The Monthly Edge: April 2024
How To Foster a Growth Mindset in Children
You’ve likely heard of the term “Growth Mindset,” coined by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck. It’s the idea that our intelligence is not fixed, and we have the ability to learn and grow throughout our lives. People with a growth mindset prioritize their desire to learn over worrying about looking smart. They also choose to embrace challenges instead of avoiding them. And perhaps most importantly, they persist in the face of setbacks, instead of giving up.
For children, who are constantly in learning mode, having a growth mindset is vital – to both their academic progression and to their confidence in themselves. That’s why praising their efforts and encouraging them to keep working through challenges is an important way to develop the growth mindset. One study found that people who praise their children’s effort instead of their performance have a significantly positive effect on their children’s academic potential.
So here’s to celebrating the process of obtaining skills and letting our children know how proud we are of their efforts.
Interested in learning more about Growth Mindset? Here are two articles to check out:
How to Nurture a Growth Mindset in Kids: 8 Best Activities (Positive Psycology)
How to Instill a ‘Growth Mindset’ in Kids (U.S. News & World Report)
You can also print our Mindset Poster to help change your children’s thinking about their thinking!
T-Minus 10 Days ‘Til Touchdown
E Is for Effort!
Our Camp Edge’s first E represents Effort, and we are busy planning fun ways to inspire and celebrate the efforts of our campers. They’ll be able to work on specific skills in our Challenge Labs, learn how to work as teams in engaging group activities, and develop confidence by trying new things. We can’t wait for this special time of year, where we can help them build crucial life skills in a positive, stress-free way.
We are running Camp Edge at Columbine, Bear Creek (LPSD38), Mountain View Academy, Upper Samsel and Cheesequake (Sayreville), and Talbott (WSD3). Visit our specific location pages for more information about camp programs.