Open the app

Growth-mindset and grit messaging

A growth mindset is the idea that abilities grow with effort and practice; grit is sticking with long-term goals. This is about whether those ideas become part of how your family talks about school and effort.

Should we teach growth mindset and grit?

In short: Parents choose between 3 main approaches: Central family language; Used occasionally; Not a focus. Evidence: experts disagree. Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh. Best settled: school age.

Evidence
Experts disagree
Best settled
School age
Part of
Learning & the wider world

Growth-mindset and grit messaging: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 3 approaches.

  1. 1. Central family language

    You talk often about ability growing with effort and about sticking with hard things.

  2. 2. Used occasionally

    You bring these ideas up now and then.

  3. 3. Not a focus

    You do not stress these ideas.

Growth-mindset and grit messaging: what does the evidence say?

Experts disagree. Credible bodies or researchers disagree — decide whose guidance you'll weigh.

A national experiment found gains for lower achievers; the best-designed studies average near zero

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Growth mindset is the idea, from psychologist Carol Dweck, that ability grows with effort. Grit, from Angela Duckworth, means sticking with long-term goals. Large studies find the benefits are real but small.

Questions to ask each other

  • What did we hear about effort and talent growing up?
  • What do we want our child to believe about trying?
  • How do we praise effort without pressure?

More in School and academics

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.