Math for All: Fostering a Growth Mindset

Math for All: Fostering a Growth Mindset

Too often success in math is tied to the belief a child must have a natural-born ability to perform well. If a child shows early signs of struggle in math they are often labeled as not being "good" at math. This label can then become an internal belief system that follows the child throughout their academic career and beyond. What if, instead of the child being given an unwarranted and fixed label, the child was coached through their difficulty and encouraged that they could improve and ultimately surpass any math obstacles by having a "growth" mindset?

What is a "growth mindset?"

Introduced by Stanford University researcher Carol Dweck, a "growth mindset" can be described as a way of thinking that believes you can develop and strengthen an ability through doing the work to improve and believing in oneself.

Teaching your child to have a growth mindset when it comes to math can be displayed as detaching their initial ability from determining how well they can perform over time. It's believing that no matter how your child starts in math, they can have a positive ending if they are confident in themselves and put in the effort to learn. This mindset is not about comparing or taking a one-size fits all approach for every child, but it is providing appropriate instruction and reinforcement based on your child's needs to help them be successful.

Michael Jordan didn't make the cut to play for his high school varsity basketball team the first time he tried out. He is now considered to be one of, if not the best NBA player of all time. He didn't allow his perceived lack of ability to deter him from continuing to practice and work hard and ultimately reach his goal.

Benefits of a Math Growth Mindset

Children who believe they can, do!

If you instill your child with the belief, they can learn math, they will. They will be motivated and determined, and this will help push them even when they encounter the inevitable difficulties. In contrast, if your child is taught to believe they are not good at math, they will likely not even be motivated to try, giving up at the first sign of an obstacle.

Children who gravitate towards math are also supported.

If your child already enjoys math, having a growth mindset will help them steer clear of putting all their academic identity on having a natural aptitude for math. Otherwise, when they face a subject or math concept that challenges that natural skill, it may cause them to doubt themselves since they've been told they are automatically good at something.  They also may be more inclined to reduce their effort and rebel against instruction when it suggests a new approach.

Failures are viewed as learning opportunities.

Having a growth mindset will help your child view mistakes as a bridge to improve. They can learn to focus on the journey as their math knowledge is challenged and expanded and not just the destination of quickly finding the right answer. They will understand mistakes will happen as they are growing and use them as stepping stones to reach a set goal, instead of as roadblocks.

How to Foster A Growth Mindset?

Parents and caretakers are our children's first and best examples. If you notice your child lacks positive thought about their math ability, begin to initiate positive conversations with them. Focus on what they are doing well, as opposed to solely focusing on their intelligence. For example, instead of just stating, "You are smart", you can also say, "You are smart, and I am proud of how you continued to try until you solved the problem".   Give them lots of encouragement and honest praise about their math ability to begin changing their attitude. Talk with their math teacher to ask for guidance about what you can do at home to further encourage them.

Here are a few more tips to help your child create a math growth mindset.

●      Encourage mistakes! Mistakes are a sign of progress because it means you are putting in the effort.

●      Remove the importance of how quickly your child can complete a problem and focus instead on how well they understand what they are learning.

●      Demonstrate to your child that learning is a lifelong journey. Remind them that their math journey is not short-term and they will continue to learn and grow every day. Things they may find difficult now won't always be challenging if they keep trying.

At Mathnasium, we believe all children have what it takes to be Math Superstars. We have a proven method that will help your child succeed, no matter their starting point. We offer specialized individual on-line and in-person math instruction administered by our math expert instructors for children in grades 2 - 12. Give us a call today to get started!