Children’s belief systems define their success. Teaching growth mindset is a way to help them improve their self-esteem.
Growth mindset is the opposite of a fixed mindset. A child with a fixed mindset believes they cannot change their character, creativity, or potential for success. By teaching growth mindset, children learn how to face challenges with an optimistic point of view. When they fail at something, they learn how to use the experience to learn and improve upon for future success.
General Resources
These resources should be utilized throughout the year. The posters can be put up on the wall and the rewards should be handed out whenever the child is caught utilizing their growth mindset.
- Posters: Growth Mindset
- Rewards: Growth Mindset Cards
Lesson Plans
Below are some lesson ideas you can utilize for growth mindset with first graders.
- Lesson: Growth Mindset Mini-Book
- Lesson: Perseverance
- Lesson: Growth Mindset Intro
- Read: I Can Poem
- Game: Ready, Set, Go
Videos
- Class Dojo Growth Mindset Series
- Growth Mindset Song for Students
- Developing a Growth Mindset (Dr. Nagler’s Lab)
- Developing a Growth Mindset (Seed Story)
- You Can Learn Anything (Kahn Academy)
- The Mindset of a Champion (Carson Byblow)
- An Important Message About Growth Mindset (Kid)
Writing Activities
A great way to carry the lesson into ELA is by utilizing growth mindset writing activities.
- Writing (Copy): Quotes
- Writing: I can’t to I can
- Writing: Daily Goal Setting
- Writing: I Believe in My Selfie
General Activities
Hands-on activities are a great way to reinforce and allow students to practice growth mindset vocabulary and emotions.
- Activity: Language Lesson
- Activity: Create a Growth Mindset Pennant
- Activity: Play Doh Emotions
- Activity: Growth Mindset Sort
- Activity: Growth Mindset Cootie Catcher
Read Alouds & Activities
Each story below makes a great independent lesson coupled with an activity. Read the story and then do the accompanying activity.
- Read Aloud: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
- Activity: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
- Read Aloud: Rosie Revere Engineer
- Activity: Rosie Revere Activity
- Read Aloud: What Do You Do with a Chance?
- Activity: What Do You Do With a Chance?
- Read Aloud: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain
- Activity: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain
- Read Aloud: Giraffes Can’t Dance
- Activity: Giraffes Can’t Dance
