I can goal sheet (free printable)
A one-page learning goal in the student's own words: what I can do, the steps, how I will show it and how sure I am. Edit the headings, print a class set and use it for any goal.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.
About this sheet
A goal that a child can say in their own words is a goal the child owns. This sheet begins with I can, in a large box, and asks for the steps to get there and for the evidence that will show it, which makes the goal specific and checkable. A row of five numbered circles asks how sure the child is, from not yet to able to teach it, and that scale is the part that gets revisited at the end. The two main headings are editable, so the page can serve a reading goal, a math target, a behavior aim or a project. It is a single-use page, not a record: each goal is a new sheet, and the child keeps it.
Grades: 1 to 8. Best in: August, September, January.
How to use it
- Edit the two headings if you want different wording, and print a class set on letter or A4.
- Students write the goal in their own words after you have talked about what makes a good goal: small, specific and visible.
- Revisit it in a week. Students circle a new number on the scale and write the next step at the foot.
Five ideas for class
- Model a goal of your own on the board first, and show how you break it into steps and what you would count as evidence.
- Ask students to share a goal with a partner, who asks one question: how will you know you did it?
- Use the same sheet for a class goal, with the whole class working together on the steps and one evidence box.
- Hang the sheets in a folder so students can look back at them, and see that goals come and go as they are met.
- Ask students to circle the scale again at the end of the unit, and write a sentence on what changed.
Related
Questions
Is this part of a student's record?
No. It is the child's own sheet and can be kept by the child. We deliberately offer no forms for individual plans or records; use your school's approved system for those.
What if a student's goal is too big?
Help them cut it down until there is a step they can do this week. The steps box is for that, and the scale shows their progress.
Can it be used for behavior goals?
Yes, stated as something the student can do: I can raise my hand and wait. For a private plan about a child's behavior, follow your school's process.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.
Can I print it in black and white?
Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.
Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?
Your edits are kept in this browser so they are there next time, and are never sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.
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