The beginning of a new school year always feels like a fresh start.
There are new teachers to meet, new things to learn, new friends to make, and plenty of little adventures waiting along the way.
And while you’re getting backpacks packed and school supplies ready, it’s also a great time to get kids thinking about what they would like to accomplish during the year.
That’s where this Back to School Goal Setting Worksheet comes in!
I designed this free printable to give kids a simple and fun way to think about their goals for the new school year.
Instead of asking them one big question like, “What do you want to accomplish this year?” the worksheet breaks things down into four easy categories: learning, personal, friendship, and organization.
Kids can choose one goal for each area and write it in the corresponding box.
It’s an easy activity to do at home before school starts, or you can use it in the classroom as one of your first day of school activities.
And the best part?
You can download it for free!
Why Set Back-to-School Goals With Kids?
Goal setting might sound like something just for adults, but it can be a really helpful activity for kids too.
And it doesn’t have to be complicated!
Kids don’t need a huge list of goals or a detailed plan for everything they want to accomplish.
Their Back to School goals can be as simple as reading more books, keeping their backpack organized, making a new friend, or remembering to ask for help when they need it.
The point isn’t to create pressure to accomplish everything perfectly. It’s simply to encourage kids to think about what they’d like to learn, practice, or improve during the new school year.
Setting goals also gives kids something positive to work toward.
Instead of focusing only on grades, you can use this activity to talk about all the different ways they can grow throughout the school year.
Maybe they want to become a stronger reader.
Maybe they want to be more confident about speaking in front of their class.
Maybe they want to remember to put their homework in their backpack every night.
Or maybe their goal is simply to be kind and include someone new at recess.
They’re all great goals!
Free Printable Back to School Goal Setting Worksheet
I wanted this Back to School Goal Setting Worksheet to be simple enough that kids wouldn’t feel overwhelmed trying to fill it out.
That’s why the goals template is divided into four sections:
- My Learning Goal
- My Personal Goal
- My Friendship Goal
- My Organization Goal
Having specific prompts can make it much easier for kids to come up with ideas.
If you simply ask a child, “What are your goals for this school year?” you might get an enthusiastic answer… or you might get a blank stare!
Breaking the question into smaller categories gives them a place to start.
It also encourages kids to think beyond academics. Learning is important, of course, but so are friendships, independence, confidence, responsibility, and organization.
There are no right or wrong answers when filling out this worksheet.
The goals don’t need to sound impressive, either. Ideally, they should be things that actually matter to your child.
You can sit down together and talk through each section, or older kids can complete the goal setting worksheet independently.
Back to School Goal Examples
If they’re having trouble coming up with ideas, here are some examples you can use to get the conversation started.
My Learning Goal
Start by asking your child if there’s anything they’d like to learn or get better at this school year.
Their learning goal could be related to a particular school subject, or it could be a general skill they’d like to improve.
Some ideas include:
- Read more books.
- Improve my handwriting.
- Learn my multiplication facts.
- Get better at spelling.
- Learn more about science.
- Practice reading every day.
- Ask questions when I don’t understand something.
Try to choose something appropriate for your child’s age and abilities.
A younger child might have a goal like learning to read a whole book by themselves, while an older child might want to improve in a particular subject.
My Personal Goal
Next comes the personal goal.
This one doesn’t have to be directly related to schoolwork. Instead, kids can think about something they’d like to work on personally.
For example:
- Try something new.
- Be more confident.
- Keep trying when something feels difficult.
- Speak up more in class.
- Remember the things I need for school.
- Practice something I enjoy.
Personal goals can be especially fun to look back on at the end of the year because kids may realize they’ve grown in ways they didn’t notice from day to day.
My Friendship Goal
School isn’t just about academics. It’s also a place where kids learn how to make friends, work with others, solve problems, and be part of a community.
Some friendship goal ideas include:
- Make a new friend.
- Include others when we play.
- Be a good listener.
- Help my classmates.
- Say something kind every day.
- Take turns.
- Invite someone new to play.
