Setting New School Year Goals

The start of the school year is a great time to set up goals for the year! Similar to how we plan goals for ourselves (lose 5lbs, workout 3x/week, be more productive at work, save x amount of dollars a month…), our kids need them too. We can help them get started with a few simple tricks…

1. Choose a goal that is just out of reach

-Attainable, but something that will require effort.

-Push themselves to meet a new challenge, versus doing what’s comfy

-Not unrealistic… but achievable

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2. Break it Down (the 5Ws)… We all remember them- “Who, What, Where, When, Why/How”. We used them (and our kids too) to answer comprehension questions after reading in class. Buuuttt…Now you can use them to help define your child’s school year goals.

What: What does your child want to do?

How: How will your child do it?

When: When will your child do it?

Where: Where will your child do it?

Who: Who are the people that can help?

Why: Why is this goal important for your child?

Here’s an example of setting a goal:

What: Improve in a reading level

How: Get a reading list from school and try to read all the books on it by the end of summer

When: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2:00 PM-2:30 PM, read an accelerated book for 30 minutes

Where: At the library

Who: Need parents to drive to the library

Why: Because I want to be able to read above grade level

**Breaking down the goal will

# Help make the goal more manageable.

# Teach your child how to chunk the goal into more achievable steps 3. Help your child, in the future, see that large projects, or even loftier goals, won’t seem so out of reach.

3. Let your child own it!

-Help your child set up check points to review their progress…they can have fun with this step (make a visual board, create a picture, mark it in their calendar…SO many options!)

4. Show support and be a role model for your child

-Give them oodles and oodles of compliments and praise! You can do it!!

5. Reflect and Revise

-Honesty is the best policy here and you can support your child evaluate himself/herself and learn from the process.

Ready to start??!?

Here are a few examples …

• Memorizing the multiplication table

• Advancing in a reading level

• Learning how to ride a bike

• Mastering tying their shows

• Learning how to stay organized

• Learning how to play an instrument

• Learning a new language

• Running a 5k

*Let me know what some of your child’s goals are…