Goal Setting and Future Planning for Kids’ Personal Success

What gets a person out of bed in the morning?

For children, it’s to play, explore, and discover new experiences. Meanwhile, older individuals look forward to helping others, developing new skills, and learning something new. These motivations are called goals, and whether one is a child or an adult, the objective remains the same: to learn, discover, and develop.

A goal is the outcome a person wants to achieve to become better. In the mountain of self-improvement, the goal is the destination—a constant reminder of the reasons behind the pursuit of improvement. With it, those striving to become better are empowered to persist through setbacks, discouragements, and challenges.

One might think that goals and self-improvement are concepts reserved for grown-ups. However, the truth is that one can never be too young to set goals. Goal-setting is a healthy practice for young children, as it helps them better manage themselves, use their resources wisely, and develop new skills. More importantly, it motivates them to improve no matter how challenging and intimidating the process gets.

*Positive Action *recognizes the importance of continual self-improvement and goal-setting in children's academic and personal success. Thus, the program offers this evidence-based SEL lesson for kindergarten on the reinforcement of positive actions for self-improvement.

The lesson uses an enjoyable puppet play, a role-playing activity, and an adventure-themed story to immerse the students in the learning process. The story takes the students on a fantastical journey around the Kingdom of Positive Action to Castle Self-Concept. Students now stand before the final gate of the castle. But before they can unlock it, they must remember the lessons they have learned about improving themselves.

Two lovable puppets, Picks-It Raccoon and Nix-It Panda, facilitate the review. They begin with a puppet play that reminds the students of their adventures in Mount Self-Improvement. Then, they invite students to a role-playing activity that looks back on the stories and challenges they have encountered together in Positive Action’s Unit 6.

As the students enact the stories, they soon remember the positive actions for improving themselves. These are believing in their potential, having the courage to try, turning problems into opportunities, and being persistent. Following this activity, the students engage in a class discussion where they share that keeping their goals in mind has helped them keep going and reach the top.

This lesson aims to promote the positive habits of setting and achieving goals for young students. The earlier the idea of self-improvement and future planning are introduced and encouraged, the better equipped they become to face future challenges.