7th February 2019 Kirsten Taylor & Sinead McEwan GROWTH MINDSET 7th February 2019 Kirsten Taylor & Sinead McEwan

Growth mindset Carol Dweck began the research on Growth Mindset because she was interested in understanding why some children are so resilient in the face of challenges while others are not. She found that people hold one of two very different beliefs about intelligence. Fixed Mindset – You are born with intelligence and there is nothing you can do to change it. Growth Mindset – The brain is like a muscle that grows with effort and there are no limits to what you can learn and achieve.

What is a growth mindset? A ‘growth mindset’ refers to a person’s way of thinking, the way they approach their learning and their willingness to take on new challenges. A person who demonstrates a growth mindset is willing to listen to advice and act upon it, stretch themselves, embrace challenge, persevere and remain resilient when tasks are difficult. Studies show that it is people with a growth mindset and not a fixed mindset who achieve in life and are successful in all they do and are happy. A person who demonstrates a growth mindset does not give up.

How can you develop your child’s growth mindset at home? Set high expectations for your child Encourage children to be resilient, even when they find something difficult Celebrate mistakes Use inspirational role models Favourite musicians, athletes etc.

Praise effort and perseverance: Well done your learning to… You’re finding it hard? Good – it’s making you think - that’s how your brain is growing! Every time you practice it is making the connections in your brain get stronger Be brave! Have another go! Maybe this time you could… You’ve worked hard on this and succeeded because… Mistakes are good…learn from it and think what to do next time Show an interest and ask open ended questions: Tell me about it, show me more How did you do that? How many ways did you try before it turned out the way you wanted it?

Encourage your child to take a risk: Gently nudge your child to push themselves and see challenge as a positive part of their learning Where possible, encourage them to try things that see ‘just out of reach’ Offer small but achievable challenges at home – don’t make everything too easy Try to model a Growth Mindset Yourself: Let your child know when you find something tough and talk through this Try not to talk about yourself in a fixed mindset way e.g. ‘I was awful at maths at school and that was it’…this leads them to think the future is pre-determined. Accidents and mistakes happen - encourage your child to not be scared of these. Talk about what works and doesn’t - learn together When you do learn from a mistake - celebrate this!

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. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence. – Carol Dweck