Growth mindset kids books are a wonderful way to help ours students learn about growth mindset. Teaching growth mindset for kids is such an important topic in today’s educational world. Growth mindset books for kids can help our students understand and practice growth mindset in a meaningful way. I firmly believe that using growth mindset in the classroom is an important part of teaching. So today, I’m sharing 15 amazing growth mindset books for children.
Read on for 15 growth mindset kids books recommendations.
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Growth Mindset Kids Books
Why teach with children’s books? For starters, picture books are one of the best ways to hold our students’ attention. If the storyline and characters are compelling, students won’t just listen, they’ll be invested in the story and the lessons it’s teaching.
Plus, growth mindset is kind of a dense topic. It’s helpful for students to see it play out with characters in a story. Children’s books about growth mindset can showcase different characters struggling with and learning how to use their growth mindset to achieve their goals. Those types of examples are far more helpful than verbal explanations.
Finally, students are more likely to remember what we teach when we use children’s books. As they hear the characters’ stories in growth mindset kids books, they relate to those characters. Then later, if they are faced with a similar situation, they’re more likely to remember and use their growth mindset strategies.
Growth Mindset Books For Kids
These books are my top picks for teaching growth mindset for children. Ranging from children to animals to facts to fantasy, these stories will give students a great foundation for what growth mindset is and how they can use it. I’ve divided these suggestions into five categories, to help you choose what kind of book would be most helpful for what your students need: Growing Pains, Fixed vs. Growth Mindset, Messages To Tell Myself, I Can’t Do It YET, and Goal-Setting.
Growing Pains
These growth mindset kids books are all about the growing pains we experience when we try new things. The characters in these books struggle to master something new, and have to learn to persevere and embrace the mistakes they make.
She’s Got This
Zoe is so excited to learn gymnastics after watching it on TV. But when she comes to her first gymnastics class, she discovers that all that flipping and flying is a lot harder than it looks! Zoe has to learn lessons about mistakes, perseverance, and believing in yourself.
The Most Magnificent Thing
Determined to make a magnificent invention, a young girl works hard on creating something using her imagination and whatever materials she can find. But when she’s finished, her invention doesn’t look so magnificent. She has to deal with anger, frustration, and patience before she discovers that maybe she did make something magnificent after all.
Rosie Revere Engineer
Rosie has big dreams to become an inventor, but she hides it from her family. When Rosie finally shares an invention with her aunt, and it turns out to be a failure, she learns important lessons about mistakes and growth.
Fixed Vs. Growth Mindset
Learning what a fixed mindset is versus a growth mindset can be so helpful for students as they try to incorporate perseverance and growth mindset into their learning. These growth mindset children’s books explains these two ways of thinking in terms that a child can understand and really appreciate.
Fantastic Elastic Brain
A great book for explaining the science behind our brains and learning new things. This book uses kid-friendly language to explore the importance of trying new things and how practice really does help our brains get better at challenging tasks.
Bubblegum Brain
This book explains the difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset with fun characters “Bubblegum Brain” and “Brick Brain”. The story shows clearly how much we miss out when we decide not to try new things, and how being brave and making mistakes can lead to a lot more fun.
Making a Splash
In this book, Johnny and Lisa are learning to swim. They each experience different kinds of mindsets, and they learn how a growth mindset can help them learn new things.
Messages To Tell Myself
Part of practicing a growth mindset is sending yourself positive messages when things feel tough. These growth mindset books for kids provides concrete examples of positive affirmations to use when those negative messages start creeping in.
I Can Do Hard Things
This is a wonderful book that provides lots of positive affirmations that children can tell themselves. It explores the insecurities and doubts that children can face in different situations, and offers strategies to flip those into confidence-building moments.
My Strong Mind
This story follows the protagonist, Kate, as she faces different challenging situations. Kate offers a model for how we can use positive self-talk to help us embrace mistakes, persevere through difficulty, and remember to be grateful.
Beautiful Oops
This book celebrates mistakes as new possibilities. Rather than getting upset about a torn paper, a messed up brush stroke, or a mistake, we can turn it into something new and continue on.
I Can’t Do It, YET
The idea of YET can be very powerful for students feeling discouraged during new learning. Emphasizing this word can bring home the idea that just because we can’t do it now, doesn’t mean we won’t get it with time. There are some wonderful growth mindset books for children that embrace this word.
The Magical Yet
This beautifully illustrated book shows the magic of trying new things that are still out of your reach. It encourages children to shift their mindset when things get tough. They can’t do it YET, but with practice and time, they’ll get there!
I Can’t Do That, YET
Enna struggles to believe in herself, and she doesn’t like trying hard things. After a special dream, she realizes that the possibilities for herself are endless, if she’s just willing to put in the work and not give up.
Not Yet
The main character in this story shows how you can go through your day with mistakes and frustrations, but understand that they are a part of learning and growing up.
Goal-Setting
Setting goals to learn new skills can be both exciting and scary. In these growth mindset kids books, the characters learn that it takes practice and bravery to conquer new learning.
Jabari Jumps
Jabari is ready to jump off the diving board, but he’s feeling nervous. After putting it off and making excuses, Jabari finally learns how to put his fear aside to reach his goal.
Whistle For Willie
Peter wants to whistle for his dog, Willie, but nothing but air comes out of his mouth when he tries. But Peter doesn’t give up – he keeps practicing and practicing, and he’s determined to reach his goal eventually.
The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do
Lou is afraid to try climbing a tree with her friends. She makes excuses and puts it off before finally deciding to face her fears. This story explores ideas of courage, making mistakes, perseverance, and support as we try to learn new things.
Growth Mindset For Kids
Hopefully, you were able to pick some favorite growth mindset books for kids that you’d like to try with your students. There are so many possibilities, so have fun!
But you don’t have to stop there – there are lots of other ways to weave growth mindset into your classroom. Children’s books are a great place to start, but we can do more to make a growth mindset a permanent part of our teaching.
Classroom activities, anchor chart and bulletin board displays, and crafts can all help in creating a growth mindset classroom environment.
If you’re looking for more support, check out my Growth Mindset Curriculum.
Which books are you excited to try with your students? Tell me in the comments! xoxo Laura
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