Setting Goals Can Be The Key To A Successful School Year

The Experts at Oxford Learning are Here to Help you Achieve Success

(Friday, August 05, 2005) - Every school year begins with students, parents and teachers who are full of optimism and committed to make this the best year ever. Unfortunately, for some it doesn’t take long for the sizzle to fizzle and for students to fall behind, leading to anxiety, stress and frustration for both students and their parents, and even for some teachers. The good news is the education experts at Oxford Learning – Canada’s leaders in preparing children for lifelong success – are here to help. Goal-setting is fundamental to developing focus, commitment and achieving more than ever before. Whether a student is in primary, middle or high school, setting goals can help motivate and keep success on track.

“Too often parents expect miracles,” says Kelley McGregor, Director of Training and Operation, Oxford Learning. “Chances are that if a student had trouble with a subject last year and didn’t work on it over the summer, the challenges could be even more overwhelming and demoralizing in the new school year. That’s why it is so important to start strong and stay ahead. If you wait until the first report card, it’s often too late. Parents can help their children avoid the vicious cycle of falling behind and being left to play catch up for the rest of the year, by reviewing last year’s report card before school begins and quickly recognizing the symptoms of academic challenges. It’s critical to set goals early to ensure your child is happy and has the confidence and know-how to thrive and enjoy school.”

Parents often allow for a 6-8 week “settling in” period before they begin to monitor a child’s grades and school performance, but doing so can be detrimental to a student’s learning momentum. By the time October rolls around, some students are already becoming frustrated and the learning curve is too steep. All of a sudden, minor problems become major obstacles to success, and very stressful situations develop for everyone involved.

“At Oxford Learning, we understand that communicating with children can be tough and somewhat challenging for parents, especially when it comes to issues surrounding homework, study skills and grades,” says Dr. Nick Whitehead, co-founder and President, Oxford Learning. “Children often resent the unspoken expectations that we as parents place on them, so they just clam up and don’t speak. An objective third party, such as Oxford Learning can help open the door of communication to set goals and rekindle confidence and a willingness to step outside of the comfort zone when it comes to tackling the academics. We’ve been helping parents and students for more than 20 years, and through this broad experience and our curriculum-based programs, we have helped thousands of families.”

It’s never too early in the school year to share important information about your child with his or her teacher. “Take the time to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses and learning style. Share this information and your child’s goals with the teachers who can help guide and monitor progress,” advises Dr. Whitehead. “The more professional the support you can have on your child’s learning team, the better.”

The Importance of Setting Goals
“Adults are goal oriented and honestly, we’ve found that in general, so are kids. It’s what drives us forward and has proven to be the best way for us to get from where we are to where we want to be, whether in our personal life or in our career,” says Ms. McGregor. “The same is true of students. Setting goals helps to motivate them and give purpose to their work. It also helps them better plan their time, something that most students need.”

A Family Affair: Getting Started
The experts at Oxford Learning, recommend that parents and children set goals for success together – we decisions are better than me decisions. By making the goal setting process a collaborative procedure, parents and children are able to open up the lines of communication. From there, the process of developing new goals and strategies can begin leading to strengthened skills, improved grades, self-confidence and motivation.

“The best place to start? Sit down with your child and based on a review of last year, let them tell you about the goals they would like to set for the new school year. Listen carefully to what they would like to strive for and achieve. Be supportive, be respectful and be encouraging. By changing the way you talk to your child and by letting them tell you about what is important to them, you will be able to help guide them along the path that is best for them,” says Ms. McGregor.

Goals: Achievable, Measurable and Believable
Work with your child to develop and set goals that are relevant to them, but most importantly these goals must be achievable, measurable and believable — this is critical and the underlying key to setting successful goals. Once this process is complete, the time is right to build a reasonable and realistic plan for achieving these goals and measuring success. Periodic reviews between parents and children of how the child is doing will keep the positive momentum going.

“It’s important for parents to know that it’s never too early or too late to teach children the fundamentals to help them succeed,” concludes Ms. McGregor. “At Oxford Learning we’re here to help their children develop the right habits and skills so that they can achieve their goals with confidence and success.”

About Oxford Learning
Established in 1984, Oxford Learning has grown to include more than 100 learning centres across Canada and the United States. Oxford Learning goes beyond tutoring to help students reach their learning potential, not just for one grade or one year but for a lifetime. The unique programs teach children to learn how to learn. Just one or two hours a week can make a world of difference in developing the right skills and habits to succeed, no matter what the subject or grade level, and breaking the cycle of hiring tutors year-after-year.

Oxford Learning’s proprietary Dynamic Diagnostic Assessment™ allow Oxford staff to get to know a child, from academic standing to skill gaps and learning potential. With a goal of improved grades, motivation and confidence for any child, Oxford Learning offers five core programs: Little Readers, for children ages 3 to 6; French Club for young people age 6 to 18; Beyond Tutoring for those in Grade 1 to 8; Advantage High School Success for kids in Grade 9 to 12; and Fast Track! for those entering High School.

Dr. Nick Whitehead, co-founder and President, Oxford Learning and Ms. Kelley McGregor, Director of Training and Operation, Oxford Learning are available for interviews.

For More Infromation Please contact:
Penelope Savoie
Strategic Objectives Inc
Phone: (416) 366-7735
Email: psavoie@strategicobjectives.com

View all Oxford Learning Centres Press Releases

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