What is a growth mindset?
A growth mindset is the belief that people can improve their skills and intelligence through practice, hard work and self-reflection. The concept was first developed by Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. Her research shows that students who develop growth mindsets do better in school and learn new things faster, partly because they are willing to face new challenges and have a more positive attitude toward learning.
To learn more about growth mindset and Carol Dweck's research, you can watch her TED Talk below: |
What is a fixed mindset?
A fixed mindset is the opposite of a growth mindset. People with fixed mindsets believe that our potential to develop our intelligence and skills is limited. They believe that talent and luck determine how successful we will be. Because they do not fully believe in their potential to keep learning and growing throughout our lives, students with fixed mindsets are more likely to:
- Fear failure and avoid new challenges
- Become frustrated or give up if a task becomes difficult
- Ignore feedback or see it as a personal attack
- Feel jealous of or threatened by the successes of others
- Have a negative attitude towards school and learning
- Describe themselves as stupid
- Progress slowly because they avoid hard work and new learning opportunities because they fear failure
- Underachieve because they believe things should come easily, and they will give up if they have to put in effort
How do students benefit from a growth mindset?
Students who develop a growth mindset are more likely to:
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How can you help your child develop a growth mindset?
If your child is going to gain all the benefits of a growth mindset, it is important that they are getting the same messages at home and at school. Sometimes, in trying to support the children that we love, we end up encouraging a fixed mindset, so the first step in helping your child develop a growth mindset is honestly answering some tough questions:
It is okay if you answered yes to many of these questions. While these attitudes can encourage the development of a fixed mindset, it is never too late to change our attitudes towards learning. Here are a few steps you can take to start encouraging your children to have a growth mindset:
- Do you punish your child for making mistakes or getting bad grades?
- Do you tend to blame others for your child's struggles?
- Do you help your child avoid challenging situations?
- Do you make excuses for your child's poor performances or failures?
- Do you pressure your child to get top marks?
- Do you often forget to praise your child for their effort or improvement?
It is okay if you answered yes to many of these questions. While these attitudes can encourage the development of a fixed mindset, it is never too late to change our attitudes towards learning. Here are a few steps you can take to start encouraging your children to have a growth mindset:
- Encourage them to take risks and take on new challenges at school and in other areas of their life: Teach your kids to value these important, but often intimidating learning experiences, by encouraging them to try new things. Make it clear that you admire their willingness to try even if they are not guaranteed success.
- Avoid empty praise: Don't tell your child that they have done a good job if you know that they could have put in more effort.
- Praise them for their work ethic, not their results: When you are praising your child, focus on the effort that went in to a task more than you focus on the outcome. They will be more likely to understand the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed.
- Encourage improvement, not perfection: Students often shutdown when expectations are too high. If your child is struggling, expecting top marks might encourage them to stop trying because they feel like they are going to disappoint you whether they work hard or not. To avoid this kind of underachievement, encourage your child to try their best on all tasks and let them know that you will be proud of them whenever they show improvement, even if their marks aren't perfect.
- Help them set realistic goals: If your child wants to improve, help them determine a meaningful and reasonable goal. Then help them develop a clear and effective plan to make it a reality. Use the S.M.A.R.T. Goals strategy to help you do this.
- Encourage them to follow through: When your child is struggling with a difficult task and wants to give up, encourage them to keep trying or to ask for help. When they have finished a task, prompt them to seek feedback and to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon next time.
- Share what you have learned from your own struggles: Tell your kids about a time that you failed and how you dealt with it. Emphasize what you learned from your failures and not how upsetting they were. Teach them that they shouldn't give up by sharing a story about a time when you gave something up and regretted it or by talking about a time when you stuck with a task even though it was difficult.
- Model a growth mindset: Let your children see you display a growth mindset. Make it clear when you are getting frustrated with a difficult task and then demonstrate how you maintain a positive attitude and keep trying. Try something new and let them see the effort and practice it takes to develop this new skill. Be honest when you have made a mistake and discuss ways to improve together. Set goals and make a plan to reach them. Change the way you talk about success and failure. Use the following table to inspire you to change your language.
Fixed Mindset StatementsYou're so good at math. You get that from your father.
I like that song you just played on the piano. Good job!
I am very disappointed in your mark on that Social Studies project. You know you could have done better.
I don't understand why you can't get this. It was so easy for your sister.
You studied so hard for that test. I don't understand why you only got 60%. The test must have been too hard.
I know how nervous you get about public speaking. I'll write a note to your teacher telling her that you have my permission to miss class the day that everyone is presenting their project and that you will present privately to her after school.
Stop whining about it and get to work. It's not that hard.
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Rephrased as Growth Mindset StatementsYou work so hard on your math assignments. No wonder you are doing so well in that class.
I can tell you have been practicing. That song sounded great.
You had a lot of trouble with that Socials project. What went wrong? What would you do differently next time?
You learn differently from your sister. You need to figure out the strategies that will help you be successful.
You studied hard for that test, and you improved your mark by 20%. That new study strategy must have helped.
I know that public speaking makes you nervous, but it is important to face challenges like this. I'll help you practice for your presentation, and we'll write an email to your teacher asking for some strategies to help you stay calm during the presentation
I know it is frustrating, but I am sure you can do it if you don't give up. Do you want some help?
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Additional Resources for Encouraging a Growth Mindset in Your Child
Try reading one of these books:
Check out this quick online course (it only takes 30 minutes):
https://www.mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset-parents
- The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go, so Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Check out this quick online course (it only takes 30 minutes):
https://www.mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset-parents