How can you tell they’ve got it: Setting Learning Goals?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Set a specific, achievable learning goal for themselves — e.g. 'By Friday I want to know all my 7-times tables' rather than just 'get better at maths'; Make a simple plan for how to reach their goal and follow through on it over several days; After the deadline, honestly assess whether they achieved the goal and describe what they would do differently next time. Or just try it together: Does your child ever set themselves a specific learning goal — like 'I want to get better at times tables by the end of the week' — and then honestly judge whether they met it?

Learning to Learn Ages 10–11

Setting Learning Goals

Your child can set a clear learning goal, make a plan to reach it, then judge honestly whether they met it.

In curriculum terms

Set a specific learning goal, work towards it with a deliberate plan, then honestly assess whether you achieved it and what you would change

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Set a specific, achievable learning goal for themselves — e.g. 'By Friday I want to know all my 7-times tables' rather than just 'get better at maths'
Make a simple plan for how to reach their goal and follow through on it over several days
After the deadline, honestly assess whether they achieved the goal and describe what they would do differently next time

🖨 Print this page to keep the checklist — it prints beautifully.

Try this together

Does your child ever set themselves a specific learning goal — like 'I want to get better at times tables by the end of the week' — and then honestly judge whether they met it?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Planning a Taskages 6–7The plan-do-review cycle is the mature form of the basic planning habit established at age 6-7

Finding Knowledge Gapsages 10–11The plan-do-review cycle requires metacognitive monitoring — you cannot honestly review without being able to survey your own understanding

Setting Learning Goalsthis skill · ages 10–11

Unlocks

Personal Goal-Settingages 9–11PSD goal-setting scaffolds the learning goal practices taught in Learning-to-Learn

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

This skill aligns to ACARA’s General Capabilities rather than a learning-area code.

Nearby on the map

Finding Knowledge Gapsages 10–11 Choosing a Strategyages 9–10 Reflecting After Learningages 9–10 Describing Rules & Patternsages 8–9

All Learning to Learn skills →