Growth Mindset for Children: Why Mindset Counts in Education (+ 10 Top Tips!)

A Mindset Counts guide

When it comes to learning, mindset counts just as much as skill or knowledge. Children who believe they can grow, improve, and overcome challenges are far more likely to persevere, enjoy reading, and make meaningful progress.

At Mindset Counts, we support children in developing strong reading comprehension skills, backed by the power of mindset and metacognition. We help families build confidence and deep understanding - not just accuracy.

But what exactly is “mindset,” and why does it matter so much for reading?

Why a Growth Mindset for Children Matters

Mindset refers to the beliefs we hold about our own abilities. Psychologist Carol Dweck’s research highlights two key types:

Fixed mindset 

“I’m not good at reading.”

“I always get stuck on tricky words.”

Children with a fixed mindset often avoid challenge because they worry mistakes mean they’re “not good” at reading.

Growth mindset

“I can get better at this with practice.”

“Even if it’s tricky now, I’ll improve over time.”

Children with a growth mindset:

• see mistakes as part of learning

• keep going when reading is challenging

• build stamina and confidence

• engage more deeply with stories

This mindset makes a measurable difference - especially in KS2, when comprehension becomes more complex.

Why Does Mindset Count in Reading?

A child’s mindset influences how they:

• approach a tricky sentence or unknown word

• respond when they don’t understand something

• persist with longer texts

• believe they can improve their comprehension skills

Research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) shows that mindset and metacognitive strategies can boost learning by up to seven months in a single year.

A confident mindset helps children:

• tackle unfamiliar vocabulary

• make inferences

• recover from errors

• trust themselves as readers

Mindset truly shapes the reading journey.

10 Top Tips for Building a Mindset That Counts

Here are ten practical, child-friendly strategies to help foster a growth mindset at home and in the classroom - especially for reading.

1. Believe That You Can Improve

Reading skills grow with practice.

Confidence grows with success.

Parent tip: Praise effort and strategy — “You worked hard to figure that out” — not labels like “You’re a good reader.”

2. Embrace Challenges

Challenging texts help the brain stretch and strengthen.

Parent tip: When your child finds something difficult, try:

“This is tricky - which means your brain is learning.”

3. Learn From Mistakes

Misreading a word or misunderstanding a sentence is normal. It’s part of how comprehension develops.

Parent tip: Normalise mistakes by sharing your own and modelling how to recover.

4. Use the Power of “Yet”

“I can’t do this” becomes “I can’t do this yet.” That small word changes everything, turning a fixed statement into one full of possibility.

Parent tip: Write a family “yet list” - skills everyone is still learning but determined to master.

5. Replace Negative Self-Talk

Help children notice unhelpful thoughts and reframe them.

From: “I’m bad at reading.”

To: “I’m practising and getting better each time.”

Parent tip: Create a positivity bookmark with encouraging phrases your child can read when they feel stuck.

6. Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results

Reading progress comes from persistence and engagement.

Parent tip:

Ask: “What part took the most perseverance today?”

Not: “Did you get everything right?”

7.  Encourage Asking for Help

Good readers ask questions.

Good readers seek support.

Good readers check meaning.

Parent tip: Model curiosity — “I don’t understand this either. Let’s figure it out together.”

8. Stay Curious

Curiosity fuels comprehension.

Curious readers think more deeply about characters, events, and language.

Parent tip:

Ask open questions like:

“What do you think will happen next?”

“Why do you think the character did that?”

9. Surround Yourself with Positivity

Reading confidence grows in an environment where mistakes are safe and effort is celebrated.

Parent tip: Talk about learning, effort, and bravery - not just achievements.

10. Reflect and Self-Regulate

This is where metacognition comes in - the skill of thinking about your thinking.

After reading, strong readers reflect on:

• What helped?

• What was tricky?

• What strategy could I try next time?

Parent tip: 

After reading, ask:

“What strategy helped you today?”

“What will you try differently tomorrow?”

Final Thoughts

Mindset matters because it shapes how children face challenges, respond to difficulty, and grow as readers. Whether they are decoding unfamiliar words or tackling deeper inference questions, mindset gives them the resilience and confidence to keep going.

At Mindset Counts, we believe that pairing reading comprehension with mindset strategies creates strong, independent, confident learners - ready to thrive in KS2 and beyond.

Want to support your child further?

1. Explore our KS2 Reading Packs to build confident, fluent, independent readers.

2. Subscribe to our newsletter for practical tips on mindset, fluency, and comprehension.