The Effects of Goal Setting on Basic Cognitive Processes of Kids

Cognitive processes, or thinking skills, involve obtaining, discriminating, and using knowledge from information taught. Kids use thought processes continuously in school, at home, and in every environment they encounter. Kids who set goals can achieve more success by applying cognitive processes in learning.

Effects

• The effects of setting goals and achieving them will likely help your child feel more capable of his abilities for achieving higher accomplishments in anything he wants to do. The effects can increase his level of motivation and direct his cognitive processes on goal setting for any life accomplishment.

Goal Setting

• Teach your child how to set goals and reach them tangibly. For instance, if she is having difficulty learning math, help her to describe in writing exactly what she will do to learn it. An example goal is, "I will practice learning math by using flash cards presented to me until I recall them by memory." Now she has a plan to follow, helping her to avoid feeling preoccupied with failure by focusing her thinking processes.

Results

• Teaching your child how to set goals can result in a permanent frame of mind for thinking, planning, and accomplishing anything he wants. If he does not obtain his goal, point out to him what he did learn from goal setting, and encourage him to create new goals.