How to Effectively Teach Goal Setting to Children in 4 Easy Steps

Giving children the gift of goal setting is one of the most valuable gifts you can give. Goal setting the most powerful life skill you can teach children. 

Goal setting can significantly impact student growth and change. Adopting goal setting as a part of personal development is critical to the long term success for children. Goal setting is a perfect example of teaching children how to fish vs. giving them a fish. Goal setting is the gift that keeps on giving and can be utilized to help children grow and achieve in all areas of life. 

Goal setting is an extremely personal process that allows children and adults to create the life of their dreams. Using goals to guide decision making helps children make sure that their decisions are aligning with their goals. Regular goal reflection gives children the opportunity to assess whether or not they are making progress towards their goals. Do you need help figuring out how to teach goal setting to children?

Here are four easy steps to helping students set realistic goals. 

Step 1: Let the child choose their goal or put input in towards a collaborative goal.

Goal setting requires commitment from the individual working towards the goal. Determine how many goals the child can handle. This can vary by age. Have a brainstorming session with the child where you ask for some things they think they can improve on. Creating goals collaboratively with children creates buy-in as well as intrinsic motivation to encourage the child to work towards the goal. 

Scenario: 5 year old Johnny pulls cards every day for getting out of his seat usually resulting in a daily phone call home. One day during quiet time the teacher pulls Johnny to the side and talks to him about his behavior. During the conversation they address why his cards keep getting pulled and what he can do differently to stay in his seat. 

The teacher and Johnny collaboratively decide his big goal will be: Johnny will stay in his seat during teacher time (i.e., anytime the teacher is teaching the class) 5/5 days. 

Step 2: Discuss the purpose of the goal with the child.

Goal setting requires the child to understand why the goal is important for them. It’s imperative that children know why the goal is important. Failing to understand why the goal is important is counterproductive to the process. Children need to know that this goal is important and more importantly what this goal is going to do for them. How is it going to help make their life better or help them grow?

Scenario: Johnny and his teacher discuss why it is important for Johnny to stay in his seat during teacher time. Johnny’s teacher points out that Johnny will be safer by staying in his seat. Johnny will help contribute to a more positive learning environment for his peers by reducing distractions.

Step 3: Break the big goal into small ones. 

Goal setting and achieving requires a plan to reach the goal. Breaking the goal into smaller steps creates a clear action plan for the child. Additionally, the smaller steps make it clear to evaluate progress. The clearer the steps are for the child the easier it is for the child to understand and work towards their goal(s).

Step 4: Brainstorm potential obstacles.

Goal setting requires preparation and consideration of potential blocks to reach the goal. Sitting with the child and identifying what obstacles could potentially interfere with achieving their goals helps students prepare for any roadblocks they may run into on their journey to reach their goals. Understanding what can stop a child from reaching a desired goal helps prepare the child for problem solving and how to overcome those obstacles. 

In order to scaffold goal setting appropriately, it requires time so you are encouraged to start the process early for children. Remember, it’s best when first starting out with goal setting to keep it simple by starting with one small goal. Make sure the goal(s) are connected to things the student is passionate about. Don’t forget to make the goal visual too. Having students write goals out or use pictures to illustrate goals for smaller children. 

Goal setting is a powerful tool that can help bring lifelong success to any individual and can have a significant impact on outcomes for children. Start early and teach children to set and achieve goals. 

Do you think you can teach a child in your life the power of goal setting? For more content related to goal setting and more follow the resource section of our website.