A Parent’s Guide to Cultivating a Growth Mindset in Math (Backed by Research & Professional Teaching Experience)

When children believe their abilities are set in stone, they stop taking risks and tune out as soon as the work gets hard. But with the right support, those same students begin to ask questions, attempt problems they used to skip, and take pride in their progress. 

This shift requires a change in mindset and the environment to nurture it.

Helping students make that shift has been our mission for years, here at Mathnasium of Surprise. What follows is a practical, research-supported perspective on how that transformation happens, what it looks like in action, and how parents can be the spark that gets it started.

Because the difference between “I can’t” and “I can” isn’t luck or DNA. It’s a mindset, and that can be changed.

Why Growth Mindset Matters in Math

When a child says, “I’m just not good at math,” they’re not making a statement about skill—they’re revealing a mindset. And that mindset can shape how they learn, how they handle challenges, and how they feel about themselves in the classroom.

What is a Growth Mindset?

The concept of a growth mindset was pioneered by psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, whose decades of research have shown that students who believe their abilities can be developed through effort, strategies, and guidance tend to perform better academically and emotionally than students with a fixed mindset, those who believe their abilities are static and unchangeable.

In her landmark study with Dr. Lisa Blackwell, Dweck found that seventh graders who were taught about the malleability of intelligence and encouraged to embrace mistakes and challenges showed significantly greater improvements in math grades compared to peers who weren’t exposed to mindset instruction.¹

Why Mindset Matters Especially in Math

Math is uniquely positioned to trigger fixed-mindset thinking because it’s precise and cumulative. A single mistake on a test or a confusing lesson can easily lead students to internalize failure and withdraw from effort.

Research from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) supports this: students who believe they can grow their math abilities through practice tend to persevere through difficult problems, seek help when needed, and engage in deeper learning.²

These students achieve higher test scores and report lower levels of math anxiety and higher levels of motivation.

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The Role of Productive Struggle

At Mathnasium of Surprise, we often say that struggle is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of learning. In fact, “productive struggle” is one of the most powerful ways to help students internalize a growth mindset.

According to research published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, students who engage in effortful problem-solving—before receiving instruction—demonstrate greater conceptual understanding and retention of math concepts.³ This is because struggling with new material forces the brain to form connections, deepen thinking, and invest emotionally in the outcome.

But this process is only productive when paired with caring guidance and a supportive environment, both of which are central to our teaching approach, the Mathnasium Method™.

What We See in Our Learning Center

We’ve worked with hundreds of students in our town of Surprise, TX, and we’ve seen how a growth mindset can transform both a student’s grades and their identity. 

A student who once refused to attempt word problems begins to approach them with curiosity. A child who felt defeated by fractions begins to explain them to peers. This is what happens when students start to believe that their abilities are not fixed, but flexible.

When students understand that their brains can grow through effort and feedback, they stop asking, “Am I smart?” and start asking, “What can I learn from this?”

Success in math has very little to do with talent, and a lot to do with the student’s mindset

How We Cultivate a Growth Mindset at Mathnasium of Surprise

We’ve seen firsthand what can happen when a child starts to believe that effort drives progress. 

This shift doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen by accident. 

It takes a structured approach and a learning environment where students feel safe to make mistakes and are motivated to try again.

That’s exactly what we build here every day. Please do try this at home!

1. We Start with What They Know

Growth begins with clarity. Each student starts their Mathnasium journey with a diagnostic assessment designed to help us understand how your child thinks about math, where they feel confident, and where they’ve lost footing.

We meet students where they are on their math journey and gently guide them forward by addressing their knowledge gaps and teaching in a way that makes sense to them.

2. We Create Space for Struggle (on Purpose!)

Math growth happens at the edge of understanding, where a student must wrestle with a new idea just long enough to figure it out.

This is what educators call productive struggle, and it’s a cornerstone of our approach. 

We don’t rush to rescue students from hard problems. We guide them through it, ask thoughtful questions, and help them build the resilience and reasoning skills they’ll carry into every classroom.

3. We Praise the Process

When a student finishes a tough problem, we make sure to point to what made it successful:

• “You stuck with it, even after getting stuck.”

• “I saw how you tested a few different strategies before deciding what worked.”

• “You explained that beautifully, like a teacher!”

This kind of feedback shifts a student’s focus from being right to thinking deeply. It reinforces that math success has very little to do with talent and a lot to do with habits and persistence.

4. We Make Learning Collaborative

Students at Mathnasium of Surprise work in a small-group environment where learning is face-to-face and interactive. 

They hear peers explain math in their own words and ask questions without fear of judgment. They learn that math is a language, and that they can speak it, too.

Over time, this kind of environment does something powerful: It makes students want to engage with math.

5. We Track Growth and Celebrate It

As students move through their personalized learning plans, we show them (and their parents) their progress, so they can look back and appreciate their growth.

A student who once said, “I’ll never get this,” begins to say, “Give me a minute; I want to try again.”

That’s mindset in motion. And it’s the heartbeat of everything we do.

