Do you set reading goals for your homeschool? Or individual reading goals for your children? Goal-setting helps us be more productive throughout each phase of the school year.
Setting Goals to Encourage Reading More Books
Goal-setting helps us be more productive throughout the school year. Reading feels more complex and open-ended than other subjects like math, history, and science, so setting specific, measurable goals is beneficial to help streamline objectives. We are more likely to accomplish a goal if we write it down. Our chances get even better if we tell someone else about it, especially if those “someones” are our children!
Setting Individual Goals Through Reading Conferencing
Meet with each of your children and ask them:
- What is your favorite memory of reading (for younger children)?
- What is your earliest memory of reading )for older children)?
- What are your challenges with reading?
- What do you enjoy about reading?
- What is something that you do well as a reader?
- What is something that you need to work on as a reader?
To finish the conference, I would pick one thing that I wanted them to work on in their reading and leave them with a complement of something that I noticed them doing well. In theory, conferencing is a powerful teaching tool for learning. As a homeschooling parent, conferencing is a great way to work with your child to set a goal focused on their individual needs. Once that goal is mastered, they can set a new goal.
Possible Reading Goals
- Read a book by a new-to-you author
- Read a book from a new genre
- Start and finish a book of your choice
Book Discussion Goals
Teaching our children to move past passive reading to dig deeply into a book, decipher the meaning behind the author’s words, and have meaningful conversations about what they have read, is the ultimate goal.
Discussion Goals:
- Design questions to “ask” the author or character
- Share your favorite parts with a friend or family member.
- Attend a “booktalk” at the library (to hear how books are discussed).
Quality books are a great way to introduce tough topics, teach us to be critical thinkers, and to open up the line of communication between parents and children. Choosing one reading goal and putting your focus on that one thing will give you and your children a clear path to a reading-rich life.
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