Importance of Growth Mindset for Children

A growth mindset for children is pivotal in shaping their approach to learning and personal development. This article delves into its definition, significance, and practical teaching strategies.

By equipping children with the tools to confront challenges, nurturing growth mindset establishes a robust foundation for their future success, offering clear and practical guidance for future endeavours.

Table Of Contents

What is a Growth Mindset?
Benefits of a Growth Mindset for Children
How UNIS Hanoi Promotes a Growth Mindset for Children
Nurture A Growth Mindset For Children With UNIS Hanoi

What is a Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is the belief that we can cultivate intelligence and abilities through dedication, effort, and effective strategies.

Developed by psychologist Carol Dweck through her research at Stanford University, this concept contrasts sharply with a fixed mindset, where individuals perceive their capabilities as static and unchangeable. Indeed, students with a growth mindset embrace challenges, view failure as an opportunity to learn, and maintain a passion for self-improvement, fostering resilience and achievement.

Conversely, a fixed mindset leads learners to avoid difficulties, fearing failure reflects inherent limitations, thus stifling progress. While a growth mindset drives a desire to overcome obstacles, a fixed mindset prioritises appearing competent over genuine learning. This distinction shapes how people approach goals and interpret setbacks, influencing their potential for success.

Ultimately, a growth mindset positions the brain as adaptable and capable of expanding through persistent effort.

Benefits of a Growth Mindset for Children

A growth mindset substantially benefits children, , strengthening academic tenacity and emotional fortitude. Below are key benefits supported by this approach:

Reduces stress and nervousness: School pressures like tests and tight deadlines often spark anxiety. A growth mindset helps students see setbacks as temporary, enabling a calmer approach and easing the weight of perceived failure.
Makes children more adaptable to changes: School life involves constant shifts – new subjects, routines, or relationships. Children cultivate flexibility and diminish distress by viewing change as an avenue for development.
Boosts children’s self-esteem: Confidence rises when students view their skills as improvable. Addressing weaknesses becomes constructive, fostering a balanced, optimistic sense of self rooted in effort and potential.
Enables children to develop new skills: A growth mindset promotes enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge and competencies. Students become more willing to tackle unfamiliar tasks, persisting through difficulties to master new abilities.
Teaches children to seek and appreciate feedback: Constructive criticism becomes a valuable tool for improvement rather than a source of discouragement. This mindset cultivates openness to others’ insights, enhancing personal growth and interpersonal skills.

Benefits of a Growth Mindset for Children

How UNIS Hanoi Promotes a Growth Mindset for Children

At UNIS Hanoi, we are committed to fostering a growth mindset in students, enabling them to approach learning with resilience and enthusiasm. Below are our 6 key strategies with practical examples that illustrate their application in an academic setting.

Celebrate the Journey

Acknowledging effort over solely outcomes is the core of developing a growth mindset for children.

We praise the process with phrases like, “You’ve worked remarkably hard!” or “That was tough, yet you pressed on!” Encouraging feedback can highlight their determination and build a sense of pride in their journey.

When students feel discouraged, we encourage them to look back on past triumphs – perhaps how they once found reading arduous but now enjoy full books easily.

One hands-on task involves students interviewing family or community members about overcoming challenges, posing questions like, “What difficulty did you face?” or “How did you push through?” These discussions deepen their understanding of progress and resilience.

Embrace Mistakes and Obstacles

We encourage our students to perceive mistakes as stepping stones to learning.

One engaging method is the Grit Pie Activity, where a problem is broken into “slices” of causes. Students assess if these are temporary or self-attributed, learning to view setbacks as controllable with effort. This practice builds grit and perseverance, traits proven to outweigh traditional predictors of academic success.

By celebrating errors as brain-growing moments and asking, “What fabulous struggles did you face today?” we can shift their perspective to see challenges as positive opportunities for development.

Set a Positive Example

Modelling a growth mindset for children can empower them to take ownership of their learning journey. We share our own learning experiences – perhaps a new skill like cooking or repairing something at home – demonstrating optimism and the process of improvement through practice or tutorials.

Stories play a key role, too; we use books and films featuring characters overcoming adversity. For example, discussing how a protagonist tackled a challenge and the strategies employed reinforces the learning process.

Exposure to narratives and real-life examples illustrates that effort and adaptability are key to progress, motivating students to emulate these traits in their endeavours.

Share the Science of Growth

Understanding the brain’s growth capacity enhances students’ appreciation of a growth mindset. We explain its plasticity – how practice strengthens neural connections – making learning tangible.

In one-on-one sessions, we review their past hurdles, like mastering a tricky concept, and plan future steps, boosting their confidence. These conversations link scientific insights to personal growth, showing how effort expands their minds.

Discussing a chosen challenge, we guide them towards mastery, cultivating a strong sense of belief in their potential.

Offer Fresh Experiences

New experiences spark curiosity and resilience. Activities like the Hard Thing Activity encourage students to select a challenging task – perhaps writing an extended essay or learning a musical piece – and persist until mastery. Supporting them through initial difficulties builds confidence as they witness their skills develop. This activity could extend beyond the classroom, such as tackling a family puzzle or exploring a new sport.

By framing these as opportunities to expand their capabilities, students learn to embrace novelty. Persistence in these tasks reinforces the idea that effort yields growth, broadening their horizons and self-belief.

Implement Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning immerses students in real-world problem-solving, embedding a growth mindset naturally.

Educators can begin with a survey to gauge their attitudes and help them set personal goals. The Comparison Chart Activity uses T-charts to contrast growth and fixed-mindset statements, clarifying differences visually.

Through projects, students research unfamiliar topics, refine their work, and collaborate – asking questions, persevering, and giving feedback. This fosters a sense of purpose and community, showing them that continuous improvement is achievable and rewarding.

UNIS Hanoi cultivates a growth mindset for children through our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) and project-based learning (PBL).

The IB PYP, designed for ages 3-11, promotes open-mindedness and curiosity, encouraging young learners to explore actively rather than passively receive knowledge.

With our adept teachers’ support, students take part in practical tasks that sharpen teamwork and reasoning skills, cultivating confidence and flexibility. This groundwork prepares them for success in multicultural environments while linking classroom lessons to life’s broader challenges.

Additionally, our Grade 2 Courage Day exemplifies this approach by embedding perseverance – a core UNIS value.

Students select challenging activities, ranked on a “just right” scale, and employ strategies like positive self-talk and seeking help. Reflections post-event reveal enhanced resilience and enthusiasm for challenges, instilling their belief in their potential.

Through our IB programs and PBL, we provide a multicultural environment that celebrates diversity, ensuring holistic growth.

By nurturing inquisitiveness and courage, we equip students to navigate a globalised world with confidence and an enduring growth mindset, ready to embrace opportunities and overcome obstacles with determination.

Nurture A Growth Mindset For Children With UNIS Hanoi

A growth mindset for children is key to UNIS Hanoi’s philosophy: our approach builds students’ capacity to overcome obstacles and grow, ensuring readiness for a complex world.

Join us to cultivate this mindset in your child. Apply now for the 2025-2026 academic year at UNIS Hanoi by contacting our admissions team at admissions@unishanoi.org for personalised support.