What is a growth mindset?
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Created using Canva. View the printable poster here.
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I created this poster to share with families about developing a growth mindset. I've added it to this post because I think it helps to bring understanding to what a growth mindset is and how it is developed.
The graphic above is a graphic I thought really illustrated the idea of a growth mindset. I think this is an effective chart for grades 1 to 3 because it directly connects the words we use to talk about our learning with the growth of our brains. It's also very visually appealing and provides examples of language we can use to have a growth mindset. The different elements, colours, and contrasts clearly show the difference behind a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. On the left, the brain is dull with no colour, which to me means no synapses firing up and few connections being made, and beside it are phrases that show a fixed mindset that you are innately good or bad at something. On the right, we have a brain that is full of colour -new connections are being made and synapses are lighting up! Beside this brain are phrases that are positive and show that this brain believes that it can become smarter and learn new things. The brain on the right puts forth an effort and doesn't give up easily; this is a growth mindset!
Some anchor books to help students develop a growth mindset include:
Growth Mindset Anchor Books | Growth Mindset Books (Grades K-3) |
“The Book of Mistakes” By Corinna Luyken | This book is about working through mistakes. In the story, a child makes mistakes when drawing, but instead of getting hung up on the mistakes, they decide to use the mistakes and create new things from them. With every mistake the child makes, they are able to rework it into something that makes the picture more magical. |
“What Do You Do with a Problem?” By Kobi Yamada | This book is about confronting challenges. In this story, a little boy discovers he has a problem. He thinks about his problem all the time and his worry consumes him. The more he worries the bigger his problem becomes. He tries ignoring and avoiding his problem, but that doesn’t help. Finally, he bravely faces his problem! In facing his problem he learns that the problem actually helps him learn and grow! |
“The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do” By Ashley Spires | This is a book about overcoming a fixed mindset and being open to new challenges. In this story, Lou and her friends are always going on adventures, then, one day when playing outside, her friends decide they want to play pirates IN A TREE! Lou has never climbed a tree before and she doesn’t even want to climb that tree anyway… or does she? Lou notices her friends having so much fun and she starts to feel like she is missing out. Eventually, Lou musters up some courage and tries her hardest to climb the tree. She doesn’t make it this time, but she’s not giving up. |
Calm App | While this isn't an anchor book, I've added it in to help students with mindfulness because it can encourage self-awareness. This app is a meditation and mindfulness app free for teachers that provides a variety of calming sounds, instrumental music, stories, and guided meditation. The guided meditation tracks vary in lengths from 3 to 6 mins leading children through breathing exercises and more. They are organized by age range. The calming sounds and instrumental music are great for music listening activities or to have on low volume in the classroom as background noise. |
I have been working on a unit plan for the month of September to help my future grades develop a growth mindset. Please have a look and feel free to use it, adapt it, or share it!
Growth Mindset Unit Plan <-----
References:
Decades of Scientific Research that Started a Growth Mindset Revolution. https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/Default.
The Impact of a Growth Mindset. Science Impact. https://www.mindsetworks.com/Science/Impact.
Montanez, A. (2017, August 18). Remembering marian c. diamond [blog]. Scientific american. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/sa-visual/remembering-marian-c-diamond/
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