Program builds can-do learning spirit

What a child believes about his or her ability to learn can have a tremendous impact on success in school and in life.

Research shows that children who believe that they can "get" something if they work at it and keep trying tend to have more success than kids who think their talents and abilities are "fixed" - that perhaps they just aren't "smart at math," for instance.

The difference is in their mindset. What educators call a "fixed mindset" believes that intelligence, talent and ability are fixed - that you only have a certain amount of smarts and if something's over your head, it's over your head. Students with a fixed mindset tend to focus on proving their ability rather than learning; get frustrated and give up more easily; and often avoid challenges for fear they will show up their limits.

A "growth mindset," on the other hand, believes that intelligence, abilities and talents are malleable - that if something's over your head, you can stretch and eventually reach it. Such a mindset embraces challenges and perseveres in the face of mistakes and failures.

What parents and educators tell children can determine which mindset prevails. It may seem wonderful to praise your child by saying "You did it! You're so smart!" but educators are coming to believe that that kind of praise can actually be detrimental. Because - what happens when the child fails? Do they then think, "I'm not smart"? Educators increasingly encourage reinforcement through what they call "process praise" along the lines of: "You did it! You worked really hard on that!"

This summer, a pair of Sisters Elementary School teachers conducted a school readiness program for pre-K through fourth grade Title I (educationally at-risk) students.

Stephanie Jensen and Tina Fielder conducted the program with curriculum assistance from Kendra Coates of the High Desert Educational Service District.

"Students and families took on a daily 24/7 reading challenge as we coordinated our program with the Sisters Public Library, as well as worked at home with one of our online literacy programs for eight weeks of summer," Jensen said. 

As important as the reading, was learning about learning.

Coates is lead developer on "Growing Early Mindsets (GEM)" published by Mindset Works. She notes the idea of a growth mindset is not just a sociological theory - it's supported by neuroscience that has developed a pretty good picture of how the brain works and the way it builds connections that strengthen with use.

"We learned about our brains and developed a growth mindset culture," Jensen said. "The goals of the program were to change students' thinking about success and performance through developing an understanding of learning and the brain. Weekly, students took on brainteaser challenges to increase their levels of persistence and determination and worked at more challenging tasks."

The projects were fun and creative, but with a serious purpose - helping the children to understand that they can, in fact, learn, that they are not limited by a fixed amount of talent or smarts.

In an interview with The Nugget, Jensen and Coates called up the legendary case of NBA basketball star Michael Jordan as an example of a "growth mindset." Jordan didn't make his school basketball team. Rather than determining that he just wasn't good enough (a fixed mindset), he worked and worked to develop his talent and his skills, shooting thousands of baskets enroute to becoming, well, Michael Jordan.

Coates and Jensen are not saying that innate talent isn't a factor in success - but they do argue that it takes work to develop latent talent, and that those who think in terms of working hard and striving will do better than those who think they "can't" because their talents are limited.

Coates notes that young children naturally have a growth mindset. Little kids will try anything and assume they can do it.

"Then they get to school and we don't cultivate that," she said.

Jensen would like to see the "growth mindset culture" integrated throughout Sisters schools. How to do that, she said, "is a conversation for the schools to have."