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Prisma is the world’s most engaging virtual school that combines a fun, real-world curriculum with powerful mentorship from experienced coaches and a supportive peer community.
In a 2020 article “What Happened to American Childhood?” in The Atlantic, journalist Kate Julian highlights how mental health issues among young people have significantly increased over the past few decades. Julian examines various factors that may contribute to this rise, such as an overemphasis on academic achievement, the influence of social media, and a decrease in unstructured playtime. The article also explores how overprotective parenting and a lack of resilience-building experiences might exacerbate these issues.
This article caused a stir in the education field and many parenting circles, because it seemed to tap into a clear rise in fragility and resistance to overcoming challenges in today’s young people. In a podcast interview, Kate Julian summarized her argument: “It’s not that we’re inflicting too much stress on our kids, it’s that we’re not allowing them to experience enough stress in preparation for that later stress. We protect, we insulate, we do everything we can to prevent them from experiencing any anxiety throughout childhood, and then suddenly they’re dumped into the competitive rat race and they don’t remotely have the skills to deal with that.”
There are many skills kids should learn early to be able to cope with the challenges of adult life: resilience, frustration tolerance, executive functioning, and critical thinking. Embracing a growth mindset, however, is possibly the most key.
This article provides a list of growth mindset questions and activities that can help students develop their self-improvement capacity and make the most of learning opportunities.
The concept of “growth mindset” was first introduced by psychologist Carol Dweck in her groundbreaking research on motivation, success, and learning.
In one of her early studies, Dweck and her colleagues observed how children reacted to challenging tasks. They found that some children displayed a strong motivation to tackle these tasks and learn from their mistakes, while others shied away from challenges and were easily discouraged by setbacks.
Some of the children most discouraged by setbacks were high academic achievers or gifted learners, who were afraid if they made a mistake, they would not “look smart.” This observation led Dweck to investigate the underlying beliefs driving these different behaviors.
Dweck's research revealed two distinct mindsets: a "fixed mindset" and a "growth mindset." Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence, abilities, and talents are innate and unchangeable. This belief can lead to a fear of failure, avoidance of challenges, and reduced effort, as they think their inherent qualities cannot be improved. (See our post on “gifted kid burnout” for more on that).
On the other hand, individuals with a growth mindset see their intelligence, abilities, and talents as malleable and capable of development through hard work, dedication, and the right strategies.
Through further studies, Dweck demonstrated that individuals with a growth mindset were more likely to persevere through difficulties, embrace challenges, and display greater resilience in the face of setbacks. These individuals ultimately achieved higher levels of success and personal satisfaction than those with a fixed mindset.
Dweck's groundbreaking research has had far-reaching implications for education, parenting, and personal development. Her work emphasizes the importance of the learning process and the power of "yet" – the belief that with effort and persistence, we can learn new skills and achieve our goals.
Building a growth mindset in children involves encouraging them to adopt new strategies, develop their problem-solving skills, and celebrate their progress. Growth mindset activities, such as goal setting, affirmations, and reflective discussions, can help kids understand that they have the ability to grow and learn, regardless of their current abilities.
For educators, we’d recommend also considering how grades and scores might be impacting the growth mindset of learners. At Prisma, we’ve done away the traditional grading system in favor of mastery-based badges. We find that focusing on revision, feedback, and continuous improvement toward mastery helps instill a growth mindset in kids over points and grades that reward getting it “right” the first time.
Here are some other quick tips on how to build a growth mindset in young people:
“Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous” - Confucius
Reflection plays a crucial role in developing a growth mindset, as it allows children to recognize their progress, identify areas for improvement, and set new learning goals. At Prisma, we incorporate reflection steps into all project tasks to help kids think about what they are learning and to emphasize process over product.
Reflective growth mindset questions can help students shift their focus from the end result to the learning process, cultivating a more positive attitude towards challenges and setbacks.
Here's a list of growth mindset questions that can help students develop self-awareness, resilience, and a love for learning. You can use these questions as conversation starters or create a printable resource for kids to reflect on their experiences.
By incorporating growth mindset questions and activities into your child's daily routine, you can help them develop resilience, self-awareness, and a passion for learning. These questions not only encourage reflection but also promote a deeper understanding of the learning process and the power of persistence.
In addition to asking growth mindset questions, you can support your child's development by providing them with resources such as the Big Life Journal, which focuses on building a growth mindset through engaging activities and stories. You can also create a growth mindset bulletin board, featuring inspirational quotes, examples of perseverance, and visual reminders of learning goals.
Remember, the power of a growth mindset lies in the belief that with effort, time, and the right strategies, we can all learn new skills and reach our goals. By asking growth mindset questions and engaging in growth mindset activities, you can help your child unlock their full potential and embrace the learning opportunities that life has to offer.
Want to learn more about how Prisma can empower your child to thrive?
Learn MoreWe’re fans of online learning, but it depends how it’s done. Here’s some pros and cons of different kinds of online homeschooling resources to consider, plus links to a variety of options.
Unit studies blend multiple subjects together to create real-world, interest-driven learning experiences. Steal the approach our curriculum experts use to create themes with a free downloadable unit study planner.
“The curriculum at Prisma allows learners to learn about their strengths and use their passions in an organic and interdisciplinary way. The kids have the freedom to choose by having differentiated projects, quests, enrichments, and clubs.”
You might be hearing from friends, extended family, and random strangers in the doctor’s office “there’s no way your kid will be able to get into a good college as a homeschooler.” Impolite, yes. True? Let’s figure it out.
“The amount of support and check-ins our learners have at Prisma is unparalleled compared to anywhere else I’ve ever worked.”
Each of the most popular homeschool styles has existed for a long time, and each has diehard evangelizers and fervent critics. From classical to unit studies to unschooling, this guide will help you find the form best suited to your family.
“What most drew me to Prisma was the chance to work with a fully project-based curriculum custom-designed for middle schoolers who are hungry for academic engagement.”
The best online school for your family is a question of priorities: More support or lower tuition costs? Traditional or project-based academics? Asynchronous or lots of interaction? We break it down in this post.
David Waitzer is the Founding Learning Coach for our first cohort in East Asia & Oceania. In this post, he describes how his background teaching and leading for innovative international education companies will help him accelerate the growth of Prisma learners.
Prisma has hundreds of learners across the Western Hemisphere. Along the way, we've gotten requests to launch cohorts in new time zones from families around the world who want to be part of what we’re building. Next up is East Asia & Oceania!
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Middle School Curriculum Designer Lizzie uses her diverse experiences: studying Literature at Harvard, leading outdoor adventure expeditions, and teaching high school English, to help Prisma learners find their voices.
The pandemic has made homeschooling easier than ever before with a boom of online options from curriculum, to part-time programs, to full-time schools. But which is best for your family?
Prisma High School’s Launchpad Program will prepare learners to tackle their next phase, be it college, training, or an exciting career. Trevor Baker, our LaunchPad program designer, describes how he sets learners up for success.
You might have to jump in at first. But eventually, with the right modeling and practice, kids can develop the skills to make thoughtful decisions.
Middle School Curriculum Designer Gabe, an expert in interdisciplinary learning with a PhD from the University of Michigan, explains how he designs themes that blend together STEM and literacy.
One of the most fun parts of being a homeschooling parent is creating fun learning experiences for your kiddos! In this post, we share our favorite at-home activities and online resources.
Our Head of Middle School Curriculum explains how her team blends core subjects and real-world topics to design “hard fun” cycle themes.
One of the reasons our team wanted to develop a new kind of school was because we felt traditional schooling doesn’t put enough emphasis on developing emotionally intelligent kids. But what is emotional intelligence and how do you develop it?
"Carolyn is a miracle worker in math. Piper's attitude towards math has improved so much this year. It's never been her favorite subject but Carolyn's patience and encouragement has made such a positive impact." -Alexia A., Prisma parent
Media literacy is touted as one of the most important “21st century skills” for kids to master, in line with creativity, communication, and grit. Thinking through the amount of time most of us spend interacting with some form of media each day makes a good case for this.
“Lauren is fantastic and has struck a nice balance of connecting with Cooper and keeping him on task. I'm impressed to see real growth in Cooper around self awareness, reflecting on his “glows and grows,” and goal setting.” -Kym J., Prisma parent
“I've seen growth in my kids, and most importantly a solid relationship between them and their coaches. We feel so grateful for these amazing humans that have entered our kids' lives. My kids' words exactly: ‘These teachers actually want to be here. They really care!’ ” -Katie M., Parent in Kimberly’s Cohort
By introducing these concepts at home, you're setting your child up to be more financially responsible and savvy, giving them the tools to navigate an increasingly complex financial world.
“I’m so happy to have an opportunity to call out Javi. As a math educator myself I am really impressed with how he presents math concepts, differentiates for and challenges learners as needed. From a social-emotional perspective he is so kind, patient and invested in the kids as a whole. I am so happy he is Brynn’s math coach.” -Chandra S., Prisma parent
The ability to tolerate frustration is not merely about weathering the storm of the moment, but about instilling the persistence, adaptability, and resilience that set your child up for future success.
