them.
Step 4: Reframe Mistakes
Get excited when opportunities for growth occur! In a challenging moment, say things like, “This seems like an opportunity to grow our brains!” Create
an environment where setbacks are expected and even celebrated.
Step 5: Hit Pause
Exercising the brain can be difficult for children. When your child (or you) becomes frustrated, it’s okay to take a break. “It’s time to give our brains a little rest. We’ll come back to this tomorrow!”
Use the Brain Breaks Activities (Gratitude & Mindfulness Kit) if you feel a physical exercise could be beneficial in a moment of frustration.
Being watchful of your own fixed mindset “triggers” can help with this process.
- Mystery Fun Game (Growth Mindset Printables Kit)
- My Mighty Treasure Coins (Self-Esteem & Confidence Kit)
- When I Make a Mistake Poem printable (Growth Mindset Printables Kit)
- Brain Breaks Activities (Gratitude & Mindfulness Kit)
- Big Life Journal - use chapter four “Be Grateful” to discuss how a growth mindset can also help us develop the desired qualities such as gratitude.
- Big Life Kids Podcast - listen to episodes 7 and 8 (they accompany chapter four of the Big Life Journal).
READ
- Mistakes That Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones (ages 8-12)
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (ages 3-7)
- How to Teach Problem Solving Skills to Children (article for adults)
- The Ultimate Guide to Praising Your Kids (article for adults)
How to Nurture a Growth Mindset in Kids: 8 Best Activities
Success. Abundance. Prosperity. Intelligence. Talent. Skill.
These are all potential products of a growth mindset.
Why is it important to foster this mindset in children?
A growth mindset can encourage a passion for learning and an ease in facing new challenges. Children with a growth mindset outperform those with a fixed mindset and are more likely to bounce back from failures (Schroder et al.
, 2017).
Teachers concur on the importance of a growth mindset in children; however, many are unaware of how to nurture this mindset or implement the theory in their teaching (Boylan, Barblett, & Knaus, 2018).
Read on for ideas to foster a growth mindset in children that can be applied in a classroom or at home.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Meaning and Valued Living Exercises for free. These creative, science-based exercises will help you learn more about your values, motivations, and goals, and will give you the tools to inspire a sense of meaning in the lives of your clients, students, or employees.
This Article Contains:
- Growth vs Fixed Mindset: Definition for Kids
- Nurturing a Growth Mindset in Kids & Students
- 8 Best Growth Mindset Activities for Children
- 7 Questions to Ask Children and Students
- 3 Must-Read Books on the Topic
- Resources From PositivePsychology.
com - A Take-Home Message
- References
Growth vs Fixed Mindset: Definition for Kids
Simply put, a growth mindset is believing that your brain can grow and you can learn many new things. You are not born smart; you become smart.
A fixed mindset is quite the opposite. It is believing that you cannot learn new things. You are born with your knowledge and skills and cannot get smarter.
It may help to explain that the brain is like a muscle. Just like when you lift weights, when you exercise your brain, it will get bigger and stronger.
It is also important to teach children that kids with a growth mindset have a “can do” attitude. They often see challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow. Phrases like, “I can’t do it,” “I’m just not good at this,” and “This is too hard” are not a part of their vernacular. Instead, children with a growth mindset say, “I may not be able to do it, yet,” “This is hard, but I will try,” and “I can learn how to do this!”
Working toward a growth mindset shares the same premise as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Both involve moving negative thoughts into more positive thoughts and retraining the brain’s metacognitive thinking. Instead of viewing challenges as obstacles, we can view them as opportunities for growth.
Nurturing a Growth Mindset in Kids & Students
First and foremost, to nurture a growth mindset in others, it is important for educators or guardians to have a growth mindset themselves.
Andersen and Nielsen (2016) assert that parents’ fixed mindsets could prohibit children’s scholastic performance, particularly in reading.
The researchers delivered parent interventions, and the students who showed the most growth had parents who embraced a growth mindset. The parents who did not accept a growth mindset believed that their child’s reading abilities were fixed and that their participation in the intervention would have no effect on their child’s reading performance. Ultimately, these are the students who suffer.
A facilitator of a growth mindset must hold a strong conviction that all students can learn and be successful.
Jackie Gerstein (2014) offered an effective professional development opportunity. She provides many good materials for educators to help develop a growth mindset. Perusing the materials from her seminar, The Educator With a Growth Mindset: A Professional Development Workshop, can help educators become familiar with their own growth mindset.
