Teaching Parents a Growth Mindset

Many teachers and educators work hard to make sure their students develop growth mindsets. But parents often need a few lessons too. To address this issue, I hosted a parent learning presentation during family math night at my school last year.

As a K-5 elementary math specialist, it was one of my favorite events. I got to help parents learn about our school’s approach to math learning and provide tips on how to encourage growth mindsets in their children.

My 30-minute presentation was part of a family math night last spring. Parents of students in grades 3 through 5 were invited.

I began my talk by asking the audience if any of them struggled with math when they went to school. Many people raised their hands. Then I asked if their children shared their parents’ mindset, and most agreed that they did.

Then I defined a fixed mindset, comparing it to eye color—a fixed trait. I took this opportunity to delve a bit more into Carol Dweck’s research and mention her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, one of my favorite books.

From there, I explained that our school’s approach to learning is based around growth mindset. As most of you probably know, that’s the belief that ability can be achieved through dedication and hard work. In other words, the brain is like a muscle that grows with effort. Intelligence and talent are simply the starting points.

I used some examples to show how fixed and growth mindsets act like lenses through which students interpret their day-to-day experiences at school, particularly experiences related to adversity. Students can draw very different conclusions about the meaning of the same events.

This primed parents for the tips I provided on how to encourage growth mindsets with math learning at home.