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.