It’s also critical to praise children for their effort rather than their ability or intelligence (Andersen & Nielsen, 2016; O’Rourke, Haimovitz, Ballweber, Dweck, & Popović, 2014). Parents who praise their child’s effort instead of their performance have a significantly positive effect on their children’s academic potential (Andersen & Nielsen, 2016; O’Rourke et al., 2014).
It is critical that adults focus on the process children take to obtain a skill, not the end result.
Establishing an incentive program for students who demonstrate growth and progression can help to foster a growth mindset. O’Rourke et al. (2014) found that by modifying a video game’s incentive structure, the game not only increased motivation, but also had the potential to improve students’ behavior positively in regard to mindset.
In their study, the researchers created a reward system within the video game that incentivized students’ persistence, use of strategy, and other behaviors consistent with a growth mindset. They coined the term ‘Brain Points.’
Providing children with personal examples of when a challenge was overcome or something was learned can also help encourage a growth mindset. Framing our language for children to reflect a growth mindset positively affects students’ implicit theories of self-belief (Navarro, 2020).
It can also be beneficial to display posters reminding students to practice a growth mindset (Einck, 2017). Here are some posters that might appeal to older students and some created for younger students. Both are available on Teachers Pay Teachers, along with many other posters and coloring pages at no cost.
Educators can infuse a growth mindset into their everyday vernacular with an honest dialogue, such as, “Oh, I found this cleaning really hard to do, but I just took one step at a time and got it done.
I’m proud of the work I’ve done.” This dialogue can model what a growth mindset looks like. Additionally, this Growth Mindset Phrases for Children worksheet may help replace fixed mindset phrases with growth mindset phrases.
Remind students of a time when they couldn’t do something at first but learned how, or when they overcame a challenge. This could include walking, reading, tying their shoes, or riding a bike.
8 Best Growth Mindset Activities for Children
In addition to the suggestions above, these mindset activities may be implemented in the home or the classroom to help nurture a growth mindset.
1. The hard thing
Implement Duckworth’s “the hard thing” rule, where students choose a difficult task. The task could be tying their shoes, solving 10 addition problems in one minute, writing a three-page essay, or learning the multiplication tables.
Students should independently select their task and remain persistent in practicing their chosen task.
Duckworth (2018) explains her household rule in this short video.
2. Grit pie exercise
In this exercise, the pie is the problem, and each slice is a possible cause. Have the child identify if the cause is permanent or temporary and whether they blame themselves or someone else.
Help the child view the problem as temporary and demonstrate how they can gain control by making some changes. Grit is critical, along with perseverance and self-discipline, as they are better predictors of success in college than the SAT or IQ tests (Bashant, 2014).
3. Individual conferences
Although conferences can be held for any subject, teacher–student conferences are an effective strategy for teaching writing, as they include the student as part of the collaboration (Bayraktar, 2013).
Teachers should meet with students individually to talk about areas of growth and to boost confidence levels. Teachers can discuss challenges the student has already overcome and the steps to achieve their goals.
It’s also a great idea to discuss the “hard thing” they chose and what they are doing to master the task.
4. Vocabulary
Explicitly teach or review the definitions of words such as mindset, neurons, neuroplasticity, malleable, intelligence, and constructive feedback to better understand the growth mindset.
Vocabulary is important, particularly in reading, as it is the strongest predictor of later reading achievement (Rowe & Leech, 2019). By making these terms a normal part of students’ vernacular, educators can encourage a growth mindset and boost students’ vocabulary skills.
5. Interviews
Have students interview people in their lives and community about a challenge they faced. Example interview questions could include:
- “What is a challenge you have faced?”
- “How did you overcome that challenge?”
- “What advice can you give to someone facing a challenge?”
The teacher can follow up with the interviewees to determine the student’s understanding of the two mindsets, as it shows how the student perceives their learning potential and allows the teacher to create a personalized approach to learning (Jennings & Cuevas, 2021).
6. Comparison chart
Differentiate a growth mindset from a fixed mindset by categorizing statements into a “T-chart.” T-charts are an effective and common way to represent data (Blanton & Kaput, 2004) and help students to visualize the differences between growth and fixed mindset phrases.
7. Books
There is a plethora of books for children on the topic of the growth mindset. Reading a few of these books together will help the student or child become familiar with the strategies needed for a growth mindset.
