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Have you ever thought about setting educational goals for your children? Whether they are in public/private school or are homeschooled, seeing the future of your child’s education can help in so many ways. In this post we are going to look at how to set educational goals for your children and how they will be beneficial for many years to come.Summer is a great time to set educational goals and begin working towards their next grade level, especially with the Brain Quest Summer Workbooks.
Why are educational goals important?
Goal-setting in general is known to be a fundamental skill for achieving long-term success in all aspects of life, career, relationships, and so on. In terms of setting educational goals for children, this process can help (you and) your children stay focused on the importance of what they are learning and how it will directly effect their future.
These types of goals serve as a roadmap that will guide them through various milestones, achievements, and ultimately to what the path they want to pursue when they are older. Homeschoolers often have the best ability to cater to their child’s educational needs and any specific interests to assist them in achieving their goals quicker and with more resources.
Even if you are not a homeschooler, it is still important to set educational goals for your children to keep them motivated and effectively learning in their educational environments.
With this in mind, let’s look how to set these types of goals for your children and young learners.
How to Set Educational Goals for Your Children
Start with their current stage of development.
I didn’t say age or grade because in many cases, children can cross several developmental stages no matter of their age and grade. From this aspect, you are looking at where your child is developmentally versus a particular grade level and what that grade says they should know. For example, a 13 year-old boy is in fact a teenager; however, he could actually be in a younger adolescent stage of development. This must be strongly considered when setting his educational goals because they will not be based off what most 13 year-olds should know. Instead, they will be personally catered to where he is developmentally.
Understand what your child already knows.
Most people think this requires taking a series of tests; however, you can get an idea of what your child knows by observing them for an extended period of time. Listen to the way they speak, the types of conversations they have, the way they ask questions, what they inquire about and so on. Your child may want to learn more about coding, the Learning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set is a great way for them to learn and practice simple coding. You could always use fun academic games and workbooks to test a bit of their knowledge as well. Once you have an idea of what they know, you will be ready for the next step.
Set a series of goals.
Setting a series of goals consists of establishing a couple of things they can reach within six months to a year, others that may take 1-2 years, and then more long-term goals that will happen over the course of 3-5 years. Typically this type of goal setting is not done until a child reached high school, but you can certainly start much earlier to get them used to goal setting.
In fact, showing your child how to set their own educational goals will surely carry over into their adulthood and help set the stage for how reaching their achievements can look. If your child wants to learn a new language, look into classes either in person or online for them and start acquiring resources to assist them learning the new language, like flashcards or workbooks. Always make sure that the goals are attainable and practical.
Include any necessary tools, resources, and support.
Helping your child set up a series of goals is one thing, but then it is important to provide them with the assistance and tools they need to reach them. Educationally speaking, you can find a variety of resources and services to help your child reach their goals. If your son has the goal to take 3 engineering classes by next summer, you could locate courses in your community or online and enroll him. If your daughter wants to learn how to cook because she one day hopes to become a chef, she could start joining you in the kitchen as well as take cooking classes for young aspiring chefs.
Final Thoughts
Setting educational goals for your children doesn’t have to be an overwhelming thing. Keep in mind the benefits of doing it and how it will set up your child’s future for learning and pursuing the career of their choice. As with any goal, it will take some action. Help you children establish doable tasks to help them reach their goals and then celebrate once they reach them. Then, rinse and repeat!