This can be used as a segue to start an important conversation about the big picture and specific goals they would like to accomplish in the upcoming year as well as the goals you would like them to achieve as their parent and/or educator. If you’re a homeschool family, it can also be a great exercise to answer these questions yourself from a teaching perspective to kick off the conversation. For kids traditionally schooled, it’s a great time to touch base and consider how to thrive in the coming year. 

To get students’ wheels turning, use variations of these 10 creative prompts. Maybe you have a few of your own to add.

1. How have you changed as a student this year?
   Self-reflection is an important part of growing emotionally! Ask them if they’ve changed physically, or if they enjoyed what they worked on this year…or didn’t enjoy. 
2. What is a new skill you learned this past year?
   This can be anything from new study skills, juggling, to conquering multiplication!  
3.  What would you like to do next with this new skill?
   This thought-provoking question can help them to start thinking about the “big picture”. 
4. What has been your favorite part this year? Why?
   The answer to this question will help you gauge what your child’s interests are in order to help you plan the upcoming year.
5. What has been your least favorite part of this year? Why?
   Again, the answer to this question will help guide planning for the coming year. 

After they write down their responses, here is where the really fun part starts; it’s time to start a family discussion. While these prompts are appropriate for all age and grade levels, they can be modified as needed. If kids are unable to write down their answers on their own, give them a little bit of help writing their answers as they transcribe their thoughts. Or, get creative and ask for illustrations of several of these questions.

Goal Setting

Before talking about goals for the new year, it’s important to define what “goal-setting” means. It will be difficult for kids to set goals if they don’t really know what that means. Essentially, a goal is something that they want to achieve. A good analogy is soccer. To score in soccer you must make a goal (kick the ball into the net). When it comes to talking about their schooling, setting realistic expectations will help them to achieve the baby steps necessary to complete a final “goal.” 

Next comes the discussion about what their goals are! 
One of the best things about homeschooling is that if something isn’t working, you can change it! If your child is struggling with a concept, you have the freedom to think outside of the box so that your child can thrive with a certain subject! If you’re new to homeschooling, remember, it’s okay to switch things up and try new things. Whether you’re a seasoned homeschooler or brand new to it, read this post with real homeschooling advice from a homeschooling mom…you will print it out, it’s so good. 

The following questions can help get their creative juices flowing: 

1. What subjects interest you? 
This can be anything from science to traveling. Find out what gets your child excited. And really listen. Be willing to say “yes” more than “no”.

2. What would you like to learn about? This will likely be obvious based on their answer to question one. However, dig deeper! While this can be as simple as “chocolate”, it can be more complex. Maybe they’re thinking about doing something in the medical field, they’d likely love one of these medical kits where they can get hands-on experience. Get specific!

3. What do you feel you could do better this year?
Everybody has both strengths and weaknesses. It’s an important skill to recognize them and work to improve them. One of the best ways to improve a perceived weakness is to talk about it and come up with realistic ideas to get better at something. This is a great time to have that conversation with your child. 

Once you have a good idea of their likes and dislikes, check-in with yourself. How do you feel this past year went? Do you see your child thriving? Are you overwhelmed with homeschooling? 
Remember…you can change things up at any time. That’s the beauty of homeschooling. This can be a really difficult concept for the beginning homeschooling parent. You have all the power to be as creative as you want. 

Anything Academic has so many resources to help you. Here is a list of blog topics we think will help you on your journey: 

• How to Keep Your Family and Yourself Organized for Learning

• Finding the Right Curriculum for Your Child’s Learning Style
• Picking Your Child’s Path: The Pros and Cons of Schooling Options
• And for the family just starting to homeschool, this step is the most important: Deschooling

Looking ahead, it can be a lot of fun to do this activity annually and compare answers to see how much your students have changed from one school year to the next. Giving each of your kids a journal just for this purpose can be a fun way to celebrate accomplishments and can be a great source of pride every new year. Have fun!