Week #4: Growth Mindset
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GROWTH MINDSET
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” (Dweck, 2015)
Instilling a growth mindset helps children develop a lasting impact on their learning outcomes. For elementary children this look like persistence and having a positive attitude toward personal and academic goals. Despite failures, challenges, and hardships, children can focus on the learning rather than the performance to ensure personal gain.
STUDENT VIDEO RESOURCES
Primary (Grades 1-2)
Watch Mojo learn about the fabulous things he can do when he has a growth mindset.
Intermediate (Grades 3-5)
Watch a creative example of growth mindset come to life before your eyes.
Intermediate Growth Mindset Video
STUDENT TASKS
Practice using your growth mindset with these STEM challenges
STEM Activities and Growth Mindset
Make your own growth mindset posters to put up in your room. Find quotes from books or your family or online! Here are some examples:
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Research a successful person. It can be a family member or a community member or a famous person! Discover strategies the person used when faced with challenges and failures. You can do the research together or independently. Some examples:
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Walt Disney: Disney was told by others to give up, that he lacked imagination. He believed in himself and as a result, is famous for imagination and originality.
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Jennifer Lopez: Lopez pursued her dream of being a dancer from the time she was a little girl. By pushing past each hurdle in her life, Lopez now is one of the highest-paid Latina actresses in Hollywood.
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Barack Obama: President Obama’s belief in himself, his successes and failures, and his attitude on being successful all played a role in being the first Black American president of the US.
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J.K. Rowling: Rowling’s story on becoming a famous author models a growth mindset. The Harry Potter stories are known world-wide.
Read a book together and have discussions around how the characters show growth mindset. This is just a sample of books from Growth Mindset Book Titles:
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The Empty Pot (Demi)
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Pet the Cat (Litwin)
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Uncle Jed’s Barber Shop (Mitchell & Ransome)
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Wonder (Palacio)
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Strong is the New Pretty (Parker)
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The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes (Pett & Rubinstein)
Share personal stories about YOU or a FAMILY MEMBER that depicts growth mindset. Everyone has amazing people right in their own personal lives! Telling stories about how a grandparent moved to a new place and started a family, how you overcame challenges as a child and the successes that came from those experiences, and where your own family came from, all demonstrate growth mindset. Model growth mindset stories for children and provide opportunities for children to make personal connections.
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Free Growth Mindset Printouts 30 Minutes of Free Lessons for Parents Growth Mindset Coloring Pages
