1.  Help your child decide on a skill he would like to learn.

2.  Create a first level  goal – how he would know he had made progress.  Make sure the goal is something that he can likely be successful at within about three weeks. It needs to be something that can be verified with a measurement.

For example, “I want to have fun playing with the neighborhood kids.” Think how to measure that. Perhaps by using a chart to mark when he plays and yes/no whether it was fun that time. At the end of the three weeks help him add up the numbers and percentage of times it was fun. When it was not fun it would be helpful to discuss why not and what he could do to change that the next times he plays.

Or, “I want to be able to get the ball in the net.” Decide from what distance and how often the ball has to go into the net – every time, half the time, 7 out of 10 tries? Make a chart to be completed after each kick-into-the-net practice session.

3.  Make a plan with him for what he will need to do and how much practice it will take for him to be successful. Discuss whether he needs any instruction. Ask him what you can do to be helpful. Would it help if you did it with him? Watched him do it? Just celebrated each time he practiced?

4.  Celebrate his success at the end of the three weeks or his progress if he hasn’t quite met the goal.

5.  If he does not reach his goal, help him re-look at the goal and make adjustments that are needed. Then, encourage him to try again. If he has met his goal, help him select a second level goal and figure out how to know whether he has met it.