The beginning of the school year is a pivotal time for shaping students’ attitudes and behaviors that will support their academic and personal development. For young learners in Pre-K and kindergarten, fostering a growth mindset encourages exploration, resilience, and positive engagement with new challenges.

The “Ready to Grow – Back to School” activity provides a hands-on, no-prep resource that helps children embrace the idea that everyone can improve with effort and practice. This article outlines how growth mindset supports school readiness, offers a detailed lesson plan using the downloadable Everyday Speech resource, and highlights ways to reinforce these concepts beyond the initial activity.

What Is a Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can change and grow with effort, practice, and learning from mistakes. This perspective stands in contrast to the idea that a person’s talents or intelligence are fixed. For very young students, developing a growth mindset means helping them understand that trying new things, practicing, and sometimes making mistakes are all important parts of learning and growing. Introducing this concept early encourages children to approach new tasks with curiosity rather than fear of failure. The focus shifts to the process of learning rather than just the outcome, which can be especially empowering for students as they face the many new experiences of starting school.

In Pre-K and kindergarten, a growth mindset can be conveyed through simple language and examples. Phrases like “I can try again,” “It’s okay to make mistakes,” and “I can get better if I practice” become part of everyday discussions. Visuals, stories, and hands-on activities—such as those in the “Ready to Grow – Back to School” resource—make the abstract concept of growth mindset accessible and relevant.

Why Teach a Growth Mindset?

Fostering a growth mindset in early childhood provides an important foundation for both academic and social development. Here are some key reasons to introduce growth mindset skills at the start of the school year:

• Encourages perseverance and resilience when tasks are challenging
• Promotes positive self-talk and confidence in one’s abilities
• Reduces anxiety around mistakes or failure, framing them as opportunities to learn
• Builds curiosity and a willingness to take on new challenges
• Supports emotional regulation by shifting focus to effort and progress
• Lays groundwork for respectful peer interactions and collaborative learning
• Helps children develop coping strategies when things do not go as planned
• Establishes a positive classroom community focused on growth and support

Practicing growth mindset in a developmentally appropriate way lets students know that the classroom is a safe space for asking questions, trying new things, and growing together.

Lesson Plan: Using Ready to Grow – Back to School Activity

The “Ready to Grow – Back to School” activity by Everyday Speech is a no-prep, printable resource created for Pre-K and kindergarten. It uses engaging plant imagery and simple prompts to introduce growth mindset concepts. The resource can be downloaded for free here: Ready to Grow – Back to School

Step 1: Introduce the Concept of Growth

Begin the lesson by discussing what it means to grow. Use language that connects with young learners’ experiences, such as growing taller, learning to tie shoes, or practicing drawing shapes. Display the “Seed to Flower” visual from the resource, showing how a seed changes and grows into a flower with time, care, and effort.

Encourage students to share examples of things they have learned or improved with practice. This conversation helps students relate to the concept and primes them for deeper engagement.

Step 2: Read and Discuss Growth Mindset Statements

Use the Growth Mindset Phrases page in the “Ready to Grow” resource to introduce simple statements aligned with growth mindset thinking. Read each phrase aloud and invite students to repeat it as a group:

• “I can try new things.”
• “If I make a mistake, I can try again.”
• “I can learn new things with practice.”
• “I can ask for help when I need it.”

Pause after each phrase to briefly discuss what it means. For example, after “If I make a mistake, I can try again,” invite students to talk about a time they made a mistake and what they learned from it. This discussion normalizes making mistakes and reframes them as valuable parts of the learning process.

Step 3: Engage in the Interactive Cut-and-Paste Activity

Distribute the printable pages that show plant pots, seeds, and soil. Each component represents aspects of growth and effort:

• The seed symbolizes trying something new
• The roots represent getting support or asking for help
• The stem and leaves stand for practicing or repeating a task
• The flower illustrates accomplishing a goal or learning something new

Students cut out and assemble the plant, starting with the seed at the bottom and adding roots, stem, leaves, and flower. As they build their plant, guide them through labeling or discussing each stage. For example, ask, “What does the seed need to grow?” Connect this to habits like practicing, asking for help, and keeping a positive attitude.

For children who are not yet cutting independently, offer pre-cut pieces or support as needed. The tactile process of building the plant reinforces the idea that growth takes steps and time.

Step 4: Make Personal Connections

Once each student has assembled their plant, invite them to personalize it. Ask them to draw themselves as a flower or write their names on the pot. Then, prompt them to think of something they want to get better at this school year. This could be tying shoes, learning letters, making new friends, or following classroom routines. Students can write, dictate, or draw their goals on leaves or petals.

This personalization helps students take ownership of the growth mindset language and ties the concept to their own lives.

Step 5: Class Discussion and Reflection

Bring students together in a circle to share their flowers. Encourage children to describe the goal or skill they want to improve and one way they will practice growing. For example, “I want to learn all my letter sounds. I will keep practicing every day.” Praise all efforts and emphasize the collective nature of growth: “We all help each other grow, just like plants do.”

This reflection provides closure and reinforces that everyone is on a journey of learning and improvement.

Supporting Growth Mindset After the Activity

The concepts introduced with “Ready to Grow – Back to School” can and should be woven into daily routines long after the activity itself. Here are some practical strategies for reinforcing a growth mindset in the classroom:

• Regularly revisit growth mindset phrases in morning meetings or transitions
• Create a classroom “garden” bulletin board where students can display their plants and add new goals
• Model growth mindset language when encountering challenges: “This is tricky, but I can keep trying.”
• Praise effort, strategies, and persistence rather than only outcomes: “I saw how hard you worked on that puzzle.”
• Encourage peer support and celebrate when students help one another learn
• Read picture books that illustrate growth mindset themes and facilitate discussions
• Prompt students to reflect on things they have improved through practice at the end of each week
• Offer opportunities to set small goals and celebrate incremental progress

Families can also be involved by sending home a copy of the flower craft or a simple summary of the main ideas. Invite parents or caregivers to share examples from home where growth mindset language or strategies are used.

Wrapping Up: Planting the Seeds for a Positive Year

Helping young learners see themselves as capable of growth sets the stage for a positive, engaged, and resilient school year. The “Ready to Grow – Back to School” resource brings abstract concepts to life with visuals and hands-on activities tailored for Pre-K and kindergarten. By explicitly teaching growth mindset, educators empower students to approach challenges with curiosity and confidence, laying the foundation for lifelong learning. For continued success, embed growth mindset language into daily routines and classroom culture, ensuring that the values of effort, learning from mistakes, and mutual support flourish all year long.

To access the “Ready to Grow – Back to School” activity, visit: Ready to Grow – Back to School