Books are an excellent tool for promoting a classroom with a growth mindset (Einck, 2017).
Examples include:
- Growth Mindset Book Series by Esther Pia Cordova. Find the books on Amazon.
- I Can’t Do That, YET: Growth Mindset
- A World Without Failures
- Little Bears Can Do BIG Things
- Your Thoughts Matter
- Mistakes Are How I Learn by Kiara Wilson.
Find the book on Amazon. - Growth Mindset Kids Activities for Ages 4-12 by Mark Steven. Find the book on Amazon.
- I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids by Gabi Garcia. Find the book on Amazon.
- Pelican and Pelican’t by Sarah Froeber. Find the book on Amazon.
8. Movies
Like books, movies are also an effective resource for nurturing a growth mindset (Einck, 2017). Watch films that include examples of people overcoming challenges and discuss the challenges the characters are facing. Identify the strategies they used to overcome those challenges.
- Remember the Titans
- The Blind Side
- Good Will Hunting
- Moana
- Brave
- Finding Nemo
7 Questions to Ask Children and Students
It is imperative to build students’ metacognitive skills.
Getting them to “think about their thinking” can help foster a growth mindset, as can discussing challenges and setbacks.
The following questions can be used to begin conversations about growth mindset strategies.
- What is your brain saying?
If it’s saying you cannot do something, say, “No thanks, brain. I can do this.” Self-talk is very important and can improve self-confidence and self-efficacy (Tod, Hardy, & Oliver, 2011). - What is the hard part? How can you overcome that hard part?
Having children identify the difficult element of the problem can help them realize that the entire activity is not hard. Perhaps there is only a portion of it that is tricky. - What are some challenges you have already overcome?
Discussing previous challenges and indicating that they have already overcome them can help empower the child. - What are some of your favorite strategies you used to overcome challenges?
Bringing attention to all the strategies they have used in the past reminds children that they have the tools to succeed.
- What is a mistake you made that taught you something?
Showing students that mistakes help us to learn can make mistakes seem less scary. - What challenge did you face today and what strategy did you use to overcome that challenge?
Asking this each day prepares children to anticipate facing challenges every day. - “Let’s talk about what you’ve tried, and what you can try next” (Dweck, 2015, p. 20).
Dweck (2015) suggested this statement to help children become “unstuck.” Instead of an empty phrase, such as, “You’ll get it next time,” Dweck’s phrase helps children to work through the problem.
3 Must-Read Books on the Topic
There is an abundance of books available to understand a growth mindset. The books selected below can help adults encourage a growth mindset in children.
1.
The Grit Workbook for Kids: CBT Skills to Help Kids Cultivate a Growth Mindset and Build Resilience – Elisa NebolsineThis workbook is recommended by therapists and aims to help adults help children develop grit, an essential element of a growth mindset.
There are 28 engaging, high-quality activities to empower kids to succeed.
Find the book on Amazon.
2.
Becoming a Growth Mindset School: The Power of Mindset to Transform Teaching, Leadership and Learning – Chris HildrewTo encourage a school-wide shift to a growth mindset, this book would be the perfect guide. This book is designed for educational leaders and provides a blueprint for an evidence-based school transformation.
Helping staff develop a growth mindset, creating a growth mindset curriculum, and involving parents in the development of a growth mindset are all described in this valuable text.
Find the book on Amazon.
3.
The Growth Mindset Playbook: A Teacher’s Guide to Promoting Student Success – Annie Brock and Heather HundleyThis resource is ideal for teacher lesson planning for encouraging a growth mindset.
Any classroom could benefit from the research-based training methods encompassed in this follow-up to the bestselling book The Growth Mindset Coach.
Find the book on Amazon.
Resources From PositivePsychology.com
We have a great selection of articles and worksheets that can help develop a growth mindset.
The article 5+ Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset Using Grit and Resilience has a section addressing the growth mindset for children and includes several book recommendations for adults looking to read more on the subject.
11 Mindset Activities and Tests Designed to Nurture Growth is a source of assessment tools and activities an educator can complete to affirm a thorough understanding of a growth mindset.
Learn more about the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset in Growth Mindset vs. Fixed + Key Takeaways From Dweck’s Book. This article also includes links to posters that can be used on a classroom bulletin board.
Older students can complete the Self-Awareness Worksheet for Older Children to identify their strengths and needs. They are also able to identify who they can go to for help.
