Goal setting for kids – Khan Academy Blog

By Aimee Sawyer, Product Marketing Manager at Khan Academy Kids and former preschool teacher

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University released a research paper that shows an interesting correlation between kids’ ability to engage in kid-friendly goal setting exercises and an improvement in their life outcomes.¹

The paper identified three important principles that improve outcomes for children and families. These include stress reduction, the presence of responsive relationships, and strong executive-functioning skills. When put into practice, the principles have positive effects for both children and adults.

When we zoom in on the principle of “strengthening core skills,” we learn something interesting: The ability to set goals makes kids more successful at school, and eventually leads to success when they start their careers. When combined with a reduction in stress and an increase in responsive relationships, children are more likely to experience educational achievement and a healthy developmental journey. But these skills don’t just come to kids—or even adults—naturally:

“No one is born with these skills; they are developed over time through practice and feedback, with some children needing more time and support than others to build them.”

Center on the developing child, harvard university (2021)

The paper also points out that making these improvements has a generational trickle-down effect. When a child learns a skill like goal setting, for example, at a young age, it’s engrained in them. It becomes second-nature by the time they reach adulthood. If they choose to have children, it’s likely that they will pass down this skill, leading to better life outcomes for generations.

So, let’s work on building the skill of goal setting! Click here to download our free goal-setting templates. To make this process more fun and hands-on, these printable templates are decorated with the Khan Academy Kids characters. They’ll cheer on your little learners as they get closer to reaching their goal. Let the goal-setting begin!

References

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2021). Three Principles to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families, 2021 Update. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu