Using Children's Literature for Dynamic Learning Frames and Growth Mindsets

This article describes a kindergarten teacher's incorporation of children's literature for dynamic learning frame, growth mind‐set, and social justice development into her classroom literacy instruction. The authors first compare a dynamic learning frame with a growth mind‐set, explaining their use of the former because of its consideration for social justice and civic engagement. The authors then argue that the language in certain children's literature, as well as the language that teachers use to prompt students’ responses to the books, can spark young children's development of a dynamic learning frame. Toward this aim, the authors share three examples from read‐aloud sessions over the course of a year that illustrate how the kindergarten teacher helped her students develop a dynamic learning framework through the selection of children's literature that supported that goal in both theme and language as well as the language that she used to discuss those books with her class.