Top 3 Growth Mindset Read-Alouds for Children
Have your students been struggling with working through challenges? When my room takes on a negative tone I make sure to focus on growth mindset. One of my most effective strategies is to incorporate read-alouds that include characters who persist through failures. I have included my top 3 growth mindset read-alouds. These are my favorite because students hang on every word and the discussions that follow are very insightful.
Your students will be believing in themselves and supporting one another as they take on harder and harder challenges.
Read on to discover the top 3 read-alouds I use to encourage a growth mindset in my classroom. For each title I will include:
The author
A summary
Why the story is important
Follow this link to explore other resources I use to increase student motivation.
1. Salt In His Shoes by Deloris Jordan
This has been one of my favorite growth mindset books for a long time. Salt In His Shoes by Deloris Jordan is a picture book about Michael Jordan, the famous Chicago Bulls basketball player. This book tells the story of how as a little boy Michael would go to the basketball court with his brothers and play with his older brother's friends. There was one boy who would pick on Michael for being small and not a good player. Michael was upset and thought if he was only taller he would be better so he asked his mom how to grow. His mom tells him to put salt in his shoes and to pray. His dad then explains that practice, determination, and believing in yourself will get you there. After a summer of practicing Michael joins his brothers and their friends on the basketball court. He has improved so much he scores the game winning point. This story is a great example of a character believing that he could do it and working hard to achieve his goals.
Why This Book Is Important
This book has always been a high interest story in my classroom. The students know who Michael Jordan is and are surprised that he wasn't always the best player on the court. It demonstrates that what people say to themselves is important. Your thoughts can either diminish your dreams or help you to achieve them. My students and I always use this as a jumping-off point to brainstorm positive affirmations that we can say to ourselves.
2. Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming
Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming is a fictional story that is loosely based on the inventor name Lodner Phillips. He was a tinkerer and a designer that created a submarine. This story shows how to persevere when the first few attempts fail. Lodner did not give up, instead was quoted as saying, “It almost worked!” I love how this is a positive way of looking at a model that didn't work the way you wanted it to.
Why This Book Is Important
Papa's Mechanical Fish is an important read aloud because it demonstrates a person with a great mind who has to also use persistence. His success did not come easily nor on the first attempt. This is an important lesson for students who tend to be perfectionists or shut down easily when a challenge arises. Students not only reflect on Papa’s reactions to the failures but also to his family's reactions. Papa’s family continues to support Papa each time he changes his model and tests it in Lake Michigan. No one doubted or worried that it would not work. This is such an important growth mindset idea to share with your students. We need to be positive about our own thinking and designs, we also need to support others and their thinking.
3. The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi
The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi is an excellent book that addresses growth mindset. It begins with a child that can’t ride her bike and she becomes so frustrated that she refuses to try again, she will walk for the rest of her days. Then she discovers her magical yet that takes the shape of a magical fairy. This yet reminds the child about how she couldn’t walk at first but she never gave up and how she babbled before she could talk. The yet explains that goals might not happen immediately but with patience and practice the child will achieve her goals in time.
Why This Book Is Important
The Magical Yet is important because it addresses that throughout our entire life we need to believe in the power of yet. It is a powerful reminder that working hard and believing in yourself will allow you to reach your goals. I have had students draw and build their own magical yets. These are adorable to hang on the wall or display around the room. Having the yets in the classroom also encourages me to talk about them constantly. The more I talk about the power of yet, the more I hear other students referencing the power of yet. When a child says they can’t do an activity, I hear a friend say, “You just can’t do it yet.” I always take that as a huge growth mindset win!
Growth mindset is a topic I am constantly revisiting in my classroom. It is important that the students talk about their thinking and share strategies with their classmates. Perhaps the most impactful activity is leading a discussion about growth mindset by reflecting on a character in a book. These 3 growth mindset titles are amazing at telling a story about a character who had to struggle before they became great. Such important role models of growth mindset found in these 3 titles.
Checkout my 5 ways to increase growth mindset resource. These are easy, ready to use strategies to get you started on your growth mindset journey.
