A fixed mindset implies that you are born with a fixed amount of talent and intelligence. Whatever you can do today is pretty much what you will able to do in the future. Kinda’ depressing, am I right? A growth mindset implies that most skills and knowledge can be learned over time through perseverance and practice. Keep trying and you’ll get it! This collection of growth mindset books for kids help to teach a growth mindset through fun stories.
Learning to learn
Opening your children’s eyes (& maybe your own eyes) to a growth mindset is a great way to inspire a love of learning. Practice, trial and failure, experimenting are all hallmarks of a growth mindset; and not coincidentally also qualities of the great minds!
Many of you know that my husband and I homeschool our four kids. More than teaching any specific skill or bit of information I hope to inspire a lifetime love of learning in my kids. I want them to know how to learn. If kids know how to teach themselves they can do anything! How exciting!
Even old dogs can learn new tricks!
After teaching four kids for two years I joke that I am smarter than I have ever been in my whole life. I have my Masters degree in education and I can guarantee that teaching four kids is more intellectually challenging. And I love it.
I love that my kids get to see me learn right along beside them. They get to hear me say “I don’t know, but I can find out.” I’m a grown up and I can learn something new everyday. Being able to learn is a joy not a punishment.
No shame in not knowing
No matter how many times my kids and I chat about learning new things nothing drives the point home like a stack of beautifully illustrated books that show kids in situations in which they have tried and failed, and ultimately persevered. We didn’t read these books as a “unit on learning” but rather scattered throughout our regular learning. A growth mindset doesn’t happen overnight, just like any new skill!
Growth Mindset Books for Kids
Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming
A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell
Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka
Anything Is Possible by Giulia Belloni
Marvelous Mattie by Emily Arnold McCully
Your Incredible elastic Brain, Stretch It, Shape It by JoAnn Deak Ph.D.
The Girl who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett
Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
What Do You Do with a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
Learning to learn~ such a simple idea but a big one to apply whether you’re 8 or 40. But knowing the sky’s the limit opens up a world of possibilities!
More about growth mindset for kids…
If these growth mindset books for kids were a hit at your house be sure to check out this list of the newest growth mindset books for kids. This is a hot topic and there’s so much great info out there about it that will inspire you and your kiddo. Also check out this post that links to all of my growth mindset resources for kids. There are some great, free printables and other ideas to encourage a growth mindset in your kids!
Want a printable list of these growth mindset books for kids….
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Great list of books! We haven’t read any of them yet though i’ve heard of several of them!! I love book round ups. Thanks for the printable. Found you through The Homeschool Nook.
I’m glad you found some new ones- it’s always fun to have a list to choose from! Yay Homeschool Nook!
Thanks for this great list of books! I teach third grade, and I really believe in teaching growth mindset – I think it is such a powerful tool that we can equip our students with! This is a great list of book titles for helping to promote growth mindset. I have heard of some of these titles before, but hadn’t looked at them through this growth-mindset lens. I’m excited to refer back to this list and use some of these books with the start of the school year!
Do you have any recommendations for particular books you’d use in the first weeks to make a powerful first impression with growth mindset at the start of the year?
Thanks!
Hi Jeremiah! I’m so glad you found some resources you can use. Check out this post that has growth mindset printable books and prompts that might also be fun for the first week of school!
https://www.kitchentableclassroom.com/growth-mindset-resources/