Benefits of goal setting for children

Setting goals for children is a vital part of their learning, achievement, and growth. Goals help motivate us to stay on track, achieve our ambitions, and push us to go above and beyond what we expect from ourselves. Goal setting establishes a sense of purpose, direction, and confidence in children and encourages them to maintain focus on attaining their goals. This blog outlines four benefits of goal setting for children and tips on how you can help your child set and stay on track with their goals.

1. Direction

Goal setting plays a crucial role in your child’s learning journey. It provides them with a target to aim for and a destination or outcome to direct their efforts towards. Having set goals to reach for gives children a guide and direction of where they are heading, what they want to achieve, and why. Start a conversation with your child and have them tell you what they want to achieve, whether it’s a short term goal of passing a test or a long term goal of getting into the best sports team. It is much easier to start once you know what they are striving towards.

2. Focus

Goal setting is the principal tool for helping children stay focused and on track. With so many distractions that can hinder our children’s focus, goals can help them stay focused on what is important to them. Clarifying goals and setting priorities will enable children to focus their attention on the tasks that align with their objective. The process of goal setting involves reflecting on passions and ambitions, so it is worth asking your child what takes their interest and what motivates them to achieve it.

3. Motivation

Goals give us hope and something to aspire to, which is why a step towards achieving a goal or desire can fill us with excitement. By setting specific and defined goals that cultivate the interests of children, it can help them persevere through difficulties and stay motivated. When children progress towards their goals and notice small improvements and success, it builds momentum and fuels their motivation to achieve more. Help your child define clear goals and the reasons why they want to achieve them, and make sure to recognise their efforts along the way.

4. Increased confidence

Goals can be challenging, especially on the journey to achieving them. At the same time, they provide us with a feeling of personal satisfaction and increased confidence. Helping children set and reach their goals enables them to understand their capabilities and full potential. Every step towards attaining a goal builds confidence and gives children a sense of accomplishment and pride, because the more they accomplish, the more confident they become. It is always worth spending some quality time asking your child what sort of short and long term goals they want to achieve.

If your child has uncovered a passion or ambition that they want to strive towards, help them set realistic goals to guide them in the right direction. At NumberWorks’nWords, we help our students set and achieve their learning goals. We celebrate each checkpoint that is reached and every goal that is achieved. Our proven approach to maths and English tutoring for every ability helps children to develop foundational skills and build confidence in their learning. If you would like to learn more about our tutoring programmes, get in touch with your local centre, or book a free assessment today!