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Growth Mindsets!


Look at these AMAZING KIDS! 
Let's work together to foster their growth mindset development!




Often we mean very well and say things like, "You're a natural!" and "Aren't you smart." Or "I was never good at math, that's probably where you get it." All of these comments can actually work against our intentions and create a fixed mindset = No matter what, these are my skills, you have it or you don't. I was born this way, no use trying. They don't perceive what they did that went well or not, and end up not trying anything new or challenging themselves for fear of not being "smart" anymore.

Instead use effort praise, strategy praise, or persistence praise. We want to build Growth Mindsets! A person with a growth mindset realizes that with practice, or a change of thinking they can improve.  (Mindsets for Parents, Ricci and Lee p 38-45) These seem pretty intertwined, but here is a good start.


  • Effort Praise: Having to work hard at learning is not failure, it helps "grow" your brain. 
    • "You are working hard on that, it shows in the detail you put in!"
    • "You have worked for 20 min / other time frame. You've earned a break!"
  • Strategy Praise: Focus on reinforcing positive choices made and process not product. 
    • "When it didn't work the first time you tried another way, impressive!"
    • "You used a great strategy to figure out that subtraction problem."
  • Persistence praise: Some challenges take repetition, practice and TIME to achieve. Riding a bike might be automatic now, but once it took a lot of work. 
    • "You didn't give up, you continued until you figured it out!"
    • "It took a lot of practice, but you have really made progress."
Use the power of YET!  You don't know how to do that, YET. With practice you will! 



Also, this can be a work in progress. It takes practice to think this way, and catch yourself saying things that work against the process. You might pick one area or phrase at a time that you can use GENUINELY!

Click the Links below for more info. (The book is great, and might be available at the library, however The Website is free!) Do what works for you. I will try to send out snippets to keep us all thinking as well.

Mindsets for Parents by Mary Cay Ricci and Margaret Lee


https://www.mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset-parents

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