Nurturing a Growth Mindset & Resilient Thinking
A growth mindset is a powerful tool for young, developing minds.
First introduced by psychologist Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is the belief that skills and abilities can be improved through effort, time and persistence.
People with a growth mindset embrace challenges, use feedback constructively and view mistakes as learning opportunities.
In contrast, a fixed mindset is the belief that that abilities and intelligence are unchangeable.
Benefits of a Growth Mindset for Children
Develop a love for learning.
Children with a growth mindset are more likely to embrace challenges and see them as opportunities to learn. This mindset sparks curiosity and encourages openness to new experiences.View mistakes as opportunities to learn.
Rather than fearing failure, people with a growth mindset see mistakes as a normal part of the learning process. They recognise mistakes as a sign of progress and growth and not a reflection of intelligence.Develop perseverance and resilient thinking.
A growth mindset teaches children that effort and persistence are key to overcoming challenges. When faced with a difficult task, they are more likely to keep trying and find new strategies rather than give up. This is an invaluable skill that can help them navigate difficulties in all areas of life.Improve problem-solving skills.
Children with a growth mindset approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset. They ask themselves, "What can I do differently?" instead of "Why can't I do this?" This approach helps to develop resourcefulness and creative problem-solving skills.Reducing Fear of Failure.
One of the biggest barriers to success is the fear of failure. A growth mindset helps children see failure not as a setback but as an opportunity
to learn and improve. This helps to reduce anxiety and worry, and provides a more stable, clear mindset for learning.Building Confidence.
As children learn that they have influence over their achievements and can improve with practise, they become more confident.
This positive self-belief helps them pursue their goals with determination.
Tips for Encouraging a Growth Mindset
Parents and educators play a crucial role in nurturing a growth mindset in children and can help in many ways, such as:
Help rephrase close-ended statements into open-ended statements
Instead of “I can’t do this”, say “I will keep trying.”
Instead of “It’s good enough”, say “Is this actually my best work?”
Instead of “I give up”, say “I will find another way.”
Instead of “They are better than me”, say “What can I learn from them”
Instead of “I keep making mistakes”, say “Mistakes help me to learn”
Praise effort, not just results.
Focus on the effort children put into their work rather than the outcome. This reinforces the idea that consistent effort
and perseverance lead to improvement, fostering a love for learning in the process.Model a growth mindset.
Children learn by example, so demonstrate a growth mindset in your own life. Share experiences where you used resilient thinking,
embraced challenges, or improved through practice and effort, helping them see the value of a growth-oriented approach.Break down challenge.
Help children break big challenges or long-term goals into smaller, manageable steps. This approach provides a sense of
accomplishment and helps them see how progress is made gradually over time.Normalise mistakes.
Teach children that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. Emphasise that continuing to practice and learn from those
mistakes is what leads to improvement.
Instilling a growth mindset in young minds helps them become resilient thinkers and positive learners, setting them up with
the skills to confidently manage life’s ups and downs.
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MindsetWorks. (2024) Decades of Scientific Research that Started a Growth Mindset Revolution https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/
Millacci, T. (2021) How to nurture a growth mindset in children https://positivepsychology.com/growth-mindset-for-kids/
