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October's Theme is: Growth Mindset!
October's SEL theme is Growth Mindset, defined for students as believing we can do or learn something if we keep trying even if it feels hard or uncomfortable, tying in the definition of growth as developing or changing over time through practice and hard work. Growth mindset statements can sound like:
I can do hard things
It's okay to ask for help
This may take some time and effort
I'm on the right track
I'll try a different strategy
I can't do it . . . yet!
Mistakes help me learn
Having a growth mindset is important because it helps us to keep trying when things feel hard, bounce back from setbacks, take on new challenges and try new things, and feel more confident in our abilities and capacity to achieve our goals.
What Research Says
The term and concept behind "Growth Mindset" was coined over 30 years ago by Stanford professor Dr. Carol Dweck, whose research into student attitudes about learning and failure transformed how we consider and foster academic achievement in children. After studying the behavior of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck defined growth mindset and fixed mindset to describe the underlying beliefs individuals had about their learning and intelligence, and how this influenced different children's abilities to either rebound quickly and effectively to setbacks or feel discouraged and unable to move forward. Most critically, Dweck's research showed that growth mindsets could be nurtured and developed: when students believe they can get smarter, and that effort makes them stronger, they devote greater time and effort into their academic pursuits, leading to higher achievement (MindsetWorks, n.d.).
To demonstrate the link between mindset and behavior, Dweck and her colleagues began a series of interventions to prove that cultivation of a growth mindset leads to increased motivation and achievement. For example, the graphic above shows a significant increase in math grades for 7th graders who were taught that intelligence is malleable, and influenced by effort more so than inherent ability (MindsetWorks, n.d.).
In addition to teaching kids about malleable intelligence, the researchers found that adult language had a big impact on student mindset: teacher feedback could either encourage children to keep trying or stay put. Praise that focused on intelligence level ("you are so smart;" "you got all the questions right") encouraged a fixed mindset, while praise that focused on effort and hard work (e.g. "wow, you worked so hard on that math problem for over five minutes!") reinforced a growth mindset and led to increased effort and academic achievement (MindsetWorks, n.d.).
As asserted by Mind Works (n.d.), the global leader in growth mindset development and research: "Not only does a Growth Mindset support academic motivation and achievement, but it directly impacts self-esteem and mental well-being. Students who receive growth mindset-based interventions show a statistically significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to students who do not receive mindset-based intervention, and have shown promise as an effective universal preventive program for mental health concerns. Across three randomized, controlled, double-blind trials of 9th grade students, for example, a growth mindset program led to a 36% relative reduction in the onset of clinically significant symptoms of depression over the 9-month school year, as assessed by the Children’s Depression Inventory. This effect was stronger for students who previously reported more of a fixed mindset. These findings were later confirmed in a comprehensive meta-analysis."
Learning about and reinforcing the importance of having a Growth Mindset is of particular importance at the beginning of a new school year as students are encouraged to step outside of their comfort zones, delve into new areas of content and styles of learning, and adjust to the academic expectations of a new grade-level. Focusing on Growth Mindset in October sets students up for success for the rest of the year!
MindsetWorks. (n.d.). Decases of scientific research that started a growth midnset revolution. MindsetWorks. https://www.mindsetworks.com/
science/; Yeager, D., Dweck, C. (2023). Mindsets and adolescent mental health. Nat. Mental Health, 1, 79–81.; Schleider, J. & Weisz, J. (2016). Reducing risk for anxiety and depression in adolescents: effects of a single-session intervention teaching that personality can change. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 87. 170-181.; Tao, W., Zhao, D., Yue, H., Horton, I., Tian, X., Xu, Z., Sun, H. (2022). The influence of growth mindset on the mental health and life events of college students. Front. Psychol, 13.
School-Wide Activity
For the school-wide activity, Growth Mindset Escape Room, students are invited to identify Growth Mindset statements and unlock a secret code to help them escape a Fixed Mindset!
Throughout the month of October, students will focus on growth mindset by:
Learning and developing skills and strategies for learning (listening, paying attention, following directions)
Using Growth Mindset language ("I can do it," "I can keep trying,") when learning something new
Creating Hopes and Dreams for the year
Celebrating mistakes
Books on Growth Mindset
What Do You Do With a Chance? — Kobi Yamada
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes — Mark Pett
What Do You Do With A Problem? - Kobi Yamada
The Koala Who Could - Rachel Bright
The Magical Yet - Angela DiTerlizzi
Snake's Big Mistake - Sarah Kurpiel
The Book of Mistakes - Corinna Luyken
Regina's Big Mistake - Marissa Moss
Bubble Gum Brain : Ready, Get Mindset... Grow! - Julia Cook
Abdul's Story - Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It - JoAnn Deak
My Monster and Me - Nadiya Hussain
Rosie Revere, Engineer - Andrea Beaty
Salt In His Shoes : Michael Jordan In Pursuit of a Dream - Deloris Jordan
The Dot - Peter H. Reynolds
The Most Magnificent Thing - Ashley Spires
Emmanuel's Dream : the True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah - Laurie Ann Thompson
Jabari Jumps - Gaia Cornwall
Y is for Yet - Shannon Anderson
The Power of Yeti -Rebecca Van Slyke
A Thousand Nos - DJ Corchin
The Power of Yet - Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Nope! - Drew Shenerman
You Can Live on the Bright Side - Lucy Bell
I Am Thinking My Life - Allysun Atwater
Home Support
To support the theme of growth mindset at home, please feel free to explore the following discussion questions and videos!
Why is a growth mindset important to learn and talk about at the beginning of the school year?
Who is someone you look up to (athlete, community member)? Do you think they used a fixed or growth mindset to get to where they are?
What is some growth mindset language you can use when feeling stuck or upset?
Comments or questions?
Email audrey_stein@needham.k12.ma.us
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