Goal Setting With Schoolwork
By teaching your children to set goals, you’ll help them grow into the people they want to be.
Articles within this series
- Overview
- Goal Setting With Schoolwork
- Giving Your Child the Excellence Edge
- Communication Skills for Children
- Next Steps / Related Information
Portfolio of Learning
One of the most best ways for schoolchildren to become confident self-assessors is to evaluate their own schoolwork. This activity ideally involves the entire family, but the child receives the primary benefit.
You will need:
- Three-ring binder
- Dividers
- Your child’s schoolwork
Divide the binder by subject area. If you choose a binder with a front-cover sleeve, have your child design a cover and slip it in.
Every Friday go through any schoolwork your child brought home for the week and place it in the appropriate subject areas. As you sort through the papers, talk about some of the assignments and what your child learned from it. Also ask your child how he or she can improve in a particular area.
Choose a time to have your child present the portfolio to the entire family. It can be done as often as once a quarter or just at the end of the school year.
When your child shares his portfolio with the family, ensure that it is a safe environment. Give him your full attention. Do not let siblings tease him; it will be their turn soon enough! Maybe prepare a special dessert or go out to a favorite restaurant afterward. If you are doing this with more than one child, let each child have his own night.
Done regularly, creating and sharing a portfolio of learning has several results:
- Shows your child that you value education.
- Shows your child that you are interested in her educational experience.
- Gets you involved on a level you may not have been before. You are now aware of where your child stands and what he is learning daily.
- As your child improves, it provides him with a sense of purpose and pride.
- Helps your child see where her strengths and weaknesses are and motivates her to improve.
Keep your children’s portfolios from year to year. They are fun to look back on as your kids get older. You will have a record of their schooling, and your child will have a record of his learning.
Recommended Books
Be Your Best: The Family Manager's Guide to Personal Success by Kathy Peel
Give Them Wings: Preparing for the Time Your Teens Leave Home by Carol Kuykendall
Preparing for Adolescence: How to Survive the Coming Years of Change by Dr. James Dobson