growth a parent letter

mindset

a note to the teacher

Are you going to teach your students about a growth mindset this year? If so, their parents will want to know what it’s all about! Here’s a little handout you can give out to parents on Back to School Night or copy onto the back of your classroom newsletter. The first page talks parents through what it means to have a growth mindset, while the second page gives them practical ideas for how to help their child develop a growth mindset at home. If you find this product useful, please hop on back to my store to give me some feedback! While you’re there, don’t forget to click the green star to follow my store – you’ll get updates on new products, sales, and best of all, FREEBIES! Click the pictures below to check out some other resources you may love!

growth mindset

WHAT IS IT? We used to think that our

intelligence was fixed – meaning we were either smart or we

weren’t. Scientists have proven again and again that simply is not true. Our brain acts like a muscle – the more we use it, the stronger (and smarter) our brain becomes.

IS YOUR MINDSET FIXED? A person with a fixed mindset may do these things: !  avoid challenges !  give up easily !  ignore feedback !  become threatened by other

people’s success !  try hard to appear as smart

or capable as possible

A person with a growth mindset may do these things: !  embrace challenges !  give their best effort !  learn from feedback !  become inspired by other

people’s successes !  believe their intelligence can

change if they work hard

WHAT DOES A GROWTH MINDSET LOOK LIKE?

© Sarah Gardner 2015

TALK ABOUT IT Talk with your child about his or her day, but guide the discussion by asking questions like: -  Did you make a mistake today? What did you learn? -  What did you do that was difficult today?

Instead of saying, “You’re so smart!” praise effort, goal setting, persisting through challenges, or being creative. You can say something like: -  “Wow! You must have worked

really hard on this!”

PRAISE THE PROCESS

THE BRAIN CAN GROW! Remind your child that his or her intelligence is not fixed. Remind her that when things are difficult, her brain grows if she persists through the challenge. Each time she learns something new, her brain is making new connections. Your child needs to know this is possible!

ENCOURAGE FAILURE (say what?!)

HELP THEM CHANGE THEIR DIALOGUE The way your child talks to himself makes a huge impact on his mindset. If he says, “This is too hard!” help him change that to “I can’t do this yet, but I will keep trying.” Give him the words to say when he is feeling defeated by modeling it yourself!

Your child needs to know that failure can (and often does) happen and it is okay! Remind her that each time she fails and tries again, her brain is growing stronger! Don’t step in to prevent your child’s failure – this is how she learns to persevere in the face of challenges.

© Sarah Gardner 2015

growth mindset ways to help your child

mentalidad de crecimiento

¿QUÉ ES? Antes se pensaba que nuestra

inteligencia era fija - lo que significa ba que éramos inteligente o no. Lo

científicos han demostrado una y otra vez de que simplemente eso no es verdad. Nuestro cerebro actúa como un músculo - cuanto más lo usamos, más fuerte (y más inteligente) se

convierte nuestro cerebro.

¿TIENE USTED UNA MENTALIDAD FIJA? Una persona con una mentalidad fija: !  evita desafíos !  se rendiré fácilmente !  ignorar la crítica constructiva !  se sienten amenazado por los

éxitos de otras personas !  esforzarse mucho para parecer

inteligentes o capacear

Una persona con una mentalidad de crecimiento puede hacer lo siguiente: !  enfrentar desafíos !  dar su mejor esfuerzo !  aprender de la retroalimentación !  sentirse inspirados por los éxitos

de otras personas !  creen que su inteligencia puede

cambiar si trabajan arduamente

¿QUÉ ASPECTO TIENE UNA MENTALIDAD DE

CRECIMIENTO?

© Sarah Gardner 2015

HABLE AL RESPECTO Hable con su hijo acerca de su día, pero debe guiar la discusión haciendo preguntas como: ¿Cometiste hoy un error? ¿Qué aprendiste? ¿Hiciste algo difícil?

En lugar de decir, "¡Eres tan inteligente!" alabe el esfuerzo, estableciendo nuevas metas, persistiendo de retos. Se puede decir algo como, "¡Wow! ¡Debiste haber trabajado muy duro en esto!"

ELOGIE EL PROCESO

EL CEREBRO PUEDE CRECER Recuerde a su hijo que su inteligencia no es fija. Recuérdele que cuando las cosas son difíciles, su cerebro crece si ella persiste los retos. Cada vez que aprende algo nuevo, su cerebro está haciendo nuevas conexiones. ¡Su hijo necesita saber que esto es posible!

FOMENTAR EL FRACASO (qué?!)

AYUDARLES A CAMBIAR SU DIÁLOGO La forma en que su hijo habla a sí mismo hace un gran impacto en su forma de pensar. Si él dice, "Esto es demasiado duro!" ayúdele a cambiar eso a "No puedo hacer esto todavía, pero voy a seguir intentando." Dale las palabras para decir cuando se siente derrotado modelando usted mismo.

¡Su hijo necesita saber que fracasar puede ocurrir y que está bien! Recuérdele que cada vez que se intenta y falla y lo intenta de nuevo, su cerebro está creciendo más fuerte! No intervenga para evitar el fracaso de su hijo - esta es la forma en que aprenderá a perseverar en los retos que enfrente.

© Sarah Gardner 2015

mentalidad de crecimiento maneras de ayudar a su hijo

Thank you for your purchase! Please note, this product is for personal classroom use by a single teacher. If you would like to copy this product for more than one teacher, please download additional licenses, available at 50% off the original price! If you would like to share this product with friends or colleagues, please return to your “My Purchases” page and download the desired number of additional licenses.

You may… you may not… •  Use this item for your own personal use•  Use this item for your own classroom and/or

students •  Distribute this item to your own students and

parents•  Purchase unlimited licenses for others to use

this item at 50% off the original price•  Review this item for the purpose of

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•  Give this item to other teachers (please refer them to my store via TPT)

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© Copyright 2016. Sarah Gardner. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by the original purchaser or licensee. The reproduction of any other part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and placing it on the Internet in any form (even a persona;/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

CREDITS: don’t you dare upload this to the internet, you sneak