Learning Specialist News

Be an Active Learner by using a Growth Mindset 

At our school one of our school values is to be an active learner.  A big part of developing this value in all our students is to develop a growth mindset, the idea that our abilities are not fixed, but can improve with effort, learning and persistence. Children who not only participate, but who also reflect, persist and grow, thrive in school and personally. 

Being an active learner means:

• Trying new things and being willing to make mistakes because mistakes help our brains grow.
• Asking questions, seeking feedback, and trying again when something doesn’t work.
• Seeing challenges as opportunities rather than as signs you can’t do something.
• Thinking about how you learn, not just doing tasks.

When students adopt a growth mindset they tend to:

• Persist in the face of setbacks, rather than giving up.
• Use feedback to improve instead of feeling defeated by it.

• View effort as part of success, not as something separate from it.

   

Students who see learning as a journey, rather than a fixed destination, are more likely to adopt habits that lead to growth and success. 

How families can support growth mindset and active learning

Here are some practical steps you can use at home to help your child talk about and practise a growth mindset:

• Focus on effort, strategy and progress rather than only results.  Using comments, such as “I noticed how you kept trying different ways, well done!”
• Use the word “yet” when appropriate. “You haven’t solved it yet, but I know you will get there” 
• Celebrate the process: “You stuck with it even when it got hard—brilliant!” rather than only celebrating “winning” or instant success.
• After a task,  such as homework, hobby, sport, ask: “What did you try? What worked? What would you try differently next time?”
• Model your own learning: share times when you tried something new and made mistakes, and talk about what you learned.

• Make reflection part of the routine—perhaps at dinner or before bed.

   

We believe every child can grow and develop as a learner when they are supported to adopt a growth mindset and become active in their own learning. With your partnership at home, we can build habits that help children not just learn at school, but learn for life.