Why Setting Academic Goals Will Help Your Child Achieve Success

Setting goals is imperative to student success.

It’s one of the life skills we teach at ELA and encourage educators and parents to do the same. Setting goals are a great way to help students focus and create a set of achievements that they want to accomplish every week, month, or year. Setting goals can also help students stay motivated especially when they lack motivation or want to give up! Below we break down some goal-setting tips and benefits found on the blog Teachers 1 on 1.

It's important to help students set their goals and model goal setting behavior. You can start off by helping your child/student understand the importance and purpose of goals.

• Ask them what they think the benefits could be for themselves.
• Talk to them about their dreams, big and small and what they hope to accomplish.
• Time is relative which makes it often difficult for students to see much beyond the present.
• Encourage them to make goals for the month, the semester, the school year and then help them see themselves into the future.
• Ask them questions to help them narrow down the specifics of what they want to accomplish.
• Once they have a goal in mind, help them break it down into smaller, achievable parts
• Talk about obstacles that might get in the way to help them prepare so they don’t give up.
• Check in regularly on how they are doing and if they need to tweak any of their goals.

Academic goal setting has been proven to benefit students in numerous ways:

1. Creating a clear path to accomplishment
2. Teaching preparedness and time management
3. Measuring progress effectively
4. Boosting motivation
5. Providing purpose
6. Increasing self-confidence
7. Grow their interests

Are you ready to help your students set their goal!