Additionally, Learning From My Work is a useful tool for older students to reflect on their work.
The My Gifts – Traits and Talents activity can be used with a range of students and asks students to identify their unique qualities, traits, and talents. Students also create a box using the template provided to recall their unique qualities when they may need a reminder.
Shuffle is an activity that can be used to foster resilience while encouraging kindness, employing the game Rock, Paper, Scissors.
If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others discover meaning, check out this collection of 17 validated meaning tools for practitioners. Use them to help others choose directions for their lives in alignment with what is truly important to them.
A Take-Home Message
A fixed mindset should be discouraged; however, don’t cross the line into toxic positivity by just saying, “You can do this.” Model a growth mindset. Explain a growth mindset. Really live it and show what a growth mindset looks like in real life.
Allow children and students a moment of “struggle time.” Don’t be a “lawnmower” parent or teacher, who mows down challenges for their child so they no longer have to face difficulties. This practice prevents the growth that comes from those challenges.
It is critical to keep in mind that this mindset is developed over time and is not something that happens instantaneously. Implement a variety of activities. Using the multitude of resources provided here can help nurture a growth mindset in children and instill a lifelong love of learning.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Meaning and Valued Living Exercises for free.
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- Boylan, F., Barblett, L., & Knaus, M. (2018). Early childhood teachers’ perspectives of growth mindset: Developing agency in children. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 43(3), 16–24.
- Brock, A., & Hundley, H. (2017). The growth mindset playbook: A teacher’s guide to promoting student success. Ulysses Press.
- Duckworth, A. (2018). The hard thing rule. Global Leadership Network. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://globalleadership.
org/videos/leading-yourself/the-hard-thing-rule - Dweck, C. (2015, September 22). Carol Dweck revisits the growth mindset. Education Week, 35(5), 20–24.
- Einck, C. (2017). Growth mindset affects elementary students (Master’s thesis, Northwestern College, Orange City, IA). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from http://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/39/
- Gerstein, J. (2014). The educator with a growth mindset: A staff workshop. User Generated Education. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/the-educator-with-a-growth-mindset-a-staff-workshop/
- Hildrew, C. (2018). Becoming a growth mindset school: The power of mindset to transform teaching, leadership and learning. Routledge.
- Jennings, C., & Cuevas, J. A. (2021). Teacher impact on student growth mindset. Perspectives in Learning, 19(1), 4.
- Navarro, S. (2020). Modeling growth mindset: How parental involvement benefits student cognitive development.
Digital Commons-Saint Mary’s California. - Nebolsine, E. (2020). The grit workbook for kids: CBT skills to help kids cultivate a growth mindset and build resilience. Instant Help.
- O’Rourke, E., Haimovitz, K., Ballweber, C., Dweck, C., & Popović, Z. (2014). Brain points: A growth mindset incentive structure boosts persistence in an educational game. In CHI 2014: One of a CHInd – Conference Proceedings, 32nd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 3339–3348). Association for Computing Machinery.
- Rowe, M. L., & Leech, K. A. (2019). A parent intervention with a growth mindset approach improves children’s early gesture and vocabulary development. Developmental Science, 22(4).
- Schroder, H. S., Fisher, M. E., Lin, Y., Lo, S. L., Danovitch, J. H., & Moser, J. S. (2017). Neural evidence for enhanced attention to mistakes among school-aged children with a growth mindset. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 24, 42–50.
- Tod, D., Hardy, J., & Oliver, E. (2011). Effects of self-talk: A systematic review. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 33(5), 666–687.
How to teach your child the growth mindset (and why you need it at all)
We are constantly told that the world is changing, and we must raise children as adaptive as possible. This will make it easier for everyone. But what can be done so that the child does not give up in the future, does not despair? Our blogger Konstantin Kostyukevich suggests thinking about what attitudes we give to children from a very early age.
I think every parent thought about how to raise a child so that he could always be in demand in life. There can be many answers here, and one of them (and in our opinion the most accurate one) is to teach the child to learn and relearn. And the first thing you need to do for this is develop a growth mindset in him and remove the fixed mindset.
What is the fixed mindset? People with this mindset believe in innate talents that determine whether a person can be successful at something.
Lack of talent is perceived as a sentence. Moreover, talent cannot be acquired either, it is by nature a given! Children with a fixed mindset:
- Often get excited about a new hobby but give it up quickly. They perceive the very first failures as a sentence - after all, if I am talented, then I should be good at it. Is always! And if suddenly it doesn’t work out, then I don’t have talent either. And then why do it?
