Growth Mindset

You may have heard our children talking about how they’ve been developing a ‘Growth Mindset’ at school. Every class has been looking at and learning about the two types of mindsets that children and adults can have, a ‘fixed’ mindset and a ‘growth’ mindset.

At St Michael at Bowes we are teaching our children about Mindsets and how having a growth mindset can help them to grow their brains and achieve their full potential. It is important for you to be aware of what it is, why it’s important, and how you can support it. You can find out more by following the link below.

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

Below is an overview of the traits of each mindset:

Fixed Mindset

I like my work to be easy.

I don’t like to try a challenge.

I want people to praise me for how clever I am.

I believe I cannot change how clever I am.

I don’t like to try new things because I won’t be very good at it.

I give up easily.

Growth Mindset

I never give up.

I like my work to be difficult – it means I am learning.

I love challenges.

I want people to praise me for the effort I put into my work.

I believe I can get more intelligent by working hard.

I feel clever when I’m learning something new.

I learn from my mistakes.

It has been proven that having a Growth Mindset can improve children’s progress and attainment. As a result, we are teaching our children that by having a Growth Mindset they can grow their brains and intelligence and achieve anything they want!

How we help your child to develop a growth mindset

  • When they first start school, we teach them about the brain and how it works. They learn how to learn effectively and support each other in their learning.
  • As they move through the school, they learn more about the brain, different intelligences and how to improve their memory;
  • We set high standards and help them believe they can reach them if they work hard and don’t give up;
  • We teach them strategies to help them get themselves out of ‘the learning pit’ when they get stuck, so they don’t rely on adults to tell them what to do;
  • We teach and encourage them to peer and self mark so they take ownership of their learning and are able to set their own targets for improvement;
  • We use the language of growth when they find something difficult. If they can’t do something we remind them that they can’t do it ‘yet’;
  • We help them to understand the importance of resilience when they are learning something new or challenging;
  • We praise process, effort and progress more than achievement.

How you can help at home

  • Praise the amount of effort your child is putting into things rather than how clever they are;
  • Talk to your children about their brain being like a muscle – the more they use it, the stronger it gets;
  • Encourage your children to not give up if they are finding something difficult.
  • Challenge and encourage your children to try something new or challenging