Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Plan For Success

The new school year is almost upon us.  As you are helping your child pick out a new binder and highlighter markers for the new year, there is something that you can do to get ready for the year too.  Think about your goals for your child for this year.  How do you want them to grow this year? 

You might chose something academic like, “I’d like my child to consistently use capital letters appropriately 90% of the time.”  It might be something more metacognitive like, “I’d like my child to manage their homework time independently.”  It might even be something about friendships like, “I’d like my child to broaden their friendship circle by playing with two new friends this year.”  Whatever you choose, make it something small enough that your child can accomplish it in the next few months.  You may want to pick more than one goal but don’t pick more than three.  Your child can only stay focused on a few goals at a time and it will help their teacher be focused in their efforts as well.

Once you have your goals, be sure to share them with your child’s teacher.  If you have an intake conference early in the year this would be the time to share your goals.  If your school does not have intake conferences then you can either send the teacher an email or request a conference (you would want to choose this option if you have a fairly large or serious goal you are working on). 

At the end of my daughter’s second grade year we received her standardized test scores.  Oh boy, did she struggle with the writing mechanics section of the test.  Yes, I saw this at home too.  Her use of capital letters and punctuation was haphazard.  At the beginning of her third grade year I shared my goal of focusing on punctuation with her teacher.  This teacher had a more holistic approach to teaching writing but she knew this aspect was important to me so she was sure to spend time working on it with my daughter.  By the end of year, through work at home and at school, my daughter’s skills had improved a great deal.

I always reach the end of the school year and think about how much my children have grown.  They will grow in so many ways that we cannot name them all but by picking a few goals you can focus your energy as well as build a strong connection between the classroom and home and ensure that those particular goals receive attention. 

Dr. Phil McGraw discusses the importance of knowing where you want to go so that you can get there.  Without a clear goal, it is hard to know where you are going or even if you arrive.  “People that are successful have a strategy from getting where they are to that success. The difference between goals and dreams is a timeline. “Someday” is not a day of the week. You have to work for what you want; not for what you don’t want… every day.”

I think we do children a disservice when we don’t teach them how to work towards goals.  I am NOT recommending that you pick huge, lofty goals and have your child work many hours a day towards them.  A balanced approach is necessary. I do think, however, that it is healthy for children to learn to work towards goals.  This is a life skill that you can help your child develop now.   There is a great deal of discussion in education circles now about the importance of grit in helping children become successful.  Working towards goals, facing setbacks, and forging ahead towards those goals are ways of teaching students grit. 

The beginning of the school year feels like a new beginning each and every year.  What new things do you want to begin with your children?


Plan for success this year.