Empowering Tomorrow's Achievers: Mastering Goal-Setting for Kids with The Teacher Treasury

Helping Children Reach Their Potential: The Power of Goal Setting + Action

2/23/2023

As teachers and parents, it’s important to teach children the importance of setting goals for themselves and the value of working towards achieving those goals.

One way to encourage children to set goals is to provide them with specific and measurable targets. For example, a teacher can set a goal for a student to read a certain number of books over the course of a month or a parent can set a goal for a child to practice a musical instrument for a certain number of minutes each day.

I personally prefer to allow children to set obtainable goals for themselves with a little guidance should they need it. If they are struggling to set their own goals, I recommend simply having a conversation with them about their dreams and desires. They might not think they know what they want when you ask them to sit down and write their goals, but most kids love to talk and want to share what’s on their mind. A conversation might be much less intimidating. Afterwards, it’ll be easier for you and the child to work together to get those thoughts on paper.

If they are still having trouble, try providing them with a few writing prompts like the following:

I will be a better…
I will practice…
I will try harder to…
I will learn how to…
Before the end of the month, I want to…
Before the end of the year, I will…
I will always remember to…
I will not be afraid to…
I plan to…

There are just a few examples to help get them started. Hopefully, these words will spark some ideas.

Another way to encourage children to set goals is to make the process fun and interactive.

I love vision boards! I think a creative and fun idea would be to give the child the materials they need to make a vision board. You can provide them with assistance if needed or wanted. It’ll be a lot more fun for them if you do it together while allowing them to take the lead with the activity. Once completed, have the child and place it in a visible location where they can see it and remind themselves of the goals they’ve set.

Here’s a list of materials you may want to consider if you plan to help them create a vision board:

Poster board
Markers
Pencils / Pens
Crayons
Glue
Glitter
Scissors
Pictures to help represent their goals - (They can print them from online, cut them from appropriate magazines, or draw them on their own)

Incentives are always great for positive reinforcement. Think about creating a rewards system for children who meet their targets and achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves. Having physical reminders of their accomplishments is a great confidence boots and can be very encouraging and motivating. Here are a few ideas:

Stickers
Certificates
Trophies
Toys
Movie tickets / Sports tickets - (Have them keep the stubs after watching the movie on the big screen or the sporting event in person as the reward)

It's important to note that successful individuals often attribute their success to setting and working towards specific goals. Setting goals is an important first step in achieving success, but we need to make it very clear to children (and ourselves) that it is not the only step. The real key to success is taking action and doing the things that will lead to the achievement of those goals. This means developing a plan of action and consistently working towards achieving the goals we’ve all set for ourselves. It also means being willing to make adjustments and modifications to the plan as needed.

Experience has always been my best teacher and I think it’s the same for many of us and our children. Share your goals and past successes with the kids in your lives. Share your failed attempts with them too because our own experiences can serve as valuable lessons for them as well. I also suggest knowing who else these kids look up to and admire. See if you can find and point out examples of their role models setting a specific goal for themselves and working towards making it happen. It doesn’’t matter if are real people or Disney characters. What matters is getting the point across to kids that goal setting and taking action to achieve those goals is what’s important if you want to succeed in life.

Overall, teaching children how to set goals and work towards achieving them is an important aspect of their development. Let’s also remind them that achieving goals takes time, effort and consistency, and it's normal to encounter obstacles along the way.

Failure is a part of the process and it doesn’t have to be permanent. By taking action and continuing to work towards their goals, they can overcome those obstacles and achieve success. With this knowledge and these skill sets, children can learn the value of hard work and perseverance, and develop important character traits that will serve them well throughout their lives.

To help reinforce goal setting for kids, here are a few resources to consider: