.svg)
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?
Talk with usTalk with usHow kids can design projects that solve real-world problems
Falling in Love with Science
There are plenty of ways that homeschoolers make friends and engage with their peers, while still reaping the benefits of a homeschool education.
The real world isn’t divided into school subjects. Learn how we design our interdisciplinary curriculum.
Explore the importance of education for children’s overall development and get practical tips for convincing your kids of its importance.
The Superpower that Turns Kids into Lifelong Learners
What would it look like if school prepared us for life?
Why is it that in a world of unprecedented technological advances and time-saving innovations, we seem to be busier than ever before?
Imaginative play isn’t just for preschoolers. Here’s how to spark your child’s imagination.
Engaging kids in the kitchen goes beyond food preparation. Here’s how to incorporate cooking into your weekly lesson plans.
The job landscape is shifting before our eyes. Here’s how to help kids navigate future career choices.
If your child has doubts, here’s how to help them get to a “yes.”
With adolescent mental health in crisis, here’s how to support your high school student’s well-being.
At its core, creativity is the expression of our most essential human qualities: our curiosity, our inventiveness, and our desire to explore the unknown.
The concept of critical thinking can seem vast and abstract. But one of the most meaningful ways you can start to tackle it is by rethinking the role of the teacher.
Imagine your child exploring new countries, meeting people from different cultures, and gaining a deep understanding of the world in a way that simply isn't possible in traditional education.
Unstick your child’s creativity, stretch their thinking, and improve their writing skills with topics that tap into their passions.
I never expected to find a family within my child’s school, but the leadership, teachers, parents and kids have become friends for life
Homeschooling can be overwhelming for parents. Here's how to recognize the signs of burnout & concrete solutions.
What’s behind your child’s complaint — and what to do about it.
If building social skills has been a bumpy road for your kid, here’s how to help them form healthy friendships.
The homeschool day can be quite efficient, compared to a typical public school day. Then, their school work completed, kids have plenty of time for extracurriculars, hobbies, unstructured play and generally... fun.
Possibly. But here’s what to do first.
To instill life-long healthy eating habits, take a hands-on approach
.png)
Distance learning doesn’t have to be a drag. Here’s how Prisma creates a community-centered online learning environment.
Distance learning is gaining popularity. Here’s what you need to know about online learning for high school students.
A bridge into high school, middle school is the time to prepare for independent learning. Here’s how to set the stage.
ADHD is only one reason for a short attention span. Find the cause, then try these tips for helping your child focus.
There’s no roadmap to develop a true passion — but here are ways to make the journey more fruitful.
Kristen Shroff is an experienced educational leader who has been with Prisma from the very beginning, first as a Founding Curriculum Designer & then as Head of School. Now, as CEO, she will lead Prisma into its next stage of growth.
Meet Claire Cummings, our Head of Middle School. Claire started out as a beloved Learning Coach in our middle school program before transitioning to the Head of School role in January 2023! She is based in Detroit, Michigan.
From making a meal to balancing a budget, here’s how to help teens learn to thrive in the real world.
In our Meet the Team blog series, you’ll get to read more about the innovative thinkers behind Prisma. Next up is Emily Veno, one of Prisma's Founding Curriculum Designers. After two years focused on building Prisma's middle school curriculum, in her new role as Head of Learning Innovation she works across both the middle & high school programs.
In our Meet the Team blog series, you’ll get to read more about the innovative thinkers behind Prisma. Next up is Leena Williams, the Lead Coach & Curriculum Designer in our new high school program.
Get to the bottom of your child’s apathy and help them find their ‘why.’
At Prisma, we believe the families and learners who like to call themselves Prismarians—are our ‘secret sauce’! Here we highlight one of our favorite stories from the Prisma community
.png)
From national parks to beach vacations, design an in-the-field learning experience the whole family will enjoy
Online learning takes many forms. Decide why you want to go remote — and the rest will fall into place.
Here’s how parents of ADHD children can set themselves up for successful learning at home.
Online learning doesn’t have to be distracting. These tips can prime your child to thrive at home.
From early childhood through high school, homeschooling provides the ideal setting to facilitate a gifted child’s learning. Here’s how.
And how can you support them in the classroom?
From fostering a love of learning to developing problem-solving skills, child-initiated learning is a pillar of a successful homeschooling journey. Here’s how to get started.
Focus on number sense and you’ll help your child add math skills to their toolkit.
Combine fun with a pinch of self-discipline, and you’ll be well on your way to a wellness routine your child wants to follow.
Kids need to develop their own world as they mature. But the stereotype of the zip-lipped pre-teen doesn’t have to be your reality.
It’s not easy to juggle full-time work and homeschooling — but it is possible. Here’s what we’ve learned about how to thrive.
