Growth Mindset Questions for Kids

Everyone wants to succeed and unlock their full potential.

But how do you actually make that happen?

How do you go from learning and improving a little bit each day to being an expert at something you’re passionate about? The answer has a lot to do with something called growth mindset.

Growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and intelligence can grow over time through hard work, determination, and resilience. When you have a growth mindset, you don’t think that people are either “smart” or “dumb” at something naturally. Instead, you believe that through dedication and perseverance, anyone can get better and better.

This idea of growth mindset comes from the important work of psychologist Carol Dweck. Through decades of research, Dweck discovered that people’s core mindsets had a major impact on their motivation and achievement. When people believe they can develop their abilities, they are more inspired to learn and more resilient when facing challenges. Dweck called this a “growth mindset” and found that it allows people to thrive.

Dweck’s revolutionary research showed that human potential is not fixed. When people are taught that they can grow their brains through hard work, they are more willing to take on challenges, learn from setbacks and put in the effort needed to reach excellence. They don’t think “I’m either good at this or not”, but rather “I can become good at this through practice”.

Having a growth mindset empowers you to see challenges as opportunities to grow, not threats to avoid. It gives you the power to respond to setbacks by learning from your mistakes, not blaming yourself or others. Growth mindset helps you tune out negative voices in your head and have the courage to take positive risks, even if you might fail. It enables you to accept feedback non-defensively and use it to improve.

Kids have so much potential waiting to be unlocked. Adopting a growth mindset early on lays the foundation for confidence, grit, creative problem-solving and lifelong learning. When kids understand they have the power to develop their abilities, it motivates them to put in the effort needed to reach excellence. If they get stuck, a growth mindset helps them persist through obstacles on the path to success.

Ok, so this whole “growth mindset” is very important, how can I foster this mindset in my kids?

Good question 😊

Lucky for us, having conversations focused on growth, effort, and development can help children start adopting a growth mindset from an early age. Asking questions prompts kids to reflect on their abilities in a more constructive way. When children think critically about concepts like taking on challenges, learning from failure, and the power of practice, it shapes their mindsets about their potential to grow. The questions we ask kids and the everyday conversations we have about achievement matter immensely.

With that in mind, here are some examples of growth mindset questions we can use to inspire kids to believe in their ability to learn, improve, and succeed.

ׂׂ(You can read more on growth mindset in our blog: Growth Mindset for Kids- Encouraging Efforts and 32 Growth Mindset Quotes for Your Kids.)

Growth Mindset Questions for Kids:

Reflecting on Effort and Progress

What did you try your hardest at today? Praising effort over innate talent promotes a growth mindset. Kids feel motivated to keep trying when persistence is valued.

What are you proud of in terms of effort? Reinforce that progress is achieved through diligence, not innate gifts. Effort is something they can control.

What are you working hard to improve at right now? Focusing on specific skills helps make the process of growth more tangible.

How did you stay focused when working on something difficult today? Developing strategies for concentration expands capacity over time.

How can you celebrate progress as you work towards a big goal? A growth mindset focuses on incremental improvement, not just the end result.

Learning from Mistakes and Failures

What mistakes did you make that taught you something? Viewing mistakes as learning opportunities, rather than judging yourself harshly, is core to a growth mindset.

How did you fail forward today? Framing failure as “failing forward” emphasizes that we learn when things don’t go as planned.

Seeking Challenges and Growth

What strategy are you going to try next? Encouraging strategic thinking teaches kids to constantly evaluate and improve their approach to problems.

How can you get better at this? Challenging oneself is essential to growth. Have kids regularly reflect on how to up level their skills.

How did you stretch your brain today? Growth happens outside one’s comfort zone. Praise kids when they tackle something new and hard.

What new skill are you excited to learn next? Curiosity feeds into a growth mindset. Nurture kids’ thirst for acquiring new capabilities.

When you reach a goal, what’s your next challenge? The growth mindset is an ongoing process, not about hitting fixed targets.

Expanding Mindsets and Perspectives

What did you learn today that surprised you? A hallmark of a growth mindset is being open to discoveries that challenge your existing assumptions and knowledge.

How did you support a friend’s learning and growth today? Fostering collective growth creates a positive motivational community.

Leveraging Feedback and Criticism

What feedback did you get today that can help you improve? Feedback is invaluable for growth, though some is better delivered than others. Teach kids to glean helpful critiques.

How can you tell if feedback is meant to help you improve versus hurt your feelings? Useful feedback provides specific suggestions for improvement in a constructive way. Hurtful criticism attacks abilities instead of actions.

When you get a critique, how might you explain how it made you feel while still listening openly? You can acknowledge if criticism was too harsh while appreciating insights. Separate performance from self-worth.

What made you feel proud about how you responded to feedback today? Receiving critiques with grace and openness displays growth mindset. Reflect on effort to process feedback productively.

Cultivating Self-Talk and Resilience

When you don’t succeed right away at something, what do you say to yourself? The self-talk kids use impacts their mindset. Help them reframe negative self-talk.

Who can you ask for help next time you feel stuck? Seeking assistance is key to growth. Teach kids to proactively reach out when they need support.

