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.
Dining in a restaurant with kids can be very enervating... Read More
Just a couple of years ago Annie helped her parents... Read More
Today's dads are more hands-on than ever before and their... Read More
Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal... Read More
In dealing with children with autism spectrum disorders, its all... Read More
The word no is probably the most overused word in... Read More
Coping with a child's bad behavior, perhaps more than any... Read More
Demanding children ? children who have entitlement issues ? seem... Read More
You have a chore to do around the house, and... Read More
Congratulations on your new baby! You have just brought your... Read More
As a mom of 4 who's youngest child is about... Read More
A strange thing happened to me today. Or more precisely,... Read More
We are all familiar with the stories that most students... Read More
One of the most difficult parts of being a father... Read More
Giving advice to a teenager is very easy; getting a... Read More
I have always found the notion of toilet training a... Read More
Who Can Register A Birth? The child's mother... Read More
Hints from Ruowen Wang? Keep a small basket filled with... Read More
Whenever parents discuss how to deal with bed wetting, the... Read More
Is it hard to communicate with your teenager about issues... Read More
One of the few decisions you'll make during pregnancy that... Read More
Vacations are fun ! Weekends with the family are nice.... Read More
It happens every year. Just when you are settled in... Read More
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain... Read More
One of the questions I ask in parenting presentations is... Read More
Granger limo Chicago ..Child Party Planning Guideline #1)Pick the ThemeYour child is going... Read More
Parents want their children to succeed in school. However, sometimes... Read More
1. They can make mistakes under your guidance2. They will... Read More
Spending quality time with your children doesn't need to cost... Read More
You no longer have to use Ritalin or other stimulants... Read More
Do you want your child to cooperate with you more?Children... Read More
Search for Assurance: The Power of BelongingThe job hunt is... Read More
You are at the grocery store with your daughter and... Read More
Here are some tips that I have picked up from... Read More
You want your daughter to wear a dress to the... Read More
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is making... Read More
Would you hand a child calculus problems once she was... Read More
"Hugging is healthy: it helps the body's immunity system, it... Read More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Results of the Spanking Poll on Rexanne.com: Voters - 233Percentage... Read More
Some people can concentrate on an assignment, to the exclusion... Read More
If you were to ask 100 parents why they think... Read More
This is the third and final article in a series... Read More
Child tantrums are a way for children to express their... Read More
Here's a scene: A parent "might suddenly grab a happliy... Read More
How to Get Your Child to Love Reading was conceived... Read More
The internet is a dangerous place for your children. Don't... Read More
Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in... Read More
The girl's jaw dropped in horror as the police officer... Read More
The distressed adolescent often has feelings of abandonment, emotional detachment,... Read More
Each child carries a unique picture of the self, shaped... Read More
Parenting |