The Most Powerful Back-to-School Tradition You Can Start This Year

By Kellie Smith, M.Ed. | Little Learning Table

Why Goal Setting Matters for Young Children

Children are natural dreamers. They’ll tell you they want to be a chef, a scientist, or even a dinosaur trainer. But when we help them turn those dreams into tangible goals, we give them a skill that will last a lifetime.

At the start of a new school year, everything feels fresh—new routines, new friendships, and new opportunities to grow. It’s the perfect time to introduce your child to a powerful lifelong habit: goal setting.

Setting one or two goals together not only gives your child something meaningful to work toward, but it also teaches them the skills of perseverance, focus, and self-reflection. These aren’t just “school skills," they’re life skills.

Goals don’t have to be academic. They can be as varied and personal as:

• Learning to read, write, or spell

• Counting to 100, adding, or subtracting

• Riding a bike without training wheels

• Tying their shoes

• Keeping their room tidy

• Learning to make their favorite snack

• Mastering a new sport or hobby

  
  

The key is that the goal should take time to reach, giving your child a chance to experience both effort and progress.

Why This Works

When you set goals with your child, you’re doing more than creating a to-do list—you’re laying the foundation for them to grow into an adult who sets goals for themselves and works toward them with intention.

And here’s something I strongly encourage: set your own goal alongside your child. It sends a powerful message that even grown-ups need to challenge themselves and that goal setting is a skill for life, not just school.

How to Get Started

1. Read a book together. Choose a story about perseverance, growth, or achieving a goal. This can spark conversation and provide your child with examples of what it means to work toward a goal.

2. Share your own goal. Be honest about something you’d like to accomplish this year. Perhaps you'd like to run a 5K, cook more at home, or learn a new skill.

3. Let them dream big. Ask your child what they would love to be able to do by the end of the school year. Encourage ideas from both their academic life and personal life.

4. Make it visual with a thought bubble. In my classroom, I love using a large thought bubble template. Students draw or write their goal inside, which makes it feel like their idea is at the forefront. This works beautifully at home, too—you can create your own or download a printable version here: Thought Bubble Printable

Give your child a pencil and crayons or colored pencils to fill in their thought bubble. If they’re ready, they can write it themselves; if not, write or type it out for them.

5. Display it proudly. Hang their goal somewhere visible—on the fridge, in their room, or near their homework space. Check in often and celebrate progress along the way.

This student wanted to learn more about numbers.

These kindergarteners are working hard on the goals for the school year

One of my students wanted to get better at writing.

From the Classroom to Home

When I did this activity with my kindergarteners, the results were inspiring. Some of the goals they set for themselves never ceased to amaze me:

• “I hope to learn to read.”

• “I hope to learn more about numbers.”

• “I want to learn more Spanish.”

• “I want to learn to be a kind friend.”

• “I want to be better at science and learn about insects.”

  
  

What amazed me most was the sense of ownership they felt. When we revisited our goals throughout the year, I could see how proud they were of their progress and how much they had grown in confidence.

A Gentle Reminder

Goals aren’t about perfection. They’re about progress, persistence, and celebrating small wins along the way. Whether your child’s goal is learning to tie their shoes or reading their first chapter book, the real magic happens in the journey, not just the achievement.

As this school year begins, take a moment to set goals together. You might be surprised at how much your child’s dreams and determination will inspire you to chase your own.

If you try this with your child, I’d love to hear their goal! Tag me on Instagram or send me a message.