Summary Of Why Some Kid Try Harder And Some Kids Give Up

Have you ever wondered what type of mindset you have? In the article “Why Some Kids Try Harder and Some Kids Give Up,” Tracy Cutchlow explains how the two different types of mindsets start to develop. She argues that praise given to children can influence their mindset by explaining the ways the two mindsets think, using research to support her argument, and showing how a fixed mindset can be unfixed.
First, students usually fall into two different types of groups. They are the fixed mindset, and the growth mindset. Tracy Cutchlow explains these different mindsets: “....She found that children fall into one of two categories: those with a fixed mindset, who believe their successes are a result of their innate talent or smarts…...Those with a growth mindset, who believe their successes are a result of their hard work” (2). These mindsets are formed by credit given to them either based on talent or effort.

Children with different mindsets can take in information and view challenges differently.
Then, Stanford researcher Carol Dweck did a couple of experiments with kids to learn more about their mindset.

In one of the studies she gathered up some fifth graders and split them into two groups. Tracy Cutchlow goes into further detail about the experiment: “...Dweck gathered up fifth graders, randomly divided them in two groups, and had them work on problems from an IQ test. She then praised the first group for intelligence...she praised the second group for their effort….kids praised for effort tended to take a challenging task...kids praised for their intelligence requested the easier task, knowing there was a higher chance for success” (3). The kids complimented for intelligence wanted the easier challenge so they would have a higher success rate, thinking they have the natural ability to do well based on what others have been implying. The other kids, however, chose a challenge because they knew that hard work and making mistakes can help your brain learn more. This shows how praise can influence the mindsets which can affect school work and

grades.
Finally, some people had just one more question for Cutchlow. They were wondering if you could unfix a fixed mindset. Carol Dweck had the same question: “...She found that students with fixed mindsets had better grades when told the brain is like a muscle-intelligence is not fixed” (4). Practicing skills and attempting challenges are exercises that help your brain become stronger. It’s in your brain, the way you think and go about learning. It is not fixed, it is something you have trained your brain to do and you can unfix it.
In conclusion, Tracy Cutchlow backs up her argument that kids mindsets are being affected by praise with three good pieces of support. By differentiating the mindsets, sharing research that has been done, and stating how to unfix a fixed mindset she has explained that kids can learn differently, but in the end everyone is capable of having a growth mindset. The brain learns most by making mistakes, not being perfect and getting everything right. A fixed mindset makes us believe that if we work hard, we don’t have natural ability. So keep an open mind and embrace challenges because without them we could never learn from our mistakes.