ReCharge! Training Center | Tools for Instructors | Coach's Clipboard: Goal-setting


		Click on a question below to be directed to the answer. What is a goal? Why set goals? What are some tips to help children set goals? What is a goal? Simply described, a goal is something we want to achieve. It can be big or small. It can be short-term (today, this week, this month) or long-term (next year or 10 years from now). Long-term or short-term, big or small, a good goal is focused, has a realistic time frame and a realistic outcome. Why set goals? Setting goals help us stay focused. Goals help us move from where we are to where we want to be and focus on the results we want to achieve. Helping children set and achieve goals at home, on the playground, at school and in the classroom builds their confidence and sense of accomplishment and helps them become the people they want to be. Setting goals for healthy eating and physical activity helps them begin to take ownership of important skills and behaviors for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A simple template that children can use when setting goals is: One thing I can do to be more active is [what you're going to do] [when]. Some general examples of healthy eating and physical activity goals are: Watch one hour less television every day for the next two months. Spend more time playing outside on the weekends for the next month. Walk or ride a bike to get around during the summer. Eat more nutritious snacks for the next month. Drink more milk, water or 100% fruit juice and less soda for dinner every night this week. Increase my number of steps by 1,000 every day this week. What are some tips to help children set goals? Talk about the reasons for setting goals — for example, "By eating healthy and being active, I'll have more energy to do the things I like to do. This will help me feel better and do better in school." Help children set short-term and long-term goals. A possible short-term goal might be to eat breakfast every day this week. A long-term goal might be to work on skills and strength over the summer and try to make the football team's fist line. Children's maturity and needs determine the appropriate length of time for a goal. The goals children set in ReCharge! are sort-term goals designed to help students increase physical activity and improve their nutrition. Help children break their goals down into small steps or actions and develop a plan. For example, "One thing I can do to make sure I eat breakfast every day is set the table the night before or get up 15 minutes earlier." "One thing I can do to be more active is to join a game at recess instead of talking to friends every day this week." Make sure the time frame is realistic given children's ages. Each time they reach a goal, they achieve a small success. Many small successes lead to larger successes. For younger children, this can be a couple of days or a week, and for older children, several weeks, a month or a semester. If a goal's time frame is too long, children can get frustrated and give up. Encourage students by monitoring their progress. Work with children and adjust goals as necessary instead of letting them give up. Two good ways to do this are to discuss their progress with them and monitor their progress using a checklist or checking their work. In ReCharge!, the Playbook (PDF) and Tracker are both good tools for recording students' goals and tracking their progress. Use reminders and provide plenty of encouragement.

Click on a question below to be directed to the answer.

What is a goal?
Why set goals?
What are some tips to help children set goals?

What is a goal?

Simply described, a goal is something we want to achieve. It can be big or small. It can be short-term (today, this week, this month) or long-term (next year or 10 years from now). Long-term or short-term, big or small, a good goal is focused, has a realistic time frame and a realistic outcome.

Why set goals?

Setting goals help us stay focused. Goals help us move from where we are to where we want to be and focus on the results we want to achieve. Helping children set and achieve goals at home, on the playground, at school and in the classroom builds their confidence and sense of accomplishment and helps them become the people they want to be. Setting goals for healthy eating and physical activity helps them begin to take ownership of important skills and behaviors for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A simple template that children can use when setting goals is:

One thing I can do to be more active is [what you're going to do] [when].

Some general examples of healthy eating and physical activity goals are:

Watch one hour less television every day for the next two months.
Spend more time playing outside on the weekends for the next month.
Walk or ride a bike to get around during the summer.
Eat more nutritious snacks for the next month.
Drink more milk, water or 100% fruit juice and less soda for dinner every night this week.
Increase my number of steps by 1,000 every day this week.

What are some tips to help children set goals?

Talk about the reasons for setting goals — for example, "By eating healthy and being active, I'll have more energy to do the things I like to do. This will help me feel better and do better in school."
Help children set short-term and long-term goals. A possible short-term goal might be to eat breakfast every day this week. A long-term goal might be to work on skills and strength over the summer and try to make the football team's fist line. Children's maturity and needs determine the appropriate length of time for a goal. The goals children set in ReCharge! are sort-term goals designed to help students increase physical activity and improve their nutrition.
Help children break their goals down into small steps or actions and develop a plan. For example, "One thing I can do to make sure I eat breakfast every day is set the table the night before or get up 15 minutes earlier." "One thing I can do to be more active is to join a game at recess instead of talking to friends every day this week."
Make sure the time frame is realistic given children's ages. Each time they reach a goal, they achieve a small success. Many small successes lead to larger successes. For younger children, this can be a couple of days or a week, and for older children, several weeks, a month or a semester. If a goal's time frame is too long, children can get frustrated and give up.
Encourage students by monitoring their progress. Work with children and adjust goals as necessary instead of letting them give up. Two good ways to do this are to discuss their progress with them and monitor their progress using a checklist or checking their work. In ReCharge!, the Playbook (PDF) and Tracker are both good tools for recording students' goals and tracking their progress.
Use reminders and provide plenty of encouragement.