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Mindsets For Learning

The Educators at the Willett Early Childhood Center began the 2016-2017 with much discussion centered around the book *A Mindset For Learning by Kristine Mraz and Christine Hertz. The book discusses 5 essential "stances" that contribute to having a "growth mindset" which has been proven to support success in learning for all children.  The staff at the Willett ECC are excited to explore this concept by supporting and encouraging all of our students to adopt a growth mindset, which allows them to believe that they are in control of their own success via hard work and strong effort.

Mraz and Herz describe the 5 following "stances" that allow students to be engaged and invigorated for optimal learning:

  1. Empathy
  2. Optimism
  3. Flexibility
  4. Resilience
  5. Flexibility

The Willett Early Childhood Center is committed to helping all of our students to demonstrate the qualities above so they can grow to be confident, successful learners. We encourage our families to do the same, at home. One way that this can be achieved by noticing when our students/children demonstrate any of the above characteristics, and praising them using specific vocabulary such as, "I know we had planned to go to the playground today and it certainly is disappointing that it's raining, but I really appreciate how flexible you are being, by agreeing to go another day, instead."

Throughout the school year, the staff at the Willett Early Childhood Center will introduce each of the five stances in various ways: having classroom teachers define each characteristic in child-friendly language, decorating the hallways with pictures/posters depicting each stance, etc. As each stance is introduced this school year, I plan to create a space on my website that families can visit as a way of reinforcing each of the above characteristics at home, as well.

*A Mindset for Learning, Mraz, Kristine and Hertz, Christine. Heinemann, 2015.

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