As a teacher, you surely have encountered lots of examples where children talk about their own skills in a positive or negative way. “Oh, I’m just not good with numbers!” is probably the most cliché example that kids use by the time they reach high school. However, according to the theory of mind, kids as young as 4 or 5 years old already understand people’s beliefs, thoughts, and desires as internal things that sometimes differ from reality – the basis on which they develop a mindset toward their own abilities. Knowing this, scientists have been able to link the so-called growth mindset for kids with success and better performance.
But, what exactly does this mean, and more importantly, how do we help kids develop it?
The answers to these questions are the main focus of this guide. We’re going to give our best to explain these concepts as clearly as we can! We’ll provide a variety of different teaching resources so both teachers and homeschooling parents can confidently implement them in their practice. So, let’s dive in!
What Is a Growth Mindset?
In recent years, the concept of growth mindset became more and more popular in schools, mainly thanks to the theoretical and practical evidence that arises from research and the institutions that have already adjusted their teaching practices with this concept in mind. The response is mostly positive because, first and foremost, it’s based on a logical idea that makes sense and it’s relatable to all.
For us to be able to accurately present that idea, we’ll start from the very beginning. What’s a mindset?
In psychology, the concept of mindset refers to the collection of thoughts, beliefs, and personality traits that together shape the way a person sees the world – the person’s worldview, you might say. You can also think of how you would use it in everyday language as the meaning is similar, alluding to the person’s attitude toward life in general.
Well, psychologists didn’t stop there and broke down this definition further, trying to identify what exactly makes the mindset. More specifically, it was the work of Carol Dweck, a famous psychologist at Stanford University, who led us to the finding we have today.
She was interested in researching motivation, personality, and development, an interesting combination that helped her make a significant contribution to the field of implicit theories of intelligence. But, what does this have to do with a growth mindset? Well, a lot actually, so stay with us!
Carol Dweck – Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
In her book published in 2006, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck defined what is now known as the implicit theory of intelligence. According to the theory, in a simplified version, a person’s implicit intelligence is their fundamental underlying belief regarding whether or not intelligence and abilities can be changed (learned or acquired) throughout life.
Based on this fundamental belief, Dweck coined the terms growth and fixed mindset and she made quite the compelling case of why this distinction in people’s and kids’ beliefs is crucial for success. Although the same principles apply to grown-ups, in this article, we’ll focus on the explanations about fixed vs growth mindset for kids.
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset for Kids
With her implicit theory of mind, Dweck not only introduced a new concept in social and developmental psychology, but also raised awareness of the importance of students’ beliefs toward their own abilities. It’s outstanding how no one emphasized and classified this attitude before.
Dweck realized that people can be divided into two groups based on their belief in whether intelligence and abilities can change throughout life. Keep in mind that the implicit part of the theory tells us that these beliefs can also be unconscious and learned from the environment without the kid ever being aware of it.
Fixed Mindset for Kids
Students who believe that intelligence and abilities are fixed, genetically determined, and can’t change are said to have a fixed intelligence or fixed mindset. These kids believe that their success is thanks to their innate ability that’s inherited and it is what it is. While not all kids with a fixed mindset have problems in school, some are really confident and excel, chances are that these kids dread failure and don’t know how to deal with difficulties. This is because to them failure means they’re not good enough and they’ll never be as abilities don’t change.
Kids with a fixed mindset are more likely to manifest exam anxiety, aggressive behavior when losing, unwillingness to try again, and unwillingness to give their best. A good example of kids with a fixed mindset is those who believe they’re bad at math. These kids have aversion to maths and won’t keep trying since they don’t believe they can ever understand math concepts.
Growth Mindset for Kids
On the other hand, kids who believe that abilities and intelligence can change through life, that they can improve with hard work, have a growth intelligence or a growth mindset. These kids believe that success is achieved through hard work, by giving your best and trying again and again until you master a certain ability and become a little better every time.
Because of these beliefs, kids with a growth mindset handle failure more effectively, are willing to try again, and don’t typically panic or experience stress before exams. They know that a test doesn’t reflect their personality or their identity, but only their current ability which can be improved. Dweck even believes that kids with a growth mindset grow up and live a less stressful and more successful life.
Realism vs. Optimism: Beyond Just Effort
Another really important aspect of Dweck’s idea about the types of mindsets that most people overlook is to not mistake the growth mindset with just effort. The idea about the growth mindset works only if it’s based on reality and doesn’t hide the truth from children.
Everything that we’ve said so far might mislead teachers and parents into thinking that simply convincing children that they can do everything even when they obviously struggle, or ignoring biological limitations, can lead to success. This is wrong and will end up frustrating them.
