Parents play a critical role in their child's success. These seven tips from http://www.goalsettingforstudents.com explain how to help your child set and achieve goals for the new school year.
1. Set 30, 60 and 90-day goals - with your child. What's most important for the first 30 days? Ask your child what they plan to accomplish and help them make a plan to get there. Creating a regular routine with time for homework, chores, outside activities and free time is critical. Help your child tweak their schedule for the best way to spend their time. At the end of the first 30 days, review what worked and what didn't, and then discuss the 60 and 90-day goals.
2. Write it down. Don't just talk about goals. Have your child write them down. The act of writing down goals reinforces the message. According to John Bishop, author of the workbook, Goal Setting for Students?, "There are two great benefits to writing down goals. First, it is implanting in their minds a gentle, yet important, message that they are responsible for their day. Secondly, this exercise teaches them that they cannot simply blame others for their lack of effort."
3. Watch your language. How do you talk about school with your child? Do you praise their teachers and tell your child they can do it? Or do you complain about how hard it is and that the teacher is expecting too much? Avoid "bummer words" like no, can't, won't, never, maybe, and if. Focus on motivating words like yes, can and will.
4. Avoid excuses. Teach your child the importance of taking responsibility and minimizing excuses. Help them create a plan for big projects, breaking them down into manageable pieces with deadlines for each piece. Avoid a last-minute crisis by planning ahead and having supplies on hand. Bishop says, "Don't find fault. Find a solution."
5. Set up rewards that fit your family. As a family, discuss the best ways to recognize your successes. Be sure to recognize effort not just results. Want to encourage reading? Create a reading log, and go bowling or go for ice cream once you've reached a certain amount of reading time. Mini-rewards for regular effort can often be more effective than one large reward for the entire school year.
6. Model goal-setting. What are your goals for the next month and the remainder of the year? Track them - and show your child how you do it. Discuss with them where you are and what obstacles you have overcome. This discussion can easily lead into their goals as a student.
7. Eat together. Take time to sit down together as a family, and give each member the opportunity to talk about what's working and what's not working. Strategize solutions - with the TV turned off. A common reason families don't eat dinner together is conflicting schedules so if the dinner hour doesn't work for you, consider a family breakfast. Even checking in for 15 minutes over cereal can provide a much-needed time to connect.
With a few simple steps, parents can get their children off to a good start for the school year ahead.
Accent On Success? is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping students achieve success in the classroom and in life. For more information on the Goal Setting for Students? workbook, which gives students a roadmap for success, visit http://www.goalsettingforstudents.com.
On a bright Sunday morning, a couple of weeks ago,... Read More
My daughters and I went to the beach several weeks... Read More
When kids try new things, sometimes it's a 'fit' and... Read More
What makes parenting so challenging at times? One widespread research... Read More
Courage means doing the right thing when it is hard,... Read More
Why do some children still do best after divorce and... Read More
What should the goals for counseling be when the patient... Read More
"Home Schooling ? Look Before You Leap"Are you considering home... Read More
I will cherish this moment. I will not let it... Read More
They Spur Members To Grow EmotionallyTatiana Tannenbaum grappled with a... Read More
Parents looking for a quick fix usually choose troubled teen... Read More
Kitchens are where everything happens. It's not just where meals... Read More
From the time the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in... Read More
Parents want their children to succeed in school. However, sometimes... Read More
"Before every action, ask yourself: Will this bring more monkeys... Read More
On one of her quarterly visits to see her grandson,... Read More
One of parents' most important duties is to protect their... Read More
The techniques of managing relationships between parents and their children... Read More
There's a new trend for party entertainment. It seems as... Read More
Do you praise your child when he fulfils a basic... Read More
Words are truly powerful things. They are something that becomes... Read More
Certainly we all want our children to excel. But it... Read More
There are moments in a parent's or grandparent's life, when... Read More
If You're Having Twins..is it double the headache, or double... Read More
What is child sexual abuse? Any sexual activity that is... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..What are we teaching our children about money? Hopefully something!I... Read More
Some public schools try to turn children against their parents... Read More
Many young people don't know how to study efficiently and... Read More
For parents, keeping our kids safe is a constant top... Read More
Like anything else in life, there's a method to the... Read More
Would you hand a child calculus problems once she was... Read More
I recall somewhere in the recesses of my aging brain... Read More
We all know that using cloth nappies is best for... Read More
Who lives in your house? Are they driving you "crazy?"... Read More
Did you know that inconsistency on matters of discipline gives... Read More
Many parenting books advise against eating out with young children.... Read More
All too often, children with learning disabilities are seen through... Read More
On a recent Saturday evening, I noticed a young teen-age... Read More
The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid... Read More
Are you a frustrated parent who sometimes finds it is... Read More
Do you live with an ADD / ADHD child? If... Read More
How bad is the illegal drug problem here in the... Read More
Because most teens have not had the experience of getting... Read More
We take it for granted that children know how money... Read More
When we talk about attention, we are talking about two... Read More
Many parents struggle with solutions to put their child on... Read More
As a parent is seems that the majority of your... Read More
Attention all parents of teen-agers. Here is an important, groundbreaking... Read More
So you have just returned home from your third meeting... Read More
When a child is born, a new number is added... Read More
Parenting |