Besides all the important things in life, one invisible factor that determines our story is our mindset. A growth mindset for kids is the idea that they can improve at anything if they are ready to learn from mistakes and are open to new experiences. It also involves changing the way you speak to yourself. For example, if you are learning to ride a bicycle and fall a few times, instead of saying, “I’m bad at this!” you can say, “I am learning and I will improve.” This also extends to other areas of your life and will help improve your academic performance. If you find a subject difficult, instead of saying, “This is difficult,” you can say, “I am learning through my mistakes and I can ask for help to get better.” This teaches you that progressing slowly is more important than trying to be perfect.
Developing a mindset for learning will encourage you to take on new challenges without fearing failure. For example, if you get a low score on a math test, you will learn how to evaluate your performance and improve on your mistakes the next time. Turning mistakes into learning opportunities contributes to building confidence in children.
Here are some tips that can contribute to children’s academic success:
- Value your efforts: While focussing on your goal, also make sure you celebrate small improvements.
- Look at mistakes as your teachers: If you make a mistake, ask yourself, “What does this teach me?” and try not to repeat the same mistake.
- Cheer for yourself: Use phrases like “I did better than the last time” and “I am getting better with practice” to motivate yourself.
- Try again: If you fail, find new ways to solve the problem. Don’t give up!
