Teaching Children to Have a Growth Mindset with Stories

If you have listened to my free email course “7 Strategies for English Fluency” then you are already familiar with the importance of having a growth mindset.

In Strategy #3, I give you a short introduction to the work of Carol Dweck (Stanford University) and her book “Mindset“.

I explain the difference between having a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and how important it is for language-learning success to have a growth mindset. That is, it is important to not be afraid of making mistakes, but rather to keep challenging yourself, knowing that you will succeed. Success is not based on inborn talent, but effort and sticking with something (grit).

I just listened to this podcast on the Mindset Works Podcast and I thought you might find it interesting. This podcast is an interview with a woman from the Netherlands who wrote a children’s book entitled “Stone of Clear Thinking.”

She was inspired to share the information about mindset with her daughter who wasn’t doing very well in school. Her daughter seemed too afraid to make mistakes, and therefore didn’t make much effort in her studies, and wasn’t doing well in her school work.

Yvonne van de Ven, the author, teaches the lessons about mindset through a story. Children are easily able to identify with the characters and learn from them, as the characters themselves learn the lessons.

Storytelling is a great way to learn all kinds of things, including ENGLISH.

This is why I created the Success with Stories program. The SWS program is designed to help you acquire English naturally and easily, including all the grammatical structures, vocabulary, and idiomatic phrases you need to speak with ease and confidence.

You can listen to a sample of this program on the Success with Stories page.

Remember, becoming fluent in English is absolutely possible. You don’t need any special talent in order to do it (even if you are an adult!). You just need to have a growth mindset and put in the time and work with good materials.

If you haven’t gone through my email course yet, sign up for it and start receiving your emails today.

 

 

Excerpt from Carol Dweck’s Mindest website:

In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong.

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.

Teaching a growth mindset creates motivation and productivity in the worlds of business, education, and sports. It enhances relationships.

I recommend reading Carol Dweck’s book if you are interested in learning more about her research. This is a college-level academic book, good preparation for studying at a university in the U.S. or another English-speaking country.

For fun: take a short quiz to see if you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.