- As a consequence of the previous paragraph, they are less persistent and tend to give up, with the wording “this is not mine!”.
- They subconsciously expect that the new business will not be very difficult. After all, if you are talented, then everything works out for you. Accordingly, if it’s hard, it means that there is no talent, and that means ... Yes, that’s right: “this is not mine and must be abandoned!”.
- “Genius”, “smart”, “talent”, “future mathematician” are not just words for them, but titles that should never be lost.
- They tend to avoid difficult tasks, because there is a high chance of screwing up. And you can’t make a mistake, as this will mean that I am no longer a “genius”.
- Justify or take offense at criticism, seeing it as a threat to themselves. “You are mediocrity” - and they don’t take into account at all that study consists of mistakes.
- Someone else's success is also seen as a threat, because if someone is more successful than me, then he is more talented, and if so, then I will never surpass him.
- First of all, look at the current result. This is the most important criterion for them.
What is a growth mindset? Children with this attitude believe that the most important thing is to make an effort, and they don’t even think about talents.
Such children:
- They are not afraid of difficult tasks, because this is an opportunity to become better.
- More stubborn, because they believe that "if you suffer for a long time, something will work out.
" - They react calmly to criticism, because they do not hold on to the status of "smart", the activity itself is important for them.
- They tend to consider someone else's success as an opportunity "since they succeeded, then it is possible in principle! I will try to repeat and then surpass.”
- The current result is not important to them, because their main criterion is “how much better have I become?”.
Children with a growth mindset will learn longer and harder while having fun. They are not focused on who they are now or how they look in the eyes of others, but on what they do.
Please do not think that all of the above is my fantasy and speculation. No, everything said above is scientifically substantiated and experimentally confirmed many times - I advise those who are interested to read Carol Dweck's book "Flexible Consciousness". There is a lot of water, but the experiments are most interesting.
What to do with all this information
If you are a teacher/parent:
1.
Forget about talents. Don't use phrases like "you're smart" or "you have talent." Instead, notice and reward efforts.
If all is well: “The task was difficult, but you tried and did it”, “I like the way you work”, “I see you made an effort to understand the topic”, “Today you solve better, than last week. Great!" etc.
If not so good: “Nice try! What else can be done here?”, “Maybe it’s worth trying a different approach here?”, “But there was an interesting discussion here!”, “What do you think needs to be changed to get a different result?” etc.
2. Throw out horoscopes, "humanists" and "techies", as well as all other divisions of people into types. You can believe it yourself (although I don’t advise), but please don’t say to the child: “You are an Aquarius, so the structuring of information is not yours, so don’t go into mathematics” or “You are a pure humanitarian with us”, because it is precisely such words that are put into the psychological cage of the fixed mindset.
Let the child try everything and not think: “Well, I have two in math, because I am a humanities student” (and not because I didn’t do my homework for the whole quarter and drew in class).
3. Don't scold me for mistakes! Remember that any training is accompanied by them. But it is worth paying attention and, perhaps, making a remark if the child does not try to learn from his mistakes (that is, he makes little effort).
4. Be interested not in grades, but in the knowledge that a student receives. Grades also contribute to the development of the fixed mindset because they divide students into groups of C's, B's, and A's. Plus, questions about grades make it clear to the student: “Knowledge is not important, grades are what you study for.”
5. Teach your child about the growth mindset and hang it over the table.
If you are a student:
Watch for signs of a fixed mindset and change it to a growth mindset. Each time saying something like “Well, I can’t do math!” or “here I am stupid .
..”, immediately remember the settings and say the same thing in a different way, correctly. The picture above will help you.
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Illustration: Shutterstock (Archv)
How the fixed mindset prevents children from learning
Ekaterina Ushakhina
We may or may not be aware of our beliefs, but they have a huge impact on what we want and how successful we are in getting it.
Carol Dweck, professor of psychology and professor at Stanford, in her bestselling book Mind Flexible, talks about two types of mindsets—the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. And explains how they affect our ability to learn.
Why do they like difficult tasks?
Carol Dweck tells this story in her book.
When I was a young aspiring scientist, an event occurred that changed my life. I wanted to understand how people deal with their failures.
