Ten ways to encourage & support a growth mindset
Tina Stubbs • November 19, 2019
Ways to help children build a growth mindset.
Start by helping a child to build self-esteem and confidence in what they do.
Making them feel inferior has a very negative effect and will discourage motivation.
I'm a big believer in having fun when you learn. They are more likely to remember it and making it fun encourages more participation in tasks.
Actions can speak louder than words with children as they are great imitators, so don't be surprised if they mirror some of your negative behaviours. Be aware of your attitude around them as it would be unfair to tell a child off for mirroring your behaviour. Try and lead by example where you can.
Everyone has learning differences. Not all children excel at academic tasks or learn new information as quickly as others. Give recognition for effort and perseverance, as these two traits will encourage achievement.
Noticing a child's effort is always encouraging.
Discuss the trials and solutions a child experiences when working towards their goal. It will help to broaden their awareness of stages they had to work through to accomplish it.
Try and change a child's perception on failures and mistakes, and teach them to embrace them. It will help them to accept disappointment, de- stress them and encourage perseverance.
Strike up a discussion with a child on how they plan to achieve a goal or challenge. If they come out with generic strategies such as 'I'm going to work harder!' ask them, how they plan to do this?
Avoid overloading a child with tasks. Let them enjoy the experience.
Remember, every child will work at a different pace, so be mindful of what theirs is so you can help to broaden their boundaries in a supportive way without unnecessary pressure.
Avoid covering up any mistakes a child has made and turn it into a talking point. The discussion will help them understand where it went wrong or how they can do it differently until they eventually reach the result they are after.
Using examples of people they admire to explain the steps they may have had to go through to reach their own goals is very powerful.
Children can relate to these examples and begin to understand that very few things are immediate. They need effort, belief, visualisation and perseverance to play an essential role when building a growth mindset.
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If you found this useful and would be interested in booking us for a more in-depth teacher training workshop on 'How to encourage and support a growth mindset', please get in touch through our booking form
Don't forget we also deliver Hum Bug's growth mindset workshop to children.
A free PDF version to keep is available...
Free PDF version
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