For kids to develop a growth mindset, they need to know the truth about where they stand and what they can realistically achieve. Saying “Don’t worry, you’re the best” when they’re not the best, can have negative outcomes. Instead, tell the child that they shouldn’t compare with other kids, but instead, think about the things they want to achieve and work hard toward achieving them. Other kids might get there faster, but the most important thing is to make progress.
Dweck explains this nicely by saying “The growth mindset was intended to help close achievement gaps, not hide them. It is about telling the truth about a student’s current achievement and then, together, doing something about it, helping him or her become smarter.”
The Sweet Spot
Realism vs. unfounded optimism gives another dimension to the theory of growth mindset for kids, which hopefully makes things clearer. However, one might still wonder where the sweet spot is. How do we know when it’s okay to encourage kids to try harder and when should we take a step back and teach them to accept their limitations (at least for the time being)?
It’s hard to find the sweet spot, but Lew Vygotsky’s theory about the zone of proximal development (ZPD) can give us an insight. According to him, there are three zones in development. The innermost zone encompasses the things that the child already knows how to do on their own. The outermost zone encompasses the things that the child can’t do, even with the help of adults. In between there’s the zone of proximal development that encompasses the things that the child has the potential to learn with a little help.
Following this analogy, a growth mindset for kids means helping them to achieve things from the zone of proximal development, not the ones that are way out of reach. We can’t all be Einsteins or change the world, but we can get smarter than we were in the past.
Properly applying growth mindset techniques should motivate kids to keep working hard despite setbacks.
The Benefits of a Growth Mindset
Carol Dweck considered that having a growth mindset helps increase the students’ academic performance and helps them become more successful later in life. Additionally, she believed that individuals with a growth mindset are less stressed and cope with setbacks more efficiently.
Beyond her findings, having a growth mindset is commonly associated with increased motivation, resilience, self-esteem, confidence, and cultivation of better social relationships. The reasoning behind these benefits is that knowing that mistakes or doing things differently are not a reflection of their character, but rather on their current level of understanding which can be improved, paves the way toward emotional maturity and growth, and teaches them to let things go and not hold grudges.
A growth mindset, however, is not ignoring things, or never getting confused or frustrated. On the contrary, a growth mindset provides an opportunity for teaching the child about self-advocacy. This means asking for help or looking for ways to change outcomes when something is not working – just because they know they can.
Growth Mindset Definition for Kids
Now that you know what exactly a growth mindset is, the next step is learning how to explain the concept of growth mindset to kids, and more importantly, how to help kids develop a growth mindset. Let’s start with the first one.
While kids don’t need to be aware of what exactly a growth mindset is, they need to understand some basic concepts that underlie the growth mindset such as “where do abilities come from?” or “what are abilities and intelligence?”
Passing Intelligent Decisions and Acts Instead of Intelligence
Considering the things we’ve mentioned above, we recommend that you implicitly teach your child about abilities and intelligence through everyday language and tactical praise. Here are a few examples of where and how you can do this:
- Imagine a situation where your child plays with a new toy and can’t figure out the rules or follow the instructions. If you say “Well, not everyone can play this game” will probably lead to a fixed mindset. Instead, say “You can play this really really good, you just need to practice more. Let’s try again together” for promoting the development of a growth mindset in kids.
- Another example would be when talking about TV or book characters, or even real people. When kids see someone who’s really strong or really smart, make sure to mention that they spend a lot of time practicing or studying to get there!
The truth is, there are many situations from everyday life where you can help the child develop a growth mindset. The key is to be aware of the influence your comments have on kids and to make sure you emphasize the hard work and practice when discussing people’s abilities or talents. Once your child asks “but, why can’t some people do this?” it’s time to sit down and explain the nature of intelligence, learning, and memory, so kids can understand why you say that those things can be learned and practiced.
As a teacher, you can also teach them these things while observing how kids play and how they handle a specific task.
How To Develop a Growth Mindset in Kids?
Praising intelligent decisions or acts rather than intelligence as a character trait is a good start and absolutely necessary for developing a growth mindset in kids. But, that’s surely not all you can do.
To develop a growth mindset in kids, both parents and teachers should encourage children to take initiative and be proactive. This is the best way for them to realize that they’re capable of solving the problems on their own and achieving great things with hard work. As a parent or a teacher, make sure to be there if they need help and praise the process they’ve been going through when they finally find a solution or achieve a new milestone.