What Parents Can Do at Home to Cultivate Growth Mindset

A child’s mindset is shaped by the messages they hear—often unintentionally—from the adults around them. 

These strategies, drawn from educational research and decades of teaching experience at Mathnasium, offer a practical starting point.

1. Practice Positive Math Talk

What children hear shapes what they believe.

Simple shifts in how we talk about math can make a lasting difference. Instead of saying, “It’s okay, I was never good at math either,” try, “Everyone can learn math! It just takes practice.”

Avoid labeling your child as “smart” or “gifted” based on quick answers. Instead, praise the thought process. Comments like “You really stuck with that problem!” or “I love how you tried a different approach,” reinforce that effort and strategy—not speed—are what matter.

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2. Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome

It’s natural to celebrate good grades, but consistent praise for scores alone can lead students to tie their value to results. Over time, this can increase fear of failure and discourage risk-taking.

Instead, highlight how your child approached the work. Did they reread the problem? Ask a thoughtful question? Recheck their steps? These are habits of strong math thinkers.

When students learn to value how they learn—not just what they score—they become more resilient and engaged.

3. Normalize Mistakes

Children often believe mistakes are signs of failure. But in math, errors are stepping stones.

Neuroscientific studies show that making and correcting mistakes actually strengthens neural pathways involved in learning.⁴

Help your child see mistakes as part of the process:

• “Great! This shows us where we can dig in.”

• “This one’s tricky! Let’s work through it together.”

• “What can we learn from this?”

When you respond to mistakes with curiosity and calm, your child learns to do the same.

4. Encourage “Stretch” Problems

Give your child permission to not get everything right the first time. In fact, encourage them to pick one “stretch problem” during each homework session—something they know will be challenging.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s exposure. When students regularly push past their comfort zone, they begin to realize that struggle is where the growth happens.

At Mathnasium of Surprise, we like to call this the “power zone” of learning, where just enough support meets just enough challenge.

5. Model a Growth Mindset Yourself

If you’ve ever said, “I’m just not a math person,” it might be time to retire the phrase.

You don’t have to pretend to love math. But showing your child that you’re open to learning, willing to try, and unafraid of mistakes sends a powerful message.⁵

You’re helping them succeed in math, and you’re showing them how to approach any challenge with confidence.

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When and How to Seek Support

Even with encouragement at home, many students need more structured help to change how they think and feel about math. That’s especially true when math anxiety has already taken root, or when foundational skills are missing. 

In these moments, the right support can lift a student academically and help rewrite their internal narrative.

But how do you know when it’s time to bring in outside help?

Consider support if you’re seeing:

• Avoidance of math-related homework, conversations, or class participation

• Increased anxiety or emotional reactions before tests

• Consistent struggles with multi-step problems or word problems

• A drop in confidence after a poor grade, even on a single assignment

• Statements like “I hate math” or “I’m not good at it” becoming more frequent

These are usually the signs that your child may be internalizing failure and starting to disengage, which is something we want to catch early.

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The difference is measurable. According to national Mathnasium data:

• 94% of parents report improvement in their child’s math skills and understanding.

• 93% say their child’s attitude toward math improved.

• 90% see better school grades across subjects.

This kind of shift ripples from math class across every area of a student’s academic life.

Build Math Confidence at Mathnasium of Surprise

Every day at Mathnasium of Surprise, we help students do something powerful: replace “I can’t” with “I’m figuring it out.” This change starts with a clear understanding of where your child is and a plan for where they can go, with the right guidance along the way.

Our approach is built on the Mathnasium Method™—a research-informed system that combines personalized learning plans, proven teaching techniques, and face-to-face instruction in a caring and fun group environment. 

Whether your child is catching up, keeping up, or ready to get ahead, we’re here to help them unlock their math potential.

The first step? 

A diagnostic assessment that helps us understand your child’s unique strengths, gaps, and learning style. From there, we build a customized roadmap to support both skills and confidence.

If your child has been struggling with math—or simply hasn’t yet learned to enjoy it—now is the perfect time to change course. Because math success isn’t about being born with talent. It’s about the right mindset, and the right support.

And that support starts here.

👉 Book your free assessment at Mathnasium of Surprise today

Let’s help your child say with confidence: “I can do this.”

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References

1. Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78(1), 246–263. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17328703/  

2. Kapur, M. (2008). Productive failure. Cognition and Instruction, 26(3), 379–424. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07370000802212669 

3. OECD. (2019). PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What school life means for students’ lives. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2018-results-volume-iii_acd78851-en.html 

4. Moser, J. S., Schroder, H. S., Heeter, C., Moran, T. P., & Lee, Y. H. (2011). Mind your errors: Evidence for a neural mechanism linking growth mind-set to adaptive posterror adjustments. Psychological Science, 22(12), 1484–1489. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51760065_Mind_Your_Errors

5. Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students’ potential through creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309213995_Mathematical_mindsets_unleashing_students'_potential_through_creative_math_inspiring_messages_and_innovative_teaching