Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset.
It’s a hot topic these days. Many kids today, however, don’t know how to have a growth mindset. For a variety of reasons a child might be trapped in a fixed, I-can’t-do-it attitude.
Using picture books is a great way to model ideas, strategies, and tools on how to develop a growth oriented mindset, one that allows students to work through their struggles and to not give up when things get difficult.
The books below range from on-the-nose examples of what to do and what not to do, extended metaphors, true stories of perseverance over difficulties and adversity, and mantras or phrases students can adopted into their own vocabulary to develop a growth mindset.
GROWTH MINDSET BOOKS
Grade: PK-2nd
A girl has the most magnificent idea, but when she tries to make it, the pieces just don’t come together. Try as she might–and she does try and try and try again–the most magnificent thing will just not become magnificent like she wants. Even her assistant, a very adorable dog, knows it’s just not quite magnificent enough yet. Her frustration mounts with each failed attempt. How can her assistant help her?
A very important lesson is wrapped in a sweet story with a cute dog: hard work and perseverance pay off, but sometimes it’s important to take a step back and gain a fresh perspective. A good read for teaching grit, problem solving, and managing frustration.
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Grade: PK-3rd
A child has a problem and it just won’t go away. As he avoids it and ignores it, his problem just becomes bigger and bigger. Finally, he decides that even though it might be hard, he should face the problem, and he realizes the problems can turn into something completely different.
*Bonus Books: What to Do With an Idea? & What to Do With a Chance?
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Grade: K-4th
Set in Brazil and with a mix of English and Portuguese, Frango teachers a valuable lesson: Difficult does not mean impossible.
The story starts with Frango asking his chicken to get him a pencil, paper, an envelope and a stamp. We see Frango writing a letter, and at first I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. I chalked Frango’s lack of hands up to the artist’s style. However, as the story continues Frango’s lack of hands becomes increasingly noticeable. Despite this difficulty, Frango still rides his bike, works in a grocery store, and does jiu-jitsu. He shows that difficult does not mean impossible.
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Grade: PK-1st
How do you write a story if you don’t know how to write words? With a little advice from his big sister, a boy sets out to do just that – write a story even if he doesn’t know how to spell whole words.
Within this boy’s experience crafting his squiggly story, Larsen takes us through the writing process, and reminds us that, “It’s your story. You’re the boss.”
A reminder good reminder that when you want to do something, sometimes you simply need to start.
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Grade: K-2nd
Lou and her friends love adventure! Building fortresses, rescuing wild animals, being race car drivers, or being a deep sea diver – it’s what they do. But when a pirate adventure needs a ship, and their ship is up in a tree, Lou knows she’ll have to sit this one out. She’s never climbed a tree before and she doesn’t think she can. She avoids the ship, she makes excuses, and she comes up with SO MANY REASONS not to try. Lou simply cannot climb that tree.
Her friends, however, finally give her the oomph she needs to try and climb. And as Lou grabs on and starts to climb, she struggles and she pulls herself and… she doesn’t make it. But that’s okay. As she and her friends run off to play a new game, she knows she’ll try to climb that tree again.
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Grade: K-3rd
Beatrice Bottomwell has never made a mistake! She’s so perfect that she’s known around town as “The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes.” So what happens when Beatrice makes her first, and very public, mistake?
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Grade: K-2nd
Rosie loves inventing and dreams of becoming an engineer. Rosie decides to help her great-great-aunt Rose achieve her unfinished goal of flying, and Rosie helps in the best way she knows how: by building a contraption that can fly!
However, the contraption doesn’t work as Rosie expects and labels the whole thing a failure. Her great-great-aunt Rose sees it differently though. Rose shares with Rosie that you only fail if you quit.
*Bonus Book: Iggy Peck, Architect & Ada Twist, Scientist
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Grade: K-4th
Vashti is exasperated because she just can’t draw. Her art teacher tells her to, “Just makes a mark and see where it takes you.” Though Vashti angrily makes a mark to be done, it actually beings a surprisingly and creative journey for Vashti that shows we can do more than we think we can.
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Grade: PK-2nd
A boy loves stars so much, he wants to catch one. But how can you catch a star? He tries several ways to catch a star, but to no avail. And just when he feels like giving up, he learns that things aren’t always what we expect.
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Grade: PK-3rd
Based on a true story, Emmanuel reaches for his dreams despite being born with a deformed leg. He hopped to school (over two miles each way), played soccer, and became a cyclist. Emmanuel’s message is clear: disability is not inability.
A great, true story about triumphing over adversity.
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Grade: PK-2ndBeautiful Oops! can be summed up simply as it’s not only okay to make mistakes, but mistakes are actually opportunities to be creative and make something beautiful.
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Grade: K-3rd
Amelia is up for anything! That is, as long as there aren’t any bumps along the way. Skateboarding? Oh yeah! (Until she falls off.) Building a swing set? Sounds like fun! (Until she whacks her thumb).
If there is any small set-back, Amelia is done and worries that she’s a failure. But with help from her dad and self-reflection, Amelia realizes that she needs a “gonna get it done” mindset. Success doesn’t mean never having difficulties. Success can mean many different things.
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Grade: 1st-3rd
As RJ goes through is day, he gets different kinds of feedback, and he’s not sure what to do with it. When hanging out with his friends, they compliment him. What do you do with a compliment? When his teachers and parents tell him that he does many things well, but that he needs to work on a few things, he wants to argue and make excuses.
As the story continues, RJ learns how to respond to all types of feedback: how to accept and grow from both positive and negative comments.
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Grade: PK-3rd
This book teaches positive self-talk and through repetition, kids quickly pick up on the “I can handle it” mantra. When they’re in a tough situation or dealing with difficult emotions, they can think or say, “I can handle it.”
Perfect for giving kids the tool of positive self-talk to help them handle difficulties in life.
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Grade: 1st-3rd
Enna doesn’t believe in herself. She’s often heard saying, “I can’t do that!” But when she dreams of many possible future versions of herself, she realizes that she can be any version she wants over time and with dedication. With a new growth mindset, she realizes that instead of saying, “I can’t do that,” a more realistic phrase is, “I can’t do that, YET!”
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LIST OF ALL GROWTH MINDSET BOOKS
- The Most Magnificent Thing
- What Do You Do With a Problem?
- Frango & Chicken
- A Squiggly Story
- The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do
- The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
- Rosie Revere, Engineer
- The Dot
- How to Catch a Star
- Emmanuel’s Dream
- Beautiful Oops!
- Mindset Matters
- Thanks for the Feedback, I Think
- I Can Handle It
- I Can’t Do That, YET