- Be patient with my friends.
This is also a nice opportunity to have a quick conversation about what being a good friend looks like.
My Organization Goal
Finally, kids can choose an organization goal.
School comes with a lot of stuff to keep track of. Books, pencils, folders, homework, lunchboxes, water bottles, and who knows what else!
A simple organization goal can help kids think about one routine they’d like to improve.
Their goal could be:
- Keep my backpack organized.
- Put my homework in the correct folder.
- Keep my desk clean.
- Pack my backpack the night before.
- Remember to bring my water bottle home.
- Take care of my school supplies.
- Use my planner to remember assignments.
It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. One small habit is a great place to start.
Tips for Helping Kids Choose Their Back to School Goals
While it’s tempting to suggest all the things we’d like our kids to improve, try to let them have some ownership over their goals.
You can certainly give examples and help them brainstorm, but whenever possible, let them make the final choice.
Kids are more likely to connect with a goal when it’s something they’ve chosen themselves.
You’ll also want to keep the goals simple and realistic.
For younger kids especially, there’s no need to turn this into a complicated goal-setting lesson. A short sentence explaining what they want to work on is plenty.
Instead of choosing something broad like “Be better at school,” help them narrow it down to something they can understand, such as “Read for 15 minutes every day.”
You can also ask a few questions after they complete their goals template:
“What could you do to work toward this goal?”
“Who could help you?”
“When could you practice?”
“How will you know you’re getting better?”
These little conversations can help kids understand that a goal isn’t just something you write down. It’s something you can work toward a little bit at a time.
If you’d like to take this activity a little further, I also have a complete guide on how to help kids set goals. It includes more goal-setting activities and printables you can use to help kids choose their goals and figure out the steps they can take to reach them.
How to Use This Back to School Goal Planner at Home or School
One of my favorite things about this printable is that you can use it in several different ways.
At home, you can fill it out together a few days before school starts. Add it to your back-to-school preparations along with labeling school supplies, packing backpacks, and choosing that all-important first-day outfit.
Teachers can also use the worksheet as one of their first day of school activities.
You could start by brainstorming a few examples of learning, personal, friendship, and organization goals as a class. Then, give each student a worksheet and let them choose their own goals.
Once the back to school goal planner is complete, don’t immediately forget about it!
You could hang it near your child’s desk, put it in their school binder, display the worksheets on a classroom bulletin board, or save it in a memory box.
Then come back to it later.
Check in after the first month of school, at the end of the semester, or even at the end of the school year.
Ask your child if they’re still working toward the same goals. Did they accomplish any of them? Is there one they’re particularly proud of? Would they like to change one?
Goals can change, and that’s okay!
The worksheet is meant to encourage kids, not lock them into something they wrote on the first day of school.
Get the Free Back to School Goal Setting Worksheet
Ready to give it a try?
You can download the Back to School Goal Setting Worksheet for free and use it with your kids or students.
There’s practically no prep involved. Just print the worksheet, grab a pencil or some colorful markers, and start brainstorming!
If your child isn’t sure what to write, use some of the examples above to get the conversation going. They don’t have to copy those ideas exactly. They’re simply there to help kids start thinking about what they’d like their school year to look like.
[DOWNLOAD THE FREE BACK TO SCHOOL GOAL SETTING WORKSHEET]
You can print one for each child so everyone can create their own set of goals for the year.
More First Day of School Activities for Kids
If you’re planning your back-to-school week, this worksheet is easy to combine with other fun first day of school activities.
After kids finish setting their goals, they could complete an All About Me page, solve a Back to School Word Search or Scavenger Hunt, make a Back to School Crown, create a Pencil corner bookmark, or pose for first-day pictures with printable Back to School Flags.
* Can teachers use this goal setting worksheet in the classroom?
This Back to School Goal Setting Worksheet makes an easy classroom activity because it requires very little preparation. Teachers can brainstorm goal ideas with the class before letting students complete their individual worksheets.
Just be sure to check these terms of use for information about classroom use.
