Start the Year Off Right with Academic Resolutions!

It's official. The holiday season is over and the New Year has begun.

What will the New Year bring? What changes and developments lie ahead? How can you make positive changes and resolutions that will last... really last? We resolve to lose weight, to exercise, to eat sensibly, to nag less, and to invest in more quality family time. These are typical adult-type resolutions. What about children? What kind of resolutions can children make?

Well, academic resolutions are a good place to start. Just like any other New Year resolution, an academic resolution is aimed at dealing with areas that need improving. And just like those other resolutions, now is always the best time to start.

There are plenty of areas in which your child could improve:

• Homework
• Organization
• Math grades
• Spelling
• Reading

Set a goal for academic improvement this year, and resolve to stick with it! Here are some fail-safe tips on goal setting that will make sticking to academic resolutions foolproof.

When setting a goal, remember the RAM rule. No, it's not the head-butting goat kind. RAM stands for

• Realistic
• Achievable
• Measurable

If your child's goal for this year is to get better grades in math, then follow the RAM guideline.

• Realistic. If your child is currently getting marks in the 60s, don't set a goal of getting 90 on the next test. A more reasonable goal is to improve by 5 points, and 5 points more on the test after that. Resolve to make incremental improvements. A reasonable goal is a successful goal.
• Achievable. By setting a reasonable goal of improving 5 points per test, there is a greater likelihood of achieving the results. A reasonable goal is an achievable goal.
• Measurable. By setting a goal that is incremental, such as improving 5 points per test, improvement and results can be measured. This way, you have a clear demarcation line of where your child was, and where he is now. For example, In January, she was getting marks in the 60s. By April she was getting 75 or better. She improved 15 points in four months.

The RAM method for setting goals makes for resolutions worth sticking to. And kids won't get discouraged and abandon their resolutions, because they can track their progress, no matter how minor the achievement is.

Start the year out right with academic resolutions, and use the RAM method to have a successful school year! And don't forget to celebrate the successes!