11 Simple Strategies to Help Elementary Students Achieve Goals
11 simple strategies to help elementary students achieve their goals. Teach them to celebrate success, use self talk, chain habits and more.
ReadAbout This Resource
Give students the step-by-step process to set goals they'll achieve, not goals they'll forget next week. Turn goal setting from a one-time worksheet into a lifelong skill with this complete 5-lesson series (just 15 minutes each!) that teaches students how to create SMART goals, break them into action steps, and monitor their progress.
Most goal-setting resources are one-off worksheets that students fill out and forget by next week. You want goal setting to be meaningful and lasting, but without a structured process that breaks it down step-by-step, students either set vague goals ("be better at math") or goals so big they give up immediately. You need something that teaches goal-setting, not just a one-time template.
These SMART Goal Setting Lessons help you teach goal setting as a complete skill through five structured 15-minute lessons that guide students from brainstorming to planning to progress monitoring.
With this resource, you'll be able to:
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Build executive functioning skills: Students learn to break big goals into mini-goals and action steps, developing planning and organization.
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Use it flexibly across settings: works for whole-class instruction, small-group intervention, or individual counseling.
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Save prep time: Teaching slides guide your facilitation, and worksheets are print-and-go.
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Includes practice and revision: Students practice identifying SMART vs. not-so-SMART goals and get peer feedback before finalizing their own.
What's Included ✔️
Printable Materials
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5 structured lesson plans (15 minutes each) with clear objectives and procedures
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Goal brainstorming activity
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SMART goal posters with student-friendly definitions and guiding questions
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Example goals for practice (SMART vs. not-so-SMART)
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"I will" goal writing worksheets
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SMART goal drafting templates with structured questions.
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Peer feedback forms (goal check tool)
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Goal revision worksheets
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Mini-goal planning pages with action step templates
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Self-reflection sheets for progress monitoring
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Both color and black & white versions included
Editable Teaching Slides with Notes
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PowerPoint format (editable)
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Google Slides format (editable)
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Slide notes included for facilitation guidance
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Covers all 5 lessons with visuals and examples
Lesson Flow ⤵️
Each lesson is 15 minutes and can be used as a complete series or combined into 2-3 sessions.
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Lesson 1: What's a goal? Students brainstorm goals and write a simple "I will" goal to start.
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Lesson 2: Learn theSMART framework using student-friendly language and practice evaluating example goals.
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Lesson 3: Draft a SMART goal using brainstorming worksheets and templates.
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Lesson 4: Peer Goal Check - students give each other feedback, then revise and finalize their goals.
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Lesson 5: Break goals into mini-goals and create an action plan with specific steps.
Why This Resource ✨
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Five 15-minute lessons that can be combined: Not a massive unit. Quick, focused lessons that build the skill step-by-step, or combine into longer sessions based on your schedule.
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Practice before application: Students practice identifying and evaluating goals before writing their own, making the skill stick.
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Peer feedback tools: Students get support revising their goals through structured peer feedback, not just writing them once and moving on.
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Goal brainstorming support: Includes posters and brainstorming pages organized by goal type to help students generate meaningful goals beyond "read more."
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Teaching slides included: Guides whole-class instruction with minimal prep; no need to create your own presentation.
Ways To Use This Resource 💡
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Classroom guidance series - Use all 5 lessons at the start of the year or semester to build goal-setting skills schoolwide
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Small group intervention - Target students who struggle with motivation, planning, or follow-through
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Individual counseling - Work through goal setting one-on-one with students who need extra support
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New Year/semester reset - Perfect for January or semester transitions when students are thinking about fresh starts
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Executive functioning support - Help students with ADHD or planning challenges break big goals into manageable action steps
Perfect If You ... 🩷
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Want goal setting to be more than a one-time worksheet thatstudents forget about
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Need structured lessons that teach the actual skill, not just a template to fill out.
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Work with students who struggle with planning, follow-through, or breaking tasks into steps.
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Want something that works across whole class, small group, and individual settings.
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Need teaching slides to guide instruction without spending hours creating your own
Details 📑
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Grade Levels: Grades 3-6
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Group Size: Flexible - whole class, small group (3-8), or individual
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Session Length: Five 15-minute lessons (can be combined for 2 lessons)
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Prep Time: Under 15 minutes - review lesson plan and print worksheets
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Materials Needed: None beyond this resource
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Format: PDF (worksheets and lesson plans), PowerPoint, and Google Slides (teaching slides - editable)
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Pages: 50+ pages PDF + 50+ teaching slides
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Printing: Both color and black & white versions included
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