Why should parents focus on efforts rather than grades?

Focusing on efforts helps children develop a growth mindset where they believe their abilities can evolve. Research in educational psychology shows that children encouraged for their efforts become more resilient, persistent, and autonomous. They learn to bounce back from failures and understand that success comes from repeated efforts, not just natural talent.

What is the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset?

A growth mindset occurs when children believe their abilities can develop through effort and learning. In contrast, a fixed mindset happens when focus is solely on grades or 'talents,' leading children to think 'I am good' or 'I am bad,' making each evaluation feel like a final verdict on their abilities.

How can parents concretely praise their child's efforts?

Praising efforts effectively means identifying and naming what the child has specifically done, rather than just saying 'You worked hard, that's good.' Parents should recognize the strategies, persistence, problem-solving approaches, and specific actions their child took during the learning process.

What benefits do children gain from effort-focused praise?

Children develop three key benefits: resilience (learning to recover from failures and analyze improvements), perseverance (understanding that success results from repeated efforts), and autonomy (seeking their own strategies rather than waiting for adult solutions).

What should parents do when grades don't improve despite efforts?

When grades don't immediately reflect efforts, parents should continue acknowledging the process and strategies their child is using. The focus should remain on building sustainable motivation that won't collapse at the first poor grade, helping children understand that learning is a gradual process.

How does celebrating efforts build sustainable motivation?

By praising efforts rather than just results, children develop motivation that doesn't depend on perfect grades. This approach helps them focus on what they're actually learning, how they approach challenges, and what strategies they use to progress, creating lasting motivation that persists through both successes and setbacks.

Celebrate Efforts for Lasting Motivation in School

A good grade reassures, a bad one worries. Caught in this seesaw, parents and children end up forgetting the essential: what the child is really learning, how they approach it, what they put in place to progress. By praising efforts more than results, you help them develop solid motivation that does not collapse at the first 8/20 that comes along.

🧠 Why focus on efforts?

Research in educational psychology shows that a child encouraged for their efforts develops a growth mindset: they believe their abilities can evolve. In contrast, when the focus is solely on grades or “talents,” the child adopts a fixed mindset: “I am good” or “I am bad,” and each evaluation becomes a verdict.

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Resilience

The child learns to get back up after a failure and to analyze what they can improve.

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Perseverance

They understand that success is the result of repeated efforts, not a mysterious “gift.”

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Autonomy

They seek strategies rather than waiting for the adult's solution.

💬 How to concretely praise efforts?

Praising efforts is not about saying “You worked hard, that's good” regardless of the result. It’s about identifying what the child has put in place and naming it.

“You practiced several evenings in a row before your test, even when you were tired.”
“You agreed to redo this exercise instead of giving up.”
“You looked for another way to solve this problem when the first one didn’t work.”
“You took the time to neatly redo your paper after making a mistake.”

💡 DYNSEO Tip

You can, once a week, revisit together an “effort you are proud of.” It doesn’t matter what the grade is: what matters is that your child develops their own ability to recognize their progress.

📉 What to do when grades are not (yet) following?

It is possible that, despite significant efforts, grades remain average or low. This is often the case for children with learning disabilities (DYS), ADHD, or after a long period of disengagement. In these situations, focusing solely on the grade can be deeply discouraging.

“You got 9/20, and that’s the best grade of your term. This number doesn’t say everything, but it already shows that your efforts are starting to pay off.”
Example of positive feedback on a grade

We can also distinguish the child's part and the system's part: “You did your part of the work, the rest builds over time, with the teacher, with the accommodations you need.”

🎓 Preventing school dropout

The DYNSEO training helps families to move away from the logic of grades = child's worth, and to build an environment that supports perseverance in the long term.

Discover the training →

📱 COCO, JOE & DYNSEO training: resources to maintain effort

The DYNSEO tools allow the child to see their progress in areas other than grades, and to connect it with their efforts.

🎮 COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES

In COCO, the child quickly sees that by replaying the same game multiple times, they improve. It’s a playful way to show them that repeated effort leads to improvement, without the pressure of grades.

Discover COCO →

🧠 JOE, brain coach

For teens, JOE becomes a complementary training ground to homework. You can value not the final score, but the consistency of training: “You played 10 minutes every day this week, that’s what will make the difference.”

Discover JOE →

🤍 Supporting anxious children

For an anxious child, every grade can become a huge issue. Combining praise for efforts with anxiety management tools is a very powerful combination.

Discover the training for anxious children →

🎯 Conclusion

Praising efforts rather than grades does not deny the importance of academic results. It places these results in a broader trajectory: that of a child learning to persevere, to get back up, to believe in their ability to progress. Lasting motivation is built on this foundation, day after day.

Celebrate efforts rather than grades: building lasting motivation