Helping at Home: Promoting a Growth Mindset

If you’re an educator, it’s been hard to miss the buzz about growth mindset and its impact on learning and achievement these past few years. The role families play in shaping children’s beliefs about themselves and their attitudes toward learning is invaluable.

Carol Dweck, originator of the term growth mindset, says, “If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning.”

Based on Jennifer Christensen’s post “Partnering with Families Toward a Growth Mindset,” this Helping at Home handout titled “How Do I Promote a Growth Mindset in Mathematics?” offers families guidance on encouraging a growth mindset in their children. 

If you’d like to learn more about growth mindset, check out the following blog posts:

• The Importance of a Growth Mindset by Andy Bishop. A teacher shares insights about growth mindset in a classroom setting.

• Mindset Matters Most by Daniel Raguse. This post invites educators to think more about their own growth mindset.

The following posts offer suggestions for supporting growth mindset in a Bridges classroom:

• Sewing Together Geometry, Seesaw & a Growth Mindset by Caitlyn and Laura. Two second-grade teachers highlight their Unit 6 success stories.

• It’s Never Too Early to Teach Growth Mindset by Heather Neu. Listen as kindergarten students reflect on their growth as mathematicians.

• Three Tips for Teaching Perfectionistic Students by Andy Bishop. Learn how to support a growth mindset in self-critical students.

• Truly Wonderful & Getting Better by Alison Fox Mazzola. Here is an easy-to-implement phrase that teachers can use to spark positivity in students.

Welcome to our Helping at Home series. If you have ideas for future topics to support families, please share them in the comments section below. Up next: Mathematical Practice Cards for Families.