Instead of praising the grade or solely their effort, praise the whole process. For example “I’m so proud of how hard you work and the progress you’ve made. I know you were struggling in the beginning, but you kept believing in yourself, did the work, and got great results! Good job!”
Is there something else you can do? Yes!
In the beginning, we’ve mentioned that the concept of a growth mindset for kids becomes an increasingly popular topic and teaching practice in schools as well as homes since parents also become more and more aware of the importance of early childhood development. Fortunately, because of this, there are many resources on the internet that explore in great detail the ways in which you can help kids develop a growth mindset.
In the following sections of the article, we’ll provide books, lessons, articles, quotes, books, videos, and games that will help you develop a growth mindset for kids.
Growth Mindset Teaching Resources and Activities for Kids
Growth Mindset Lessons for Kids
Probably the most effective way to communicate a growth mindset to kids is to organize a lecture around the topic. While in the following paragraphs we’ll share specific resources that you can use together with this guide, in building a complete lesson plan on growth mindset, there are also ready-to-use lesson plans if you prefer that option.
Mindset Kit is a website that offers complete lesson plans free of charge. According to the information on the site, the plan is best suited for middle-school students, but you can easily adjust each activity to fit the classroom you’re teaching in.
Another great lesson plan for a growth mindset is one created by school psychologist Anne Gutshall and teacher Hanna Attafi. Their lesson plan is also free of charge and suitable for students in different grades, although it’s probably best for middle-schoolers.
Growth Mindset Articles for Kids
For teachers and parents who love science and want to read some science-backed evidence for a growth mindset, the following articles might provide a good starting point. To dive deeper into the topic, simply follow the references in each article, and before you know it, you’ll be an expert on the topic.
One article regarding growth mindset for kids was published in 2016 in the journal Psychology. The study by Kirsi Tirri and Teija Kujala investigates Students’ Mindsets for Learning and Their Neural Underpinnings. The results from this study show that kids with a growth mindset have a superior ability to rebound from mistakes.
Another recent study in the field from 2019, published in the International Journal of Learning, Teaching, and Educational Research, provides insights about growth mindset in teaching with a case study of a Finnish elementary school teacher.
Finally, the last paper we recommend is one published in 2017 by Andrew Delost that investigates the power of building a growth mindset classroom. Reading his article, teachers will better understand the requirements and practices needed for a growth mindset to become an influential factor driving success.
Growth Mindset Quotes for Kids
Since teaching kids about a growth mindset is mainly about developing an optimistic and motivational way of looking at things, encouraging them to learn, work hard, and do not give up with daily quotes is a smart idea. You even turn these quotes into stickers and stick them on the front of their notebooks, backpacks, their favorite book, or even on the fridge in the kitchen. This way, every day when they pass around the house or start to learn, they’ll be reminded of the things that make up a growth mindset.
So, let’s take a look at some of our favorite growth mindset quotes! Since Carol Dweck coined the term “growth mindset”, we’ll start with some of her sayings about this concept.
“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.” by Carol S. Dweck
“This is something I know for a fact: You have to work hardest for the things you love most.” by Carol S. Dweck
“Think about your hero. Do you think of this person as someone with extraordinary abilities who achieved with little effort? Now go find out the truth. Find out the tremendous effort that went into their accomplishment—and admire them more.” by Carol S. Dweck
“He didn’t ask for mistake-free games. He didn’t demand that his players never lose. He asked for full preparation and full effort from them. “Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort?” If so, he says, “You may be outscored but you will never lose.” by Carol S. Dweck
“Picture your brain forming new connections as you meet the challenge and learn. Keep on going.” by Carol S. Dweck
“I don’t mind losing as long as I see improvement or I feel I’ve done as well as I possibly could.” by Carol S. Dweck
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” by Theodore Roosevelt
All things are difficult before they are easy.” by Thomas Fuller
“No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you’re still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.” by Tony Robbins
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does – keep going!” by Sam Levenson
“The mind is just like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.” by Idowu Koyenikan
“Hard work does not go unnoticed, and someday the rewards will follow.” by Allan Rufus
“Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” by Joshua J. Marine
“If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” by Frank A. Clark
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell and got back up again.” by Nelson Mandela
“Just because some people can do something with little or no training, it doesn’t mean that others can’t do it (and sometimes do it even better) with training.” by Carol Dweck
“Don’t tell me how talented you are. Tell me how hard you work.” by Arthur Rubenstein
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed no hope at all.” by Dale Carnegie
Growth Mindset Books for Kids
Another way you can reinforce the development of a growth mindset for kids is to surround them with inspiring and uplifting books that have the power to change the way they see the world, and more importantly, themselves. However, teachers and parents also need books about growth mindset books for kids, so they can dive deeper into this topic. This is why we decided to create two separate lists with books recommendations – one for the little ones and one for the grown ups.
