Goals are crucial to school success (and areas of life beyond the classroom).
Setting and tracking goals helps your child learn important life skills such as planning, organization, and time management while also building communication skills, self-awareness, and confidence.
Creating and tracking goals is a great way to understand your child’s current academic standing and allows you to focus on determining direction for the future.
Discover seven ways effective goal setting helps your child succeed at school (& beyond!).
7 Ways Goal Setting Helps Your Child Succeed
- Provides A Clear Path To Success
- Teaches Time Management & Preparedness
- Increases Motivation
- Measures Progress
- Gives Focus & Purpose
- Boosts Self-Confidence
- Provides Challenges
When your child sets goals, it gives him or her steps to follow so tasks are completed according to importance. This allows more time and energy to be spent on the next step in achieving his or her goal rather than tackling tasks as they come up.
Having a clear plan also reduces procrastination. If your child knows exactly what he or she wants to achieve and knows the steps required to achieve it, there is less room for procrastination.
Setting effective goals also teaches your child organization, planning, and time management skills he or she can use in the classroom and at home.
If the big picture seems too overwhelming, break bigger goals into short-term goals. This separates long-term goals into smaller, more manageable steps so your child doesn’t get discouraged and quit.
Setting clear goals makes it easier for your child to track his or her progress. Seeing how far he or she has come and how much is left to do motivates him or her to continue working toward (and achieving) goals.
Setting goals determines a clear pathway to success, allowing your child to focus on what needs to get done. This goes a long way to preventing your child from becoming overwhelmed, frustrated, or discouraged. It lessens feelings of being disheartened and encourages your child to spend time on activities that contribute to his or her goals.
When your child starts making progress toward achieving his or her goals, it’s a big confidence boost! Your child’s confidence in his or her abilities is important for self-image in the long run, helping him or her tackle future goals with less anxiety. With that new-found confidence, your child can continue to set more ambitious goals.
If your child seems uninterested in a certain subject or school in general, set a small goal to work toward. This will keep him or her engaged in the classroom and encourages your child to think of new areas he or she can continue to improve.
Start Teaching Goal Setting Now
Learning how to set goals should be started when your child is young so he or she can develop goal-setting skills over the coming years. Teaching your child about goal setting at a young age can ensure he or she develops certain skills—whether they’re academic skills or life skills.
Need help getting started? Read our guide Helping Your Child Set Achievable Learning Goals (+ 5 Goals You Can Set Today).
