The Power of Setting Goals
The idea of setting goals is important for us adults at the beginning of the new year, but even preschoolers can benefit from learning how to set and achieve small goals. Whether it’s learning to kick a soccer ball, share with a friend, or put on their own shoes, setting goals helps young children build confidence, develop perseverance, and teaches problem-solving in a focused way. Throughout our classes we focus on handling the highs and lows of attempting things that can be challenging. Our coaches introduce goal-setting in a way that’s fun, achievable, and empowering.
Why Goal-Setting Matters for Preschoolers
- Builds Confidence: Setting and achieving goals can help build confidence in preschoolers. When they see how their hard work pays off, they will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in themselves.
- Develop Perseverance: When a child has a goal that may be difficult, they will need to keep working through each phase of mastering that skill. During this time, they will need to stay persistent. Through hard work and focus, they will be able to see success in their goals.
- Learn to Problem-Solve: An important stage in setting and achieving goals is planning how to accomplish their goals. By providing opportunities for children to work through their own goals, they will develop the ability to learn through their mistakes. This will give them the tools necessary to learn to work through problems on their own.
How We Incorporate Goals in Our Classes
- Set SMART goals: We want all of our goals to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. Our classes focus on keeping the goals small, achievable, and age-appropriate.
- Encourage a “try again mentality: We want each child to learn that mistakes aren’t failures. It is important to encourage children to try again if they don’t reach their goal on their first try.
- Celebrate Progress: During our classes, we focus on celebrating effort, not results. By encouraging each step of the process, children are able to see their progress. This encourages them to persevere and builds self-confidence.
By teaching our preschoolers how to set and achieve goals, we are preparing them with necessary skills they will use throughout their lives. They will develop resilience in the learning process, build the necessary confidence to try hard things, and learn to work through problems. We strive to create well-rounded children through these important skills. By introducing goals in our classes, we are creating Brave, Creative Leaders for the future.
