Setting learning goals
Set a specific learning goal, work towards it with a deliberate plan, then honestly assess whether you achieved it and what you would change
What a learner can do afterwards
- Set a specific, achievable learning goal for themselves, for example: 'By Friday I want to know all my 7-times tables' rather than just 'get better at maths'
- Make a simple plan for how to reach their goal and follow through on it over several days
- After the deadline, honestly assess whether they achieved the goal and describe what they would do differently next time
1 · Read
A specific learning goal names what you want to learn and when you will check it. Include a result you can observe. 'Get better' does not name that result. Choose a target with enough time and support for your starting point.
After choosing a goal, plan practice steps and times that fit your week. Decide what materials or help you need. You do not have to practise every day for every goal. Track the steps you actually complete.
When counting practice days, list every day in the interval. Include the start and end days if the plan includes both. From Tuesday through Thursday, the list is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: three days.
Maya's target is to spell all nine words on her list correctly by Friday. Her Friday check has seven correct. She has not reached that target yet. She reviews the two missed words and her practice before deciding whether to adjust the plan.
A practice goal with 'every day' should say when the practice period starts and ends. Name the daily activity or amount and the date for reviewing your record. This makes it clear which days and actions the check includes.
A goal such as 'be the best reader in my group' needs a defined measure. Does best mean reading accurately, reading quickly or explaining a passage? A group ranking can be measured if a measure is stated, but it also depends on other people. Defining a measure and controlling an outcome are different issues.
Compare the checked result with the stated target. If it falls short, report that honestly and review the plan. You may need more practice, a change in how you practise or more help. Missing a target does not prove that the whole method must be replaced.
Review follow-through as well as the result. Compare planned practice with your record. If they differ, investigate what got in the way before choosing a change. You can adjust the timing, steps, support or target when circumstances call for it.
Set a specific goal with a deadline, make a plan, then check honestly whether you got there.
The rewritten readings were written for this dataset.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.