Growth mindset for kids is a great concept that encourages children to believe in their abilities to develop and enhance their skills and talents through effort, practise, and patience. It teaches kids that their intelligence and abilities are not fixed characteristics that come from birth, but are qualities that can be developed and improved over with time and effort. The inverse of the growth mindset is the fixed mindset.
Growth Mindset Vs Fixed Mindset:
The popular story of the tortoise and the hare explains the growth mindset meaning easily. In the story Hare has a fixed mindset, he believes abilities, intelligence, and talents are just fixed traits. The tortoise has a growth mindset and believes that talents and abilities can be developed through effort, practise, and determination. Those with a fixed mindset often develop and peak before their peers, appearing to be more intelligent and successful than everyone else.
Josh Waitzkin says “The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability, we will be brittle in the face of adversity”. This is what happens in the case of Hare. But the tortoise with a growth mindset continues to power through and work hard overtaking the hare and eventually winning the race.
In short, Fixed Mindset folks feel that only Superman, who was blessed with superpowers, can be a superhero, but Growth Mindset people regard Batman as a superhero who is an ordinary human being who transforms into a superhero through effort and practise.
Fixed mindset Vs Growth mindset examples:
Imagine a kid is facing struggles in learning Guitar, if the kid has a growth mindset he would think, “I’m not very skilled at playing the guitar right now, but with practice and commitment, I can develop.” But if the kid has a fixed mindset, he would think, “I just don’t have any musical talent. I’ll never be able to learn how to play the guitar.”
If a kid is facing challenges in learning a new language, a growth mindset will make him realise that it takes time and effort to learn a new language, but with constant practice and exposure, he can become fluent. From these growth mindset examples, we can understand that it is the most powerful mindset for success.
Ways for Developing a Growth Mindset:
Kids should be aware of one important fact that our brain acts like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger and smarter your brain becomes.
Developing a growth mindset takes time and regular effort. You can help kids develop a belief in their abilities to grow, learn, and overcome problems by applying the following methods.
Encourage effort and perseverance:
Value hard work and effort over natural talent. Praise children for their effort and dedication, highlighting that growth comes from continuous learning and practise.
Foster a love of learning:
Build an environment that encourages and rewards curiosity and discovery. Encourage kids to ask doubts, learn new things, and enjoy the process of learning. Assist them in realising that mistakes are opportunities for progress.
Focus on the process, not just the outcomes:
Motivate children to focus on the process of learning rather than the end result. Teach them to value the work they put into a task, the tactics they used, and the lessons they learned, regardless of the immediate success and results.
Teach resilience:
Teach children how to recover from setbacks and failures to help them develop resilience. Encourage them to see difficulties as learning opportunities rather than roadblocks. Assist them in identifying methods for overcoming barriers and developing problem solving abilities.
Model a growth mindset:
Children learn by observing how parents behave around them. Display a progressive mentality through your actions and language. Share your personal challenges and how you tackle them with a positive attitude and an open mind.
Encourage self-reflection:
Encourage children to look back on their achievements and identify areas for growth to help them develop self-awareness. Teach them how to set realistic objectives and create action plans to attain them. Celebrate their progress along the way.
Emphasise the power of “yet”:
Teach children to use the word “yet” in their sentences. Instead of stating, “I can’t do this,” encourage them to say, “I can’t do it yet.” This simple mental change teaches children growth mindset meaning and that their abilities can grow with time and effort.
Provide constructive feedback:
When providing feedback, be precise and highlight your child’s effort, tactics, and improvements. Instead of focusing solely on their intelligence or talent, emphasise the process and the improvement they displayed. Encourage kids to view feedback as essential growth guidance and provide them with skills for dealing with difficulties.
Importance of Growth Mindset for Kids:
When things are difficult, a growth attitude helps children bounce back and learn from their mistakes.
Children with a growth mindset enjoy learning because they understand that with practise, they can get wiser and better.
It helps children believe in themselves and their abilities, making them feel more confident.
It encourages children to think creatively and find answers to problems. This helps them to become good problem solvers.
Children with a growth mindset have a positive attitude and believe they can progress and achieve in life, making them happier and stress free.
Kids with a growth mindset are not afraid of making mistakes because they see those mistakes as chances to learn and improve.
It develops a supportive environment in which children encourage and assist one another in growing.
Children with a growth mindset understand that effort leads to improvement, therefore they work hard to achieve what they want to accomplish.
They develop a “never give up” attitude, which is crucial for achieving long-term goals.
It prepares children for the future by educating them to accept change and to continue learning throughout their lives.
Conclusion:
At EuroSchool, we empower children to believe in their own abilities, accept difficulties, and strive for constant advancement by fostering a growth mentality in them. This mindset lays the groundwork for a life of learning, resilience, and success. Visit EuroSchool to learn more.
