Grades 2–5
Mistake Detectives
Be a mistake detective: read four short stories and write what went wrong, what each kid can learn and what to try next time.
SEL worksheet · Growth mindset
Growth Mindset Word Search
Find twelve growth mindset words, like yet, effort and practice, hidden across, down and on a slant, then use one in a sentence.
- Grade level
- Grades 1–4
- Time
- About 15 minutes
- Topic
- Growth mindset
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Growth mindset, Perseverance, Positive self-talk, Learning from mistakes
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Find each growth mindset word. Words go across, down and on a slant. Check each one you find.
- Which word helps you most when learning is hard? Use it in a sentence.
Words on this sheet
yettrylearngroweffortbrainmistakegoalimprovefocusstretch
Teacher tip
Ask kids to use their favorite word in a sentence about their own learning.
How to use it
- Celebrate a “mistake of the day” where the class learns from an error.
- Connect it to a real hard task, like a tricky math page.
- Model your own answer first. Kids open up more when the grown-up goes first.
Watch for
Praise for being “smart”. Try praising the effort or the strategy instead.
Talk about it
- What do you say to yourself when something is hard?
- How might someone else see it differently?
Take it further
Keep a learning journal where kids note one thing that was hard and how they kept going.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More growth mindset worksheets
Grades 1–5
Growth Mindset Challenge Board
Sixteen growth mindset challenges, from trying a new food to asking for feedback. Check them off and try for four in a row.
Grades 2–5
Fixed or Growth Mindset?
Read ten thoughts and sort each into fixed mindset or growth mindset.
Grades 1–4
Change Your Words
Rewrite six stuck thoughts like “I can’t do this” into growth mindset words like “I can’t do this yet.”
Free for teachers
Get the free Classroom Drawing Kit
12 printable pages: six step-by-step lessons, a grid activity, draw-and-write sheets and teacher notes, sent with your welcome email. After that, new classroom printables by email.