What clues told you this would be a challenge you could overcome? Recognizing their own capabilities helps build kids’ confidence in their potential.

Recognizing Progress Over Time

What is something you used to struggle with that you now excel at? Reflecting on past growth experiences reinforces the mindset.

What goal did you achieve that once seemed difficult or impossible? Reflecting on accomplishments that required persistence reinforces a growth mindset.

How has your progress in something you worked hard at surprised you recently? Appreciating own development fosters motivation and self-efficacy.

How does it feel to do something with ease now that was once a struggle? Progress often comes gradually before it suddenly clicks. Look back to see how far you’ve come.

What improvement are you most proud of? What do you think helped you achieve it? Recognizing the strategies and effort that enabled growth promotes further development.

Making Connections Through Role Models

Who inspired you today and how? Having role models who work hard to succeed shows kids that abilities can be continually developed.

Who do you look up to who embodies a growth mindset? How do they inspire you? Discussing admirable role models who work hard motivates kids’ own efforts.

How has someone in your life taught you through their actions that abilities can be developed? Exposure to others’ growth journeys shapes mindsets and aspirations.

What did you learn about achieving big goals from someone you admire? The path to success involves effort; role models make this tangible.

What qualities do your role models have that you want to develop? Growth-oriented role models manifest the maxim “You can become like those whom you admire.”.

Understanding Brain Development

What happens to your brain when you practice something over and over? (The brain forms new connections and “grows” smarter.) Explain that the more new things they try, the more their brains will grow.

How does your brain get stronger? (By taking on new challenges, practicing different skills, and learning from experience/mistakes.) Make the brain-muscle connection.

The Core of Growth Mindset

If you could get 1% better at something every day, what would you want to improve at? Discuss the power of small improvements compounding over time.

What does it mean to have a growth mindset? (Believing you can get smarter and achieve more with practice.) Contrast with fixed mindset.

How does it make you feel when something is easy for you? What about when you have to struggle and try hard? Contrast the lasting value of earned success.

Embracing Challenges

What is a challenge you faced recently? What made it challenging and how did you approach it? Discuss breaking challenges into smaller steps.

Why are challenges important? (They help us learn and grow.) Frame them as opportunities instead of threats.

What does it mean to be in a growth zone? How is that different from a comfort zone? (Growth zone is optimal for learning; comfort zone doesn’t require effort.) Encourage positive risk-taking.

When have you chosen an assignment/activity that was challenging? What made you take on that challenge? Understand their motivation and reinforce.

Persevering Through Setbacks

Can you tell me about a time you wanted to give up on something? What convinced you to keep persisting? Unpack resilience and grit.

Why do you think people say “If at first you don’t succeed, try again”? What does this mean to you? Discuss the importance of perseverance.

How does making a mistake or failing at something help your brain grow? (You can learn from what went wrong.) Normalize setbacks.

What positive messages can you tell yourself if something is difficult? How can that help you bounce back from challenges and setbacks? Brainstorm positive self-talk.

Taking Risks and Expanding Abilities

What does it mean to take risks? Can you think of risks that are good to take? (Trying new things beyond one’s comfort zone.) Discuss positive risks.

When have you done something that was hard or scary for the first time? How did you feel after? Validate facing fears.

Why is it important to try new things that you aren’t already good at? What could happen if you only did things you were already good at? Discuss getting stuck vs growing abilities.

How does taking risks help your brain grow and make you smarter? (Pushing limits, new neural connections.) Frame as brain training.

Tying it All Together

How can you practice growth mindset in your everyday life? Look for opportunities to challenge yourself, embrace struggles as learning experiences, and remember abilities are developed through practice.

What are some examples of times when you demonstrated growth mindset? Describe what happened. Recall specific instances of facing obstacles, trying new strategies, and persisting through setbacks. These stories solidify growth mindset lessons.

How will keeping a growth mindset help you in the future? With a growth mindset, you can approach the future with confidence, motivated to constantly expand your skills and knowledge. Setbacks become opportunities.

When you reach a goal or master a new skill, how will you explain your success? What advice would you give someone who is struggling? Attribute accomplishments to focused effort over time. Encourage others by explaining strategies used to overcome obstacles.

Now that you know more about growth mindset, how might you think or act differently when facing challenges? Approach challenges with excitement, leverage setbacks for growth, and maintain self-belief throughout the process.

What is one key idea about growth mindset you want to remember? What will remind you to keep a growth mindset? Identify a core principle that resonates with you. Determine cues to trigger a growth mindset when needed.

Final Thoughts

Cultivating a growth mindset in kids lays the foundation for lifelong success and wellbeing. By teaching children that their abilities can be developed through dedication and resilience, we empower them to reach their full potential.

Planting the seeds of this powerful mindset early on can help kids face challenges with confidence, learn from setbacks, and continuously expand their capabilities. The growth-focused conversations we have with children truly shape their self-perception and motivation.

With the right mindset, kids come to see themselves not as “gifted” or “not smart enough” but as always capable of growing their knowledge and talents through hard work. And this belief in their own potential is key to helping them lead lives of purpose and fulfillment.

By teaching kids how abilities are grown, we equip them to keep reaching higher, dreaming bigger and persevering in their pursuits – not just as children but throughout their lives!