Learning languages opens doors, offers connections and inspires new ways of thinking. Here’s some advice about which one(s) to pick.
Critical thinking matters for academics, work and relationships. Here’s how to lay the foundations at home.
Read about the hands-on learning opportunities one Prisma high schooler tackled in the Secrets of the Biosphere theme
Creative thinking is the key to problem-solving. Here’s how to foster creativity at home.
Traditional four-year college is only one option. Here’s how to inform your decision.
The Montessori approach focuses on early childhood. Here’s how the popular pedagogical method can lend itself to home-based learning for all ages.
Here’s what parents need to know about the popular social media network.
Here’s what every parent should know about facilitating a routine that works for the whole family.
Hands-on learning benefits all students. Here’s how to incorporate it into your homeschooling.
There’s no evidence to confirm the validity of these popular labels. But here’s how auditory learning strategies can benefit everyone.
Although no studies link these popular labels to academic achievement, here’s how visual learning helps everyone.
Here’s what parents need to know about the free, popular chat app.
Incorporate these reading tips into your routine, and you’ll be on your way to fostering a love of reading in your child.
Ready to Deck the Halls? Here are projects to engage kids of all ages—and tackle your seasonal shopping with DIY keepsakes.
More than just asking questions in the classroom, the Socratic Method helps learners test their own ideas in a real-life context.
Here are some guidelines to help sift through the infinite options.
When students set the conditions of their learning experience, they show more creativity, passion and sticktuitiveness.
With built-in lesson plans, educational tools, and endless problem-solving opportunities, Minecraft: Education Edition can help motivate kids in coding, science, language arts, and more.
Get into the spirit of gratitude with these easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids.
Teach children gratitude and they’ll experience better mental health, well being and social connection.
8 tips to ensure learning disabilities don’t get in the way of building reading skills.
Why does your child dread Mondays? Once you know, take these steps to help them (re)discover their spark.
To stop bullying behavior, educate yourselves and your children.
Bullying is about a power dynamic between peers. To interrupt it, first understand why it happens.
Children’s Mental Health is in Crisis. Here’s How to Help Develop Your Child’s Self-Esteem.
To reach their high potential, twice-exceptional children benefit from a flexible learning environment.
The holiday season is the time to get your hands dirty with these Halloween craft ideas - candy corn optional.
Dyslexic kids often lose their love of learning. Here’s how parents can help them rediscover it.
The challenges of adolescence can be magnified for LGBTQ kids. Here’s how to help them thrive.
From bullying to finding a safe bathroom, LGBTQ students navigate a tough landscape at school.
What we know about the relationship between ‘hard fun’ and learning. (Hint: It’s not about playing games in between worksheets.)
Here’s what we mean by ‘success’ at Prisma - and how we use it to help kids thrive.
What parents need to know about socialization in—and out of—the classroom to help your homeschooler thrive.
Child entrepreneurship is trending. Here are three steps to developing an innovative business that stands out from the crowd.
A hands-on approach to develop real-world skills, resiliency and a love of learning — here’s how we practice it at Prisma.
A Shared Name and Diverse Strengths Led Two Bens to Build an AI Writing Business.
When traditional public school isn’t the best option, consider these alternatives.
Five ways parents can help their kids see themselves as a work in progress.
Gifted kids face unique challenges when it comes to burnout. Here’s how parents can help.
For travel-hungry families dreaming of school vacation, there’s much to celebrate about shifts in the way we live, work and educate our children.
To create a customized education for your child takes more than a checklist. This three-stage framework can help you get started.
If you’re homeschool-curious, here’s what 100 families have to say about the biggest advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling.
With homeschooling, the sky’s the limit – and there’s a lot on your plate. Learn about how to make this growing trend work for your family.
Learning how to use the internet safely, smartly, and creatively is one of the most essential skills for success in our hyper-connected world. Prisma learners just wrapped up their Cyber Citizens learning
A live learning platform purpose-built for kids. It's a new, fun and engaging way for kids to learn and collaborate together virtually.
Technology has completely revolutionized how we shop, communicate, entertain ourselves, and even how we work, but no such revolution has happened in education.
We’ve officially wrapped up our first ever fall session at Prisma and are excited to share our learnings and observations with you.
Starting today, families can apply to join Prisma from anywhere in the USA. Here’s how it will work. You can still apply to any of our five founding cohort hubs (Chicago, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, or Tampa) if you live nearby.
Over the past week, as millions of parents have realized that traditional in-person schooling may not be safe or available come September, a new twist on an old phenomenon has emerged.
We're excited to announce the rollout of Prisma cohorts in 5 US cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tampa and Salt Lake City.
