Helping Kids Create a Dynamic-Learning Mindset
Those of us who work with children or who have children of our own have been in a situation where a child has shut down and declares, "I'll never be good at this."
Typically, we adults empathize with the frustrated kid because we know that learning something new can be frustrating. So what do we usually say? "Don't worry, you'll get it. You're smart!"
We say this because we know it's true: The child will get this because they've figured things out before. However, when we say things like "you're smart", we are actually doing more harm than good.
In his book Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives, Peter H. Johnston makes a compelling argument to be careful about how we respond to kids. Johnston explains that when we say things like "you're smart", research shows that we are actually telling kids you are either smart or you are not. We are reinforcing what Johnston and Carol Dweck call a "fixed mindset". This is a state of mind from where the phrase "I'm not good at this" comes. Kids (and adults) believe that you either get it or you don't when research actually suggests otherwise.
Johnston suggests that the words we use can help kids change their mindset to more of a "dynamic-learning" mindset, where the possibility of learning and getting better at something drives us to keep at something that is challenging. Instead of saying "I'm not good at ________", we should be teaching kids to think "I'm not good at this yet." Doing so will reinforce many positive outcomes:
In his book Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives, Peter H. Johnston makes a compelling argument to be careful about how we respond to kids. Johnston explains that when we say things like "you're smart", research shows that we are actually telling kids you are either smart or you are not. We are reinforcing what Johnston and Carol Dweck call a "fixed mindset". This is a state of mind from where the phrase "I'm not good at this" comes. Kids (and adults) believe that you either get it or you don't when research actually suggests otherwise.
Johnston suggests that the words we use can help kids change their mindset to more of a "dynamic-learning" mindset, where the possibility of learning and getting better at something drives us to keep at something that is challenging. Instead of saying "I'm not good at ________", we should be teaching kids to think "I'm not good at this yet." Doing so will reinforce many positive outcomes:
- Kids will take more risks with their learning;
- Kids will not be afraid of failing;
- Kids will discover that learning is mostly an experience in not knowing at first.
To underscore these outcomes, Johnston cites a study by Dweck of children and fixed versus growth mindsets. Researchers had two groups of students take a "non-verbal-reasoning" test. One group of children was told after taking the test, "This is your score. It's a very good score. You must have worked hard." Researchers told the other group of students, "This is your score. It's a very good score. You must be smart."
Next, both groups of students were told that the next day they were going to take more of the tests but that they could choose the next one. They could take an easy one, like the one they already took, or one that is more challenging but one from which they might learn more.
We would expect the kids who were told they were "smart" would have a boost in their self-esteem and take the challenging test. However, only about one-third of the "you-must-be-smart" group took the challenging test.
On the other hand, more than 90% of the "you-must-have-worked-hard" students took the challenging test (p. 12). Furthermore, the "worked-hard" students did better than they did on the first test. And the "you-must-be-smart" kids? You guessed it - they did worse than they did on the first test (p. 13).
Such a small difference in language can have profound effects on how kids see themselves as learners and how we adults can help create a foundation for success. I highly recommend parents and teacher read Opening Minds.
Next, both groups of students were told that the next day they were going to take more of the tests but that they could choose the next one. They could take an easy one, like the one they already took, or one that is more challenging but one from which they might learn more.
We would expect the kids who were told they were "smart" would have a boost in their self-esteem and take the challenging test. However, only about one-third of the "you-must-be-smart" group took the challenging test.
On the other hand, more than 90% of the "you-must-have-worked-hard" students took the challenging test (p. 12). Furthermore, the "worked-hard" students did better than they did on the first test. And the "you-must-be-smart" kids? You guessed it - they did worse than they did on the first test (p. 13).
Such a small difference in language can have profound effects on how kids see themselves as learners and how we adults can help create a foundation for success. I highly recommend parents and teacher read Opening Minds.
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