The start of the new year in our after-school programme was full of energy and enthusiasm.
The children set themselves goals for 2024 and took part in activities designed to build their skills. The goal-setting exercise is more valuable than it appears, on one condition: the goals must be small and checkable. A child who resolves "to be better at school" can never know whether they succeeded; one who resolves "to read one book a month" or "to write more neatly in my Romanian exercise book" has a marker to come back to.
We also discussed what happens when a goal does not work out. It is the part usually skipped, though it is the most useful: a failed plan does not mean you are incapable, it means the plan was too big or too vague. It is the plan that changes, not the child.
The first week after the holidays needs a good pretext in any case. The rhythm is hard to pick up again after a fortnight of festivities, and a start that feels like a project of your own helps far more than an abrupt return to homework.
At PlusKids the activities are prepared with care, so that every step of this year contributes to the children's development.