The 3 skills your child needs for a successful school year, according to an education expert

During the back-to-school season, many of us are busy scheduling kids’ haircuts, buying sized-up sneakers, and procuring three-ring binders, mechanical pencils and spiral notebooks. But the true key to setting kids up for success in school isn’t found at an office supply store. Children will thrive in school (and in life) if they carry with them the ability to be courageous, determined and reflective.

As the VP of Education for Camp Galileo, a summer camp company that focuses on developing campers’ “Innovator’s Mindset”— a creative-confidence-building skill set based on Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset—I can attest that you already have everything you need to ensure that your kids can wield these three superpowers. As parents, our job is to nurture our child(ren)’s self-awareness and practice of these skills so a courageous, determined and reflective disposition becomes part of their identity at school and beyond.

Let’s explore each of these mindset elements (their meaning in this context may differ from the colloquial), how they relate to success in school, and how you can help your child(ren) develop them at home.

3 skills for a successful school year

1. Being courageous

When we think about being courageous, images of strength and bravery may come to mind. But being a courageous learner is not so much about traditional bravery. For success in school, children must embrace challenges and stretch themselves to try new things. Learning science shows that we learn best when we are in our zone of proximal development (ZPD)—operating at the edge of our abilities. Courage is the fuel that propels us beyond our comfort zones, enabling us to engage with difficult content, explore unconventional ideas and grow.

2. Being determined

The traditional meaning of being determined by persevering until you reach your goal works for learning. When we are in our ZPD, chances are, we’re going to make mistakes. Being a determined learner means viewing those setbacks as opportunities to learn. Because mistakes show us exactly where we can improve, they can be powerful learning tools that help move us toward our goals… often even faster than if we’d gotten things right the first time. Understanding that mastery requires effort can fuel our determination and enable us to lean into learning.

3. Being reflective

Kids’ tendency in school is often to rush to completion and quickly move on to the next thing. Being a reflective learner means taking time to think about our educational experiences—a project, a performance, an athletic event—and consider what did and didn’t go well in order to better prepare for the next opportunity. Stopping to reflect helps us get to know ourselves as learners, cement new skills and find something meaningful to try next. As kids get older, learning to seek and apply feedback can amplify their ability to improve themselves and their work.

Mastering the mindset

Supporting kids to be courageous, determined and reflective in these ways requires a growth mindset, understanding that skills and intelligence are developed and not inherited/set—that people are generally good at something because they have cultivated their abilities over time and those who are not just haven’t dedicated the time. Recognizing that we are in control of our abilities enables us to focus on the process of learning and growing—encouraging us to stretch ourselves to try new things, persevere until we reach our goals and think about what we can take from each experience.

Here are some things you can do to make sure your child(ren) are poised to practice and grow these three superpowers.

Name and recognize

While the abilities to be courageous, determined and reflective live within every kid (and each one of us), developing the mindset we desire requires self-awareness and practice. Talk to your children about these three words, help them understand their meaning (for example, what being determined does and doesn’t look like in a particular situation), and how and when to practice each. 

Then, regularly recognize them for their practice, describing the behavior. For example, “I know it took a lot of time and effort to complete your math homework, great job being determined!” As kids become familiar with these mindset elements and how to use them, they’ll start to recognize and articulate the practices they see in themselves and others.

Lead by example

It’s incredibly powerful for kids to see their parents trying new things — especially if they’re not awesome at them from the start. For example, if you’ve always wanted to learn to draw, get a sketchbook and draw for 10 minutes a day. Let your kids see the consistent effort you’re putting in and your artwork. Or sign up to run a 5K, 10K, or a marathon (whatever’s just outside your comfort zone). Share your training plan with your kids and let them help track your progress.

Embrace the power of ‘yet’

Carol Dweck professes using the words “not yet” as a powerful way to reframe kids’ learning efforts: It’s not that they can’t do something, they just can’t do it yet. Remind your child that almost no one (even the world’s best athletes and entertainers) is great at something the first time they try it. So if they don’t immediately excel at a new thing, the good news is that they’ll be a little better at it the next time. And even better the time after that.

This season, as you check off all the items on the school supplies list, remember that the most critical tools your kids need don’t fit in a backpack. Set your intention to teach your child(ren) what it means to be courageous, determined and reflective. Help them grow these mental superpowers and learn how to wield them for a successful school year—and a fulfilling lifetime of learning.