Setting a (Reading) Goal Is the First Step!

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

A goal is something that you want to do.

It needs to be a challenge so that it can encourage you to try to do something even better than you are now.

It also needs to be realistic, which means something that can actually happen.

Once people set goals, they often share their goals with others.

Telling others about your goal can help ensure that it is actually achieved. Sharing it with other people can also give you new ideas about how to reach that goal.

Look at this example.

Molly has a goal to finish her homework before playing outside each day.

Usually, she finishes school and goes outside to play with her friends, but then she has to finish her homework when tired. If Molly finishes her homework first, She can enjoy playing outside with her friends more, knowing she can play outside as long as she wants to.

Molly's goal is challenging her to do something better than she already is, but it is something that she can still do. Her goal is not just to do her homework better because that isn't specific enough.

• What can Molly do to achieve her goal?

Olivia has a goal to eat all her green vegetables at dinner.

She wants to eat healthily, but that goal lacks details. Eating all her green vegetables at dinner will help her eat more healthily.

• See how both girls pick something challenging but something they can still do?

Olivia is not saying she will only eat green vegetables and nothing else because she knows that isn't something she can do.

Just like people have goals about homework and eating, they also have reading goals.

Reading goals encourage and motivate us to be better readers!

Keep going to the Got It? section to look more closely at reading goals.