Strategies to Foster a Growth Mindset for Kids in the Classroom
January 27, 2025
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Why are some elementary students more motivated to learn and grow than others? Mindset plays a big part. Developing a growth mindset in the classroom encourages students to overcome obstacles and work toward improvement. In this blog, we’re exploring the differences between fixed and growth mindsets in education. Plus, we’re sharing how movement-based learning strategies can help students adopt a growth mindset.
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A growth mindset for kids is the belief that skills and intelligence can be developed with effort. Although the idea seems simple enough, many kids (and adults) do not think this way.
Many people see their intelligence as a static, unchangeable part of themselves. These individuals believe effort doesn’t always result in improvement. They are considered to have a fixed mindset. This mentality limits self-esteem, work ethic, and ability to perform tasks meaningfully.
On the other hand, a growth mindset in kids is the belief that hard work will help one learn new skills. These kids understand that ability can be developed with effort. This way of thinking allows children to gain confidence in learning new things, knowing they can improve.
“Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset,” wrote Carol Dweck, a psychologist, researcher, and professor at Standford University.
Dweck has spent the last several decades studying human motivations and self-concepts and their impact on achievement. Initially, students’ attitudes toward failure intrigued Dweck. As she studied children’s behavior, she noticed that some students rebounded quickly after a setback while others lost all motivation to try again.
In 2006, Dweck published her findings in her book titled Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Here, she coined the terms “growth mindset” and “fixed mindset” to describe people’s beliefs about intelligence, abilities, and talents.
Thanks to modern neuroscience and research, we know that the brain is malleable. Connections between neurons can change, new connections can form, and existing ones can grow stronger through experience. In other words, our actions change our brains.
For example, aspiring musicians strengthen and develop their neural networks for playing the piano every time they practice. This results in smooth songs with fewer mistakes. Similarly, more studying and practice will also improve students’ academic performance.
So, someone with a fixed mindset might say, “I’ll never be good at writing!” The truth is if they read more, practiced writing, and considered feedback, they could greatly improve their writing skills.
A growth mindset for students is defined as the belief that putting effort into schoolwork will result in academic success. Students with this growth mindset in education study, pay attention in class and show that they want to learn.
Contrarily, students with a fixed mindset may not try to learn because they do not believe they will become smarter. They think failure is proof of their limited potential. This perspective hinders growth.
Students who understand that their abilities can grow will be much more motivated to learn! These students become better thinkers, better teammates, and overall better people as a result.
A student with a fixed mindset:
A student with a growth mindset:
A growth mindset and education go hand-in-hand. Students will try to learn when they know that it will result in expanded skills and knowledge that they can use in daily life.
In fact, Dweck’s research revealed that students who were taught a growth mindset in the classroom went on to perform better academically.
Encouraging a growth mindset in the classroom is important because it:
Growth mindset teaching strategies can profoundly impact a student’s future. Here are five daily strategies educators can use in their classrooms.
Present new concepts visually, audibly, and kinesthetically to keep every student engaged in lessons. In traditional classrooms, educators often overlook movement and tactile activities as effective teaching strategies.
Many students learn best kinesthetically. Movement can be the key to helping them realize that they can expand their knowledge.
Kinesthetic learning activities boost learning comprehension and memory retention. When students are physically active, blood flow and oxygen levels increase in the brain. As a result, the brain can function at optimal levels for learning. Additionally, proteins released in the brain during exercise support the function and growth of new neurons!
Physical activity can change, strengthen, and form new neural connections in our brains. Pair kinesthetic activities with school lessons, and students will come to understand how malleable their minds are!
Young elementary school students never like to sit still for long periods. Allowing them to move during lessons results in improved focus and engagement.
Your students look up to you. The way you talk about yourself and your challenges has an impact on them.
Say a student asks you a question you don’t know the answer to. Responding with, “I don’t know, but I will find out and get back to you!” shows that you can learn new things.
Normalizing difficulties and failure is important. For example, imagine your students learning multiplication for the first time. Sharing your own experience can make a difference when students feel discouraged.
You may say, “When I first learned multiplication, I remember getting all the questions wrong on the pre-test. I looked back at my work and realized that I was skip-counting incorrectly. My post-test score was much higher after I practiced skip counting more!”
Modeling a growth mindset for kids helps them understand that mistakes are part of the learning process.
Dweck also concluded from her studies that educators should focus on praising students’ efforts toward learning and tackling challenges. By doing so, educators encourage students to grow and reinforce the idea that ability can be improved.
Many educators default to giving general praise or praising outcomes. However, there is a way to phrase acclaim so students know that the goal is expanding their knowledge rather than having innate talent.
Instead of:
Say:
Positive affirmations are a simple and effective way to foster a growth mindset in the classroom. A 2015 study found that self-affirmation increases activity in brain areas linked to self-processing and reward.
Short, quick statements can reduce stress, reshape negative thought patterns, and promote a positive self-image. Affirmations lead students to believe they can learn and do great things! This is exactly what growth mindset strategies should do for your students.
Our positive affirmation stickers make it easy to incorporate uplifting thoughts into your students’ daily lives.
Place these stickers on your notebooks, papers, floors, or anywhere around the classroom! Practice positive affirmations with your class daily to boost confidence and build self-esteem. Our stickers are laminated, made to last, and come in multiple sizes.
Here are some growth mindset activities for the classroom.
Grades: 3-5
Provide journals for students to reflect on their learning process. Give your students writing prompts like:
To make it a movement-based activity, lay out the 100 Word Hop floor mat in the classroom. Have students use a certain number of words from the mat in their journal entry. Encourage them to walk on the mat to find new words.
Not only does this activity help promote a growth mindset in education, but it also helps build vocabulary and provides writing practice! Plus, this mat presents sight words in a visual and tactile way for the various learners in your classroom.
Grades: 3-4
First, have students complete a pre-test and note their scores at the start of a new multiplication unit. Proceed with the day’s or week’s lesson, and then have students take a post-test.
Next, instruct your students to compare their post-test and pre-test scores. Ask them how much they improved. This simple growth mindset strategy reinforces the idea that hard work results in progress.
To make it a movement-based activity, use our Skip Counting floor mats during your multiplication lessons. Students can jump on these mats to solve problems. The physical act of hopping on the visually engaging mat helps reinforce learning. Plus, the mats make multiplication a kinesthetic experience, which engages learners who might struggle to understand the concept visually or audibly.
Grades: K-5
Play “Simon Says” to review concepts with your students on the Add/Subtract (1-100) mat. Ask them to follow the leader’s instructions, such as standing on an even number, putting their right hand on a prime number, or any other grade-level appropriate task.
If a student makes a mistake, ask them to say something positive about themselves before moving to the side of the mat. Growth mindset strategies should help students realize that they do not have to feel bad when they make a mistake.
Grades: Pre-K-2
Place every student’s name on a strip of paper or a popsicle stick and put them in a hat or container. Have each student pick one name randomly out of the container. Ask students to find their partner and think of an affirmation and a movement to teach to the rest of the class.
For example, it could be a fun handshake or dance move while they say, “I am creative!”
The rest of the class does each pair’s movement and affirmation. This activity provides a quick, uplifting movement break during the school day!
A growth mindset in education is what allows kids to succeed academically and professionally. Elementary school is a crucial time for setting attitudes towards learning. Implementing growth mindset strategies for kids can make a huge difference in how they view mistakes and challenges.
Pairing a growth mindset in education with kinesthetic activities changes the way kids view learning. With movement-based strategies, students feel like they can expand their knowledge, enjoy school, and succeed in different areas!
Movement isn't just for recess
Want to get started with movement-based learning right now? Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
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