Dr. Matthews draws a distinction between two types of mindsets that both parents and children have. The fixed mindset assumes (falsely, according to Matthews) that intelligence is fixed and stable. The fixed mindset is associated with lower achievement and lower self-esteem.*
The growth mindset sees intelligence as developing over time, with appropriately "scaffolded" opportunities to learn. The growth mindset is associated with greater confidence, risk-taking, and higher academic and career success over time.*
Dr. Matthews challenged some traditional thinking about children and intelligence. For example, she argues that people are not born smart; instead, their intelligence develops over time, with appropriate learning opportunities.
She also argues that parents should not praise their children's intelligence. This actually holds them back by making them afraid to take risks because they don't want to lose the "smart" label. Instead, we need to be praising their work, their achievements, their effort, persistence, strategies and results.
Dr. Matthews challenges our thinking regarding hard work, quick learning, failure and potential. Instead of labelling children "gifted" and putting them in segregated programs, she prefers to refer to children who have special learning needs because they are very advanced in a particular subject at a particular time. She believes those advanced needs are best met within the classroom rather than in segregated programs. She notes that any child can be advanced in a certain area at a certain time - not necessarily in all areas and not necessarily all the time.
What can parents do?
- Encourage our children to take risks
- Praise their effort and achievements, not their intelligence
- Talk to them about the concept of mindset, and the idea that their intelligence grows and changes over time
- Allow them to see failure as an opportunity to learn
- Expose them to as many different ideas, interests, activities and experiences as possible, and encourage them to pursue their interests
- Discourage perfectionism
For more information about these ideas, see Being Smart about Gifted Education by Dona Matthews and Joanne Foster (2009) and Mindsets by Carol Dweck (2006).
*Quoted from the handouts at the session.
