My learning book: setting goals and making learning journeys visible

Implementation

Introduce the learning book carefully.
The learning book is not simply a notebook in which children are expected to write goals independently. Goal setting, planning and monitoring a learning journey are first built together. The teacher repeatedly models how a classroom topic can become an understandable, achievable goal and then a visible pathway.

From teaching goal to child-friendly goal.
At the beginning of a learning phase, subject goals are discussed with the class and translated into understandable sub-goals. Children need to know what they are learning and how they will later recognise that a step has been achieved.

Concrete example: partial-sums addition.
When the class is working on written mental/partial-sums addition, goals can be developed together, for example: ‘I can split numbers in a useful way.’ – ‘I can add two numbers step by step.’ – ‘I can write down my method.’ – ‘I can explain why my method works.’ Only after the goals are understood does the child choose or formulate a personal goal for the learning book.

Scaffold goal formulation.
A goal such as ‘I want to get better at maths’ is still too broad. The teacher models a more concrete version, for example: ‘I want to solve partial-sums additions independently and explain my method.’ Depending on age and support needs, children may formulate a goal themselves, choose from goals developed together or use sentence starters. Support is gradually reduced.

Design an individual learning journey.
The goal is given a visual form. One child might draw a rocket and several planets. Planets represent sub-goals and stars represent smaller steps. Another child might create a train route with stations, a mountain path or a treasure map. There is deliberately not one template for everyone.

Decide in advance what success looks like.
Each goal should have a concrete success criterion where possible. The child and teacher ask: ‘How will I know I can do it?’ For partial-sums addition, this might be: ‘I can solve three problems independently and explain my method.’

Make completed stages visible.
When a sub-goal is reached, the child can colour the relevant planet, add a star, mark a station, move the rocket forward or add another stage to the path. The journey grows with actual learning, while earlier stages remain visible.

Return to the book regularly.
The book should not disappear into the desk after a goal has been recorded. At suitable moments, the class gets a short learning-book time: ‘Where are you now? Have you reached a stage? What is your next step?’ This might follow a practice phase, precede a new sequence or take place at the end of a week. Not every lesson needs an entry.

Connect creativity with learning content.
Drawing is not an end in itself. The rocket, train or treasure map provides a child-friendly way to organise goals, sub-goals and progress visually. Each symbol should therefore stand for an understood goal or meaningful learning step.

For the whole class, with different levels of support.
All children can use the same basic principle without working at the same level of independence. Some formulate goals themselves; others choose from two or three goals discussed together, use sentence starters or initially continue a teacher-provided pathway.

Cross-curricular goals can also be included.
Alongside subject goals, occasional cross-curricular goals can be included, such as starting work independently after instructions or checking a task before handing it in. The focus should remain on a small number of currently meaningful goals.

Use the learning book as a basis for learning conferences. The learning book can also be used during learning conferences to give the child an active role in the conversation. For example, the child selects one or more of their learning journeys and uses the different stages to explain: What was my goal? Where did I start? Which stages have I already reached? What went particularly well? What helped me? What am I still working towards? And what would I like to achieve next?

The child can refer to specific pages, drawings or pieces of work as examples. This means that the conversation is not only about the child: the child can make their own learning journey visible and explain it from their perspective. The teacher can then build on this together with the child and parents to agree on next goals or helpful support strategies.

Important:
The learning book is neither a monitoring tool nor a collection of deficits. It should build curiosity about one’s own learning journey and make progress visible. The teacher provides enough support to keep goals realistic and understandable while gradually transferring responsibility to the child.

Material

Personal learning book or binder; pencils and coloured pencils; optional visual prompts or simple pathway templates (rocket and planets, train and stations, mountain path, treasure map); sentence starters or goal cards to support goal formulation; selected learning products that can provide evidence of completed stages.

References

After: Selin Güler, primary school teacher and translationmanager at BeLEARN