Children with a fixed mindset believe that their own intelligence and talent are innate traits that don’t change (“I just can’t learn math.”).

These children typically worry about not looking smart, get upset by mistakes, and give up sooner on tough tasks. Children with a growth mindset believe that ability can change as a result of effort, perseverance, and practice (“Math is hard, but if I keep trying, I can get better at it.”). Children with a growth mindset see mistakes as ways to learn, embrace challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks.Whether or not kids are aware of their mindset, a broad body of research has shown that what they believe about their own intelligence can affect their effort, engagement, motivation, and achievement in school as measured by test scores, school grades, passing rate in post-secondary education, and other metrics

“We must resist thinking in siloed terms when it comes to social-emotional learning (SEL), academics, and equity. Rather, these elements of our work as educators and partners go hand in hand.”

HEAD & HEART,
TransformEd & ANet