Empowering Young Minds: Foster a Growth Mindset in Children
Mind
10-12
Failures and challenges are inevitable! But how one perceives it and puts in the effort to learn from those failures keeps us going further in life. And the attitude to progress in life comes in handy with a growth mindset.
In this article, we will explore what exactly is a growth mindset and how it can be enhanced. We will also look into how Pragatti English Medium School in Pune empowers a growth mindset in their students.
Read More | Blueprint for Success: Nurturing Academic Growth from Childhood
What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is a proactive approach that can help your child flourish and be productive in diverse aspects of their personal and academic life. It not only welcomes learning but also boosts the self-esteem and self-worth of the child even in the face of big challenges. When your child employs a growth mindset in their day-to-day life, they accept more of their positive traits whilst working hard to improve on their weaknesses.
We often need to pay more attention to the significance of the right mindset that should be instilled in the child in their foundational years. A fixed mindset makes a person view their traits as fixed and resistant to change which can lead to bad decisions and less effort, thereby reducing the chances of success in an individual’s life.
A Comparison between Fixed and Growth Mindset
You can easily cite some traits in your child that can categorize them in one of the types of mindsets i.e. growth mindset/Fixed mindset. Listed here are a few comparisons between the two:
- Challenges: A child with a fixed mindset avoids challenges, they fear failure and are thus reluctant to do things out of their comfort zone. On the other hand, a child with a growth mindset sees challenges as opportunities to make mistakes, learn & grow.
- Criticism: A child with a fixed mindset doesn’t take up criticism sportingly. They either take it as an attack or try to avoid it to look smart. However, a growth mindset in kids helps them constructively accept criticism, leading to overall improvement.
- Inspiration: A child with a growth mindset feels inspired when others succeed however a fixed mindset makes the child threatened, and jealous, leading to unhealthy competition.
- Learning: A child with a growth mindset is not only a self-learner but also seeks help from multiple sources (teachers, friends, family, community, etc). A child with fixed mindsets easily gives up once they can't achieve certain goals. They lack persistence.
Tips to Enhance Growth Mindset in Your Child
By now, you understand how important an emotionally healthy mindset is for your child. To help your child develop a growth mindset, here are some excellent tips to make them more successful and, most importantly, a lifelong learner:
Make Efforts
Describe the efforts put in by your child and not the result. Eg. If your child can solve a difficult math problem, instead of saying, "I’m so proud of you!" or "You are so smart" etc. Say, "I see that you have been practicing every day" or "I see that you sought help from your teacher, putting in the extra after-school time and now you can solve that math problem".
When you say things like "I'm so proud of you!" or "You are so smart," you are telling your child they are only smart because they solved a math problem. Instead, focus on their efforts. This helps them develop the habit of trying, practicing, and persisting. We know it's hard not to praise your child, but with practice, it will get easier.
Remove the Negations
Children, and even adults, tend to use negative words like not”, “can't”, and “won't”, and that too a lot more time than they should. Consistent use of such negations can lead to the destruction of self-worth, making one’s mindset fixed and rigid. Once parents and adults stop using these negative words, children are also most likely to follow suit.
Learning not Failing
Do not emphasize failure if your child makes a mistake, fails, or scores less in any activity or exam. Refrain from comparing your child with others, be it intentionally or unintentionally. Instead, ask them to focus on what they have learnt from their experience. Ask them, what can they do to improve? Sit together and come up with solutions.
Growth Mindset Books
There are plenty of books available in the market which through storytelling tries to instill a growth mindset in your kids. A few of them are:
- Bubble Gum Brain (Julia Cook)
- Making a Splash (Carol Reiley)
- Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It (JoAnn Deak)
Digital Platforms and Apps
Information & help are now available at your fingertips thanks to the digital era. We found a perfect app that will empower you as a parent to foster not only a growth mindset in your child but also other 21st-century skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, effective communication, grit, financial literacy, values, etc.
Check Out: What it Means to Develop the 'Inner Self' of a Child
Pragatti English Medium School: Empowering Growth
Pragatti English Medium School, among the top schools in Dhanori, Pune, was established in the year 1997. The school is affiliated with the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) and has a clear and stated goal to empower every learner with all-rounded education and academic as well as character development.
One of the best schools in Pune, Pragatti English Medium School strongly emphasises the development of moral and cultural values of the students. Thus, the activities and programmes conducted in the school seek to foster positive values such as honesty, respect as well as empathy. Daily assemblies, teachers’ and students’ performances, and organized community service activities are core principles of schooling at this school. Such measures aid the students in grasping the aim of ethics and social responsibility.
The school provides for the holistic development of children through recognition and encouragement of children’s participation in co-curricular events namely; music, drama, dance, games and arts among others. The annual sports day and cultural fest are memorable activities where students can display their skills and unify creating a spirit of teamwork. Recognizing the role that a home environment plays for the students, Pragatti English Medium School fosters parental engagement through parent-teacher association meetings and parental training sessions.
For more information on this and similar schools in the area, check out this list of the best schools in Pune.