And I began to study this by watching how younger students solve difficult problems. The first tasks were very simple, but then they became more and more difficult. And while the schoolchildren were puffing and sweating, I watched them.
I expected children to behave differently when trying to cope, but I saw something completely unexpected. Faced with more serious tasks, one ten-year-old boy pulled a chair closer to the table, rubbed his hands, licked his lips and declared: “I love difficult problems!”.
Source
It never occurred to me that someone could enjoy failure. I believed that abilities were given to a person once and for all. Either you are smart or you are not, and if you fail once, then you are not smart. Everything is simple. As long as you manage to achieve success and avoid failure (at any cost), you remain among the smart ones. Attempts, mistakes, efforts in this "game" do not count.
The little participants in the experiment thought differently: they were sure that intellectual skills could be honed with effort.
Carol decided to find out what is the essence of the attitude that can turn difficulties into a gift.
Two Types of Attitudes
Through twenty years of research, Carol has become convinced that the views a person holds can fundamentally change their lifestyle. If a person perceives intelligence and other qualities as something unchanging, given once and for all at birth, then he adheres to fixed.
If he is sure that intellectual abilities can and should be developed, perceives difficulties as a chance for self-improvement, then he has a growth mindset.
Where did the fixed mindset come from? Babies develop their skills not by the day, but by the hour. It will never occur to them that it is too hard. Toddlers are not disturbed by the thought that they can make a mistake or humiliate themselves. They go, fall and get up again. They just rush forward.
What can put an end to such an irresistible desire for learning? Set to given.
As soon as children learn to evaluate themselves, some of them become afraid of tests. They are afraid of appearing stupid.
Thousands of people, from preschool age and up, voluntarily give up the opportunity to learn.
In one study, Carol Dweck and her assistants gave four-year-olds the choice of re-assembling a simple picture puzzle or trying another, more complex puzzle. And even at this early age, kids with a clear fixed mindset preferred the safer option. Children who are born smart "make no mistakes," they said.
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"In what situation do you feel smart?"
Carol asked children and young people this question.
Those who had the fixed mindset answered:
"When I don't make any mistakes."
"When I finish a job faster and it's perfect."
"When something is easy for me but other people can't do it."
That is, when they are perfect from the very beginning.
But people with growth mindset said:
“When a task is really difficult, I struggle to solve it, and I finally manage to do something that I couldn’t before.”
"When I'm working on something for a long time and suddenly the solution starts to emerge in my mind."
People with the fixed mindset don't have the luxury of becoming. They should already be.
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Attitude changes the meaning of failure
For people with a fixed mindset, failure transforms from an act (I failed) to a feature (I am a failure).
In one study, seventh graders were asked how they reacted to academic failure—say, a poor test grade in a new subject. Growth mindset students said they would study harder for the next test after that.
Those with the fixed mindset stated that they would prepare less for the next test.
If you don't have the right skills, why waste your time? And also, some of them reported, they would seriously think about how to write off! If you don't have the skills you need, they reasoned, you must find another way.
Instead of trying to better prepare and fix their "assessments", people with a fixed mindset may try to just "fix" their self-esteem. For example, start looking for those who showed worse results than themselves. This is their way of improving their opinion of themselves.
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Types of attitudes and ability to learn
There are many ways to learn. Many students do it this way: they read textbooks and notes. If the material is difficult, they reread it again. And they can try to learn everything by heart, absorb it like a vacuum cleaner. This is how students learn with a fixed mindset . They study for grades.
Students with growth mindset are in complete control of their learning and motivation. They do not memorize the material, but try to grasp the main topics and basic principles that run like a red thread through all the lectures.
They study to know, not just to get A's. When the material is difficult or uninteresting, they still do not lose motivation.
Drawing as an example of learning
It is believed that people are either given to draw by nature or not. Self-portraits of participants in a training session conducted by artist Betty Edwards refute this myth. The first portraits are drawn by the students at the beginning of the course, the second - at the end of their studies, five days later.
Look at the progress in drawing in just 5 days! Anyone can learn to draw. Illustration from the book "Flexible Mind"
The ability to draw is not a gift, but a list of skills: the ability to see, that is, to perceive lines, spaces, the relationships of elements, light and shadow, and all of this together. Drawing requires us to learn each of these individual skills and then combine them in one process. Everyone is capable of this.
This is very important, as many people with a fixed mindset believe that a person's early displays of skill (or lack of it) can safely judge a person's talent and future.