Growth mindset books for kids:
- What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada
- What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
- Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
- The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
- My Strong Mind: A Story About Developing Mental Strength by Niels Van Hove
- I Can’t Do That, YET by Esther Cordova
- Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka
- Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty
- Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges
- How to Catch a Star, by Oliver Jeffers
- Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan
- The Bad Seed, by Jory John and illustrated by Pete Oswald
- After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat
- Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Growth mindset books for teachers and parents:
- The Growth Mindset Coach: A Teacher’s Month-by-Month Handbook for Empowering Students to Achieve (Growth Mindset for Teachers) by Annie Brock
- In Other Words: Phrases for Growth Mindset: A Teacher’s Guide to Empowering Students through Effective Praise and Feedback (Growth Mindset for Teachers) by Annie Brock
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
- The Growth Mindset: A Guide to Professional and Personal Growth by Joshua Moore
- Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching by Jo Boaler
- Becoming a Growth Mindset School: The Power of Mindset to Transform Teaching, Leadership, and Learning by Chris Hildrew
- Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers: 10 Steps to Reduce Stress, Increase Student Engagement and Reignite Your Passion for Teaching by Grace Stevens
- Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Growth Mindset Learning Community by Mary Cay Ricci
- The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
- How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
Growth Mindset Videos for Kids
On the other hand, parents with kids who are completely captivated when watching a cartoon or an animated movie, or teachers with a full classroom, might find it more suitable to engage kids with inspirational videos rather than books. Of course, we highly recommend combining these two activities, but if you have to choose and have visual learners at home, this one’s for you!
The Power of Believing You Can Improve TEDTalk by Carol Dweck
The researcher who coined the term “growth mindset” talks about the two ways in which we can think about a problem.
Subscribe to KidsKonnect on YouTube →Developing a Growth Mindset by Mineola Creative Content
A science video designed for little kids explains in a very informative and easy-to-understand way how we talk to our brain and why that’s important.
The Power of Belief — Mindset and Success by Eduardo Briceno
A great talk about how our understanding of our own abilities shapes our success.
Change Your Mindset, Change the Game by Dr. Alia Crum
Why does our mindset matter? How does it work? These and many other questions are answered in this 18-minute video that teaches us how to harness the power of our minds.
RSA ANIMATE: How To Help Every Child Fulfil Their Potential by Carol Dweck
An animated video with Carol Dweck’s voiceover discussing why the work gets harder when we stop trying, or why school is sometimes boring.
While we focused on educational videos, don’t forget that you can indulge in a growth mindset movie for kids – Hollywood movies that wonderfully capture the idea behind this concept. Some of our favorite movies in this category include Zootopia (2016), Leap! (2016), Moana (2016), Brave (2012), and many others.
Growth Mindset Activities and Games for Kids
Finally, the best way to consolidate the knowledge and make sure that kids truly begin to believe all these things that you’ve been trying to teach them is to frequently engage in fun growth mindset activities and games for kids of all ages!
Some of these activities are actually ongoing and life-changing habits, like teaching kids how to keep a growth mindset journal (also, making sure they stick to it in the beginning!), organizing kindness week which can turn into a tradition, and so much more. Other types of growth mindset activities are less demanding, such as turning the negative to positive exercise or creating thought maps. There’s so much you can do, which is why we decided to cover this section in a separate article. Check out our “Growth Mindset Activities and Games for Kids” article, to get all the details on how to organize a fun lecture!
Before You Leave
Since the beginning of pedagogy, philosophers, and later scientists have been trying to solve the ultimate debate whether nature versus nurture is the dominant factor in cognitive development. Today, we know that’s an ill-posed question and doesn’t do justice to the complex interplay of genetics, environment, upbringing, and relationships in making us who we are. But, as we’ve seen, regardless of how complex this issue is, kids need to believe that intelligence and abilities change throughout life to be able to realize their full potential – at least according to the theory of growth mindset.
We’ve covered a lot of ground in what a growth mindset is and how to help kids develop it, which we hope is going to prove very useful to you. To help you out even further, let us remind you that with only one click you can download a whole collection of worksheets for your next lecture. Simply, head over to our main website and find what you’re looking for.
Last but not least, we’ll continue to write awesome content like this article right here, so make sure to regularly check out our blog and subscribe to our newsletter!
Related Articles
Link/cite this page
If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.
Link will appear as Growth Mindset for Kids: How to Help Kids Develop It: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 9, 2021