By Ms. Frances Acin

You are your child’s first and most important teacher as a parent. There are many ways parents can support their children’s Learning at home and throughout the school year. One way is to teach your child how to set effective goal-setting. When students Set Goals, they become more aware of the learning they are expected to experience. This newfound awareness allows students to be engaged in the learning process. Mastery-oriented goals develop a growth mindset that provides children with the opportunity to focus on learning standards and their growth! 

Here are some ideas to get you started! 

• Choose an area for improvement. 
• Choose an achievable goal. 
• Discuss the purpose of the goal. 
• Develop a plan to achieve the goal. 
• Brainstorm potential obstacles and possible solutions. 
• Celebrate success! 

Helping your child choose an area for improvement will help them reflect on areas of need. It will encourage them to leave their comfort zone and seek success. The best part of setting goals is that your child will learn to Reach them! By teaching your child to set goals that are attainable yet out of reach, it will push them to meet new challenges. Encourage your child to pick specific goals that can be measured, “ I want to increase my reading fluency by 20 words in five weeks,” for example. By keeping the goals measurable, your child can track their progress and see learning growth. Start small, and help your child work their way through. 

“ You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.”- Steve Garvey