5 Ways to Help Your Child Develop a Growth Mindset in Mathematics
By Hillary Seely, Middle School Teacher

Only 34% of U.S. 8th grade students scored at or above the proficient level on the nation’s report card (the National Assessment of Educational Progress) in math. As legislatures work to create new standards for mathematics and educators focus on developing class activities that best support students in their learning and understanding of mathematics, there is one research-backed way of helping students achieve in mathematics that often gets neglected- supporting the development of a growth mindset.

Students who have a healthy growth mindset in math believe that they are capable of learning and doing well if they work hard at it. They enjoy the challenge of math and don’t get discouraged when they make mistakes. Unfortunately, many students start to develop a fixed mindset early on in mathematics. They quickly fall into the belief that they do not have a “math brain” and do the bare minimum to get by in mathematics from year to year. Here are some ways that you can support your child in developing a growth mindset in mathematics:

Talk with your child about how the brain works.

Children often associate putting a lot of time and effort into a problem with not being smart or capable, when actually this feeling means that synapses are firing in the brain and learning is happening. If they have a difficult time working out a problem and fail a few times, that’s great! Children with growth mindsets understand that a struggle means that they are learning and developing new skills. This understanding allows them to make positive associations with challenges and persevere through difficulties.

Encourage and celebrate mistakes.

When your child makes a mistake in math, see if they can identify what the mistake is, what kind of thinking led them to make that mistake, and how they can correct the mistake. Mistakes are rich learning opportunities. Studies show that the brain is much more active when it tries to correct a mistake then it is when a problem is solved correctly the first time; in other words, the more mistakes we make, the more we learn! Model how you can look back at your thinking to learn from a mistake and if you see your child getting down on him/herself for making a mistake, remind them of the important opportunity mistake making provides.

Focus on the thinking, not the answer.

So often children are given the message that math is all about finding a correct answer; you are either right or you’re wrong. We need to help them understand that the thinking and reasoning they do when solving a problem is much more important than the answer. When they are working through a problem, ask them to explain their thinking to you. If something in their reasoning is wrong, don’t tell them, instead use questions to guide their thinking or encourage them to try to represent the problem visually. Oftentimes, this will be enough to get them on the right track. Most importantly, try to avoid celebrating correct answers, instead compliment your child on his/her thinking and on the effort that he/she puts into solving a problem.

Encourage your child to push out of his/her comfort zone.

Students who possess a growth mindset in mathematics seek out and enjoy challenges. If your child has a good understanding of a topic, encourage them to push their understanding and attempt a more challenging problem focused on the same concepts. Ask open ended questions and see what they are able to make of them. If you see your child asking deeper questions about a concept or pushing outside of his/her comfort zone, make sure you acknowledge and celebrate his/her effort.

Always encourage positive self-talk.

A growth mindset is the understanding that your abilities can be developed. When your child tells you that he/she can’t do a problem, ask them what they do know about the problem. This allows them to focus on all the things they are able to do and gives you the opportunity to show them how much they have learned. Most importantly, don’t ever let your child say that he/she just isn’t “a math person”. Everyone has the ability to perform well in math if they persevere through problems, embrace the challenge, and try to learn from their mistakes.