The Importance of Fostering a Growth Mindset in Children
“I can do this.”
It is a small yet powerful affirmation. This is how a child thinks who has a growth mindset.
Children with a growth mentality think they can develop their skills and abilities. It fosters a belief in children that they can accomplish anything by honing their talent through practice, effort, and increased awareness of their talents or abilities.
On the other hand, a fixed mindset instills a belief in young minds that their talents and skills are inborn and static. Thus, they can’t change or get worse. These two mindsets are the cornerstones of whether a child succeeds or fails.
That is to say, when you teach growth mindsets, you help children maintain a positive mind frame so they can thrive personally and academically in life. Keep reading to learn more about the growth mindset and why it is crucial to foster in children.
What is a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is a conviction that you can truly boost your intelligence and talents through hard work and perseverance. This theory holds that children are not constrained by a specific range of abilities or degree of thinking or intelligence they are born with. These areas are truly cultivable and can grow with the proper education.
Carol Dweck, an educational psychologist, first used the phrase “growth mindset” in The New Psychology of Success, which was her first book. Since then, parents and educators have started assisting kids in developing unique thinking patterns to help them overcome obstacles and keep an optimistic outlook on everything.
Carol Dweck-an American Psychologist and psychology professor, further highlighted the difference between a growth mentality and a fixed mindset. People with a fixed mindset think that each of us was given a specific hand. The book also shows that everyone has a certain amount of aptitude, skill set, strengths, and weaknesses in many areas. They are born with it.
However, many studies have proven that kids with a growth mindset are happier, healthier, and more successful.
Why Instilling and Nurturing Growth Mindset in Children is Important
Many studies demonstrate that students do better academically when they think they can increase their brain size and become even smarter. According to studies, children with a growth mentality perform better in math and enroll in more challenging programs or courses.
However, children with a fixed attitude concentrate more on the outcomes of a situation, like final grades. To feel better, they might compare their academic performance with the kids who got lower grades than them.
On the other side, younger children with a growth mindset focus on learning from errors and mistakes to advance and enhance their abilities. That means the right kids’ mindset can prepare a child for a successful life by instilling growth ideas at a young age. Nurturing a growth mindset in your child is crucial as it encourages them to:
- Take risks
- Be open to trying new things
- Appreciate the process and recognize the significance of learning
- Approach obstacles with a positive outlook
- Take responsibility for mistakes made
- Work hard
- Looking for possibilities, options and solutions
- Become more resilient to challenges
First, guardians, parents, educators or instructors must develop a growth mindset to foster one in others. According to experts, parents’ rigid viewpoints may prevent their kids from performing well in school, especially reading.
The pupils that improved the greatest had parents who supported a growth attitude, according to parent interventions carried out by the researchers. The parents who rejected the growth mindset philosophy thought their child’s reading skills were fixed. They believed their children’s participation in the experiment didn’t impact their reading performance. Unfortunately, these students suffered because of the fixed mindset approach.
A growth mindset facilitator believes that every student can learn and succeed. They know complimenting children on their effort is crucial rather than just praising their talent or intelligence. The intellectual potential of children is greatly enhanced when parents compliment their child’s effort instead of their specific performance.
Difference between a Growth Mindset and a Fixed Mindset
As mentioned earlier, having a growth mindset means you think your mind can develop and has immense learning potential for new things. Typically, the phenomenon is based on the idea that “you can become smart; you are not born smart.”
To understand how a growth mindset works, you can think of it as a muscle that gets bigger and stronger when you exercise, much like lifting weights.
On the flip side, a fixed mindset is a reverse philosophy. It is the idea that you are incapable of learning new things. You cannot become smarter; your knowledge and abilities are fixed when you’re born. The phenomenon is not only restrictive but also prevents young minds from leveraging the power of the brain. It hinders the brain’s ability to see things from various perspectives while limiting its possibility to think creatively and critically.
However, inculcating a growth mentality in children results in a “can do” attitude. With a progressive kids mindset, children see difficulties as chances to advance and learn. They don’t use expressions like “I can’t do it,” “I’m not good enough at something,” and “This is too hard.”
They believe in their abilities and say things like, “I might not be able to accomplish it yet,” “This seems tough right now, but I can try to accomplish it,” and “I will learn how to do this!”
The goal of growth mindset training is the same as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Both require rewiring the brain’s metacognitive thinking and changing unconstructive and pessimistic approaches into positive ones. For children with a growth mindset, challenges are not hurdles but growth opportunities.
Benefits of a Growth Mindset
Improves Your Self-Esteem
Children’s self-confidence depends on having a growth mindset. Kids adopting this perspective have a realistic assessment of their skills, aptitudes, and talents, allowing them to hone their strengths and improve their flaws. They learn never to quit on whatever challenge they encounter and put a lot of effort into overcoming them.
It assures them that they can succeed if they put in the necessary effort and time to study and work. It enables individuals to do what they were previously unable to, which boosts their self-esteem and encourages them to make and pursue their dreams and goals since they are confident they can succeed.
Helps Explore New Possibilities and Learn Skills
Because a growth mindset makes children more open to learning new skills and things they do not know, they find that they can gain new skills if they are interested in learning something new. With a growth mindset, your child will strive to accomplish the goals that they set for themselves.
Prepares Children for Future Success
Children will find plenty of opportunities where others see obstacles if they have a growth mindset. Fostering a growth mindset in children prepare them for future success and strengthens their mental capability to see and assess things critically.
They develop the power to recognize the challenges and deal with them using a positive and constructive approach. A rigid mindset, however, gives up before exploring alternatives. It unconsciously misses the opportunity since the brain is aware of its limited natural qualities or abilities and will not put forth the effort necessary to improve them.
A growth mindset is trained to look for fresh beginnings for new possibilities. It helps children learn to find solutions to problems using creative abilities.
Take up New Challenges
Life is full of challenges that may come in a variety of ways. Although these challenges are small, children need to learn how to deal with them. Children with a growth mentality will know how to find a solution to every issue until it is solved rather than giving up or complaining.
They don’t blame the situation as a growth mentality encourages them to take up challenges with a positive mind. It instills confidence and self-esteem in children so they can solve any issue and experience greater success individually and collectively.
Summing Up
Children nowadays need to feel safe and discover confidence in their abilities more than ever. A growth mindset leads them on a road of ongoing self-improvement, which will help them in all facets of their lives.
Children become more open to new information, indirectly increasing their receptivity to future learning. They are more likely to engage with their learning when they believe they can accomplish anything with effort. It aids in changing behavior and thinking of alternatives and solutions instead of staying stuck on the issue.
Enrolling your children in growth mindset courses is highly beneficial and support to their education and learning style. It also nurtures the child’s psyche, emotional awareness while strengthening their individuality. Montessori Professional Training Canada offers comprehensive Growth Mindset courses and programs for children up to the age of 9.
Click here to learn more about how a growth mindset can let your kid learn and explore via their senses.
