Setting Study Goals with your Child

During the school holiday,it may be tempting to fully enjoy the days spent together with your child and push aside thoughts about what happens after the school holiday comes to an end. Unfortunately, many people—parents and students alike—underestimate the importance of goal-setting. The year-end holidays are a good time for parents to reflect with their child on their accomplishments in the past school year, as well as make plans for the next one.

To get your child started on the right foot when they return to school, why not start preparing now? Read on for some tips on how to set study goals with your child to ensure their academic success. 

Research the syllabus and curriculum structure

It can be beneficial to have some knowledge about the upcoming content and skills that your child will be taught in school. This may aid your goal-setting process as you can come up with actionable steps to help your child hone these skills or apply the knowledge they’ve gained. Knowing what to look out for also helps when checking in on your child’s progress throughout the school year. Importantly, you can start researching and purchasing suitable learning materials for your child early on. Having the right exam preparation resources early on ensures that your child is able to keep up with the demands of the curriculum.

Use the SMART framework

The SMART framework states that effective goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. For instance, “I want to achieve above 80 marks out of 100 in Math overall by the end of this year” is a better goal compared to “I want to do well in Math.” The first goal statement provides greater clarity on how to measure accomplishment and provides a reasonable time-frame for the goal to be accomplished. With a better sense of direction, it sets your child up for success to follow through and achieve their goals. 

Break down big goals into smaller steps

Although every parent would want their child to achieve great things, expectations must be kept in check. If goals are too big and unrealistic, chances are they would not be achieved. An effective goal should not be too challenging or too easy, and be able to sustain your child’s motivation over an extended period of time. While setting your goals, work with your child and outline what are the smaller steps that need to be taken first before reaching the final goal. This also provides your child with a clearer idea on what they need to do to achieve their goals.

Consider your child’s interests and abilities

For children, motivation is key. They need to understand the why behind these goals – why does it matter to them? Work to align your child’s interests and abilities with the skills and knowledge required from them by the curriculum. For instance, if your child is more passionate about Science compared to language subjects, you can aim to improve their language skills by introducing them to nature documentaries or science-fiction books. Not only will your child be more consistently motivated to work towards their goal, they may also gain a new perspective on a subject or task that they previously disliked! This could ignite a spark of passion that may inspire them to make long term goals regarding what they wish to do in the future. 

Create a progress-tracking system

There needs to be an agreed-upon system for you and your child to measure or keep track of their progress in achieving their study goals. Parents may not be able to consistently supervise and closely manage their child’s studies all the time due to various circumstances and responsibilities. Thus, there must be a way for the child to record evidence of them working towards their goals, which can be conveniently accessed by parents. For example, if your child’s goal is to read a wider variety of genres to improve their composition and essay writing, you can consider having your child keep a reading journal. As a parent, you have a responsibility to check-in regularly on your child’s performance in school. If there are any worrying signs, such as your child unexpectedly falling behind on subjects or noticeable behavioural changes in school or at home, it’s worth pulling your child aside for a firm but compassionate chat to make sure they’re okay.

Final thoughts

In the end, setting study goals with your child is not just about improving grades — it’s about nurturing good habits that will last well past the academic year. When parents take an active, supportive role in guiding their child’s academic journey, it sends a powerful message that learning matters and that they never have to face challenges alone.