October 28th, 2015

We have been working to build a “growth mindset” culture in our school. What does that mean? It means that we believe that each individual’s intelligence can be grown or developed with persistence, effort, and a focus on learning. This includes learning from our mistakes. We are constantly reminding students that they have the ability to get smarter because our brains are always growing and getting stronger. In fact, our brains are like a muscle—the more we use it, the stronger it gets. That means that when we learn something new that is challenging, we need to keep practising because that makes our brain stronger. You will hear students and staff saying, I just haven’t figured it out YET but I will learn it by practising, sticking with it and not giving up!

One way that parents can really help their children develop a “growth mindset” is by carefully choosing the words that are used when they praise them. Every word parents say and action they perform sends a message to their children. These words and actions tell Children how to think about themselves. Parents should always praise their child’s effort instead of praising accomplishments.

The following table includes some examples to help develop and reinforce a growth mindset:

Do NOT Say	Do Say
You are really athletic!	You really work hard and pay attention when you are on that field!
You are so smart!	You work hard in school and it shows!
Your drawing is wonderful; you are my little artist.	I can see you have been practising your drawing; what a great improvement!
You always get good grades; that makes me happy.	When you put forth effort, it really shows in your grades. You should be proud of yourself. We are proud of you!

So, the next time you are ready to praise your child, stop and think about how to use that opportunity to praise his or her EFFORT instead of accomplishments.

Keep Watching our website because we will be posting messages from our Grade 6 students regarding MINDSET!!