Grades
PreK - 8
How to Encourage a Growth Mindset in Students With Books
Help your students understand the power of “yet” with inspirational fiction and nonfiction stories.
For Josh Blackburn, a second-grade teacher in Tennessee, helping his students develop a growth mindset is essential for their long-term development. A growth mindset can help students develop the perseverance to overcome certain challenges inside and outside the classroom.
“Cultivating a growth mindset in your students is integral to their success in academic endeavors and life in general,” says Blackburn. “Students learn about the thought process of telling oneself ‘I just can’t do this yet.’”
Here are three ways your students can use books to learn persistence, perseverance, and the “power of yet” to develop a growth mindset.
At the beginning of each school year, Blackburn likes to spend the first few weeks reading fiction books featuring characters who overcome challenges. These stories are a great introduction to a growth mindset, showing it in action with a fun and relatable character, and provide a foundation for further development throughout the year.
Giraffes Can’t Dance and Leonardo the Terrible Monster are two great stories to start with. After reading, Blackburn recommends discussing with your students how the main character’s attitude and beliefs helped them overcome their obstacles.
With light-footed rhymes and high-stepping illustrations, this tale is gentle inspiration for every child with dreams of greatness.
A heartwarming picture book introduces a not-so-scary monster determined to frighten someone until he discovers he might be happier as someone's friend. “A sure-fire hit” -SLJ, starred review
After your students learn how fictional characters overcome challenges, Blackburn suggests introducing your students to true stories of perseverance. This allows them to see how a growth mindset has a great impact in real life scenarios.
Whether it’s examining how Lonnie Johnson became an aerospace engineer and invented the Super Soaker, or how Raye Montague became the first Naval engineer to design a ship using a computer, tapping into the real-life stories of people who persevered will inspire your young learners to do the same.
Meet the African American rocket scientist who invented the popular and powerful water gun.
An illustrated rhyming biography of the African American woman and first Naval engineer to design a ship using a computer.
Blackburn encourages his students to set and write down a goal of something they want to learn by the end of the school year — something they can’t do “yet.”
“Throughout the year, I encourage students to keep up their growth mindsets when learning new material," he says. "I always have them remember and repeat the phrase, ‘I can’t do this yet.’ I praise students who show perseverance after struggling with a skill or working through a personal struggle.”
Reinforce the value of goal-setting and the power of “yet” with stories like Jabari Jumps and The Dot, one of the books in Peter Reynolds' Creatrilogy collection. These are great books to cultivate your students’ growth mindset while inspiring them to persist with their own goals, even if they haven’t quite gotten there, yet!
In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can't help but root for.
With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark, and to follow where it takes us.
Shop more books and resources for all ages that encourage a growth mindset below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.
It is vital that students learn social emotional skills like confidence, compassion, resilience, and responsibility. This collection from Scholastic features titles that teach tolerance and acceptance to children.
It is vital that students learn social emotional skills like confidence, compassion, resilience, and responsibility. This collection from Scholastic features titles that teach compassion and caring to children.
• Balto
• Betty Before X
• Butterflies Belong Here
• The Camping Trip That Changed America
• Freedom's School
• Front Desk
• Gandhi
• Granddaddy's Turn
• Hands Around the Library
• Kids Who Are Changing the World
• The Little Ships
• Ron's Big Mission
• Super SHEroes of History: Global Activists
• Wangari's Trees of Peace
• The Youngest Marcher
• A Boy Called Bat
• Charlie & Frog
• The Girl Who Thought in Pictures
• Guts
• Lark Holds the Key
• Not If I Can Help It
• Soar
• The Sound of All Things
• Thank You, Mr. Falker
• Ugly
• Upside–Down Magic
• A Whole New Ballgame
This collection of fiction titles deftly explores the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ youth through captivating stories and relatable characters.
Celebrate diverse backgrounds, cultures, and orientations with this collection of books featuring characters, themes, or content that reflect and illuminate the diversity of our world.
It is vital that students learn social emotional skills like confidence, compassion, resilience, and responsibility. Sometimes bullies happen, but these titles will help readers understand ways in which to overcome bullying.
The Optimistic Library features the best in children"s literature with stories that convey hope, gratitude, and acts of kindness. Research shows that when children are able to recognize and manage their emotions, make responsible decisions, and develop concern for others, they learn to resolve conflicts respectfully and help create a relaxed and positive classroom environment.
It is vital that students learn social emotional skills like confidence, compassion, resilience, and responsibility. This collection from Scholastic features titles that teach confidence to children.
