Have you ever witnessed your adolescent child do something in a manner that utterly confused you? Something done in such a perplexing way that you asked, “why did you do that.” Did your child answer with, “I don’t know?” Well, they’re probably telling the truth. This is because adolescents lack the fundamental executive functioning skill of planning. Adolescents must be taught how to plan; this is not an innate ablity. On the surface, planning seems like a very elementary skill; but in fact, adolescent children lack the skills necessary to assess a situation, establish a plan, and take the necessary steps to execute the plan effectively. Most academic failure is a result of students not being able to complete tasks timely or completely. Most parents turn to content tutoring, but unfortunately the problems persist because there is a crack in the foundation that has not been addressed. Fixing a foundation can be a worrisome idea, but it is absolutely necessary to ensure long term stability and success. Students must first build a foundation of skills such as planning, organization, time management, etc., before content is taught. Planning is imperative in the process of Setting and Achieving Goals.
Setting & Achieving Goals
Goals are a part of all of our lives. We all set goals to achieve an end result, whether it be for work or personal life. We would not get much done if we did not have the ability to set goals and establish a plan to achieve our goals. While goal-setting seems like an afterthought for adults, it is important to recognize that adolescent children must be taught how to set and achieve goals. Anyone can set an arbitrary goal, but students must learn how to set clear, achievable, measureable, and pertinent goals. Most importantly, students need to learn how to establish a plan to achieve the goal. It is important for students to learn how to use short-term goals as stepping stones in a well-thought-out plan to achieve a long term goal. There will be obstacles on the path to achievement, but how students deal with adversity and failure ultimately decides the level of academic success. All of this may seem obvious to you as a parent, and it is. “Students must learn how to set goals, establish a plan, and achieve the goals to attain academic success.” Duh. Yes, it sounds simple, but your children must learn how to do these things, it will not just magically happen. Imagine a world in which your children complete assigments on time and you don’t have to constantly remind them to get their homework done…We can teach your children skills to make that dream come true. Check out our virtual study skills courses. This week is Goal-Setting week!