Do you know the difference between a fixed and growth mindset?
Whether or not we realize it, most of us adopt a mindset early in our development that affects the entire trajectory of our lives. A fixed mindset sees the world as unchangeable, while a growth mindset sees our potential and increases our capacity for life-long learning and brain development.
At LINC, we know that a baby’s brain develops over 90% during the first five years of their life, making early literacy critical. Imagine fostering a growth mindset during that time. We unlock unlimited potential and opportunity.
On Wednesday, April 21, LINC was thrilled to welcome 31 families to our Virtual Parent Engagement Workshop centered on the power of a growth mindset. Helping children to develop a growth mindset prepares them to turn obstacles into opportunities. It enables the cultivation of our own basic qualities through effort, strategies and help from others, and what better way to illustrate that incredible power than reading a story? LINC was thrilled to welcome special guest author Shoshanah Hobson Kennedy for a reading and discussion of her children’s book, Alizah’s Story: I Stutter.
Eight year old Alizah Grace shares her story of developing a stutter and transforming how she sees the world to reach her full potential. Alizah’s Story reminds us that every endeavor including our success in school can be influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities, and that’s why a growth mindset is so important!
Many parents in attendance connected with Alizah’s Story on a personal level and were highly engaged well beyond the length of the program. When asked what to do for a child who stutters, Shoshanah simply asked that they be patient. “People who stutter have a unique ability to teach the world how to listen.” She tells her readers to turn their differences into superpowers making this story particularly relevant for anyone who has struggled with a difference.
As Alizah’s mom said, “Always remember that even though you talk differently, you are perfect and special just the way you are. We are all more alike than different. Our skin may be different shades, our eyes may be different colors, and our voices may make different sounds but in the end we all feel joy, we can all give and receive love, and we all have feelings.”
That’s the beauty of a growth mindset, it just keeps growing.
Spread the word and visit www.lincnyc.org/onlineprograms to register for LINC's next Parent Engagement Workshop.