One of the most important executive functioning skills kids can learn is goal-directed persistence: the ability to stick with a goal until it’s completed. For some students, this comes naturally. For others, the road can be full of distractions, frustration, or discouragement.
Goal Directed Persistence Lesson Plan
As counselors, teachers, and caregivers, we can break this big idea down into simple, kid-friendly language and give students practical tools for persistence. One way to do this is with the acronym FRAPS:
F – Flexibility
R – Rewards
A – Attention
P – Progress Monitoring
S – Small Steps
What Is Goal-Directed Persistence?
Goal-directed persistence means working toward a goal even when it gets tough, takes longer than expected, or doesn’t feel fun anymore. Kids often experience this with schoolwork (finishing a long project), sports (sticking with practice), or personal goals (learning a new skill).
When we explain it to kids, we can say:
“It’s like having a finish line in your mind and finding ways to keep moving toward it, even when it feels hard.”
Using FRAPS to Teach Goal-Directed Persistence
The FRAPS acronym makes persistence easy to remember and practical to apply.
F – Flexibility
Sometimes goals don’t go exactly as planned. Encourage kids to think of different ways to reach the same finish line.
- Kid-friendly example: “If you can’t practice the flute at home because it’s too loud, maybe you can practice at school during recess.”
R – Rewards
Celebrating progress along the way keeps motivation high. Rewards don’t have to be big. They can be as simple as checking something off a list, getting a sticker, or enjoying a quick break.
- Kid-friendly example: “After finishing the rough draft of my essay, I will FaceTime my friend for 20 minutes.”
A – Attention
Help kids practice paying attention to what matters most. This means limiting distractions and staying focused on the task in front of them. Keep their focus on the long term goal by making it visible.
- Kid-friendly example: “Make a vision board of your long term goal an hang it in your room so it’s in your line of sight daily.”
P – Progress Monitoring
Show kids how to track their progress. Visuals like checklists, trackers, or graphs can make progress feel real and rewarding.
- Kid-friendly example: “Each time you finish a step of your science project, color in a box on your chart.”
Get progress monitoring charts for kids in this download.
S – Small Steps
Big goals feel overwhelming. Break them down into smaller, doable parts to keep kids moving forward.
- Kid-friendly example: “Instead of cleaning your whole room, start by putting away just the books.”
How to Talk About It With Kids
When teaching goal-directed persistence, keep the conversation simple:
- Define the skill: “Persistence means sticking with your goal, even when it’s tricky.”
- Use FRAPS as the guide.
- Encourage reflection: “Which FRAPS step do you think will help you the most today?”
Final Thoughts
Helping kids understand goal-directed persistence isn’t just about finishing tasks. It’s about building resilience, problem-solving, and confidence. The FRAPS framework gives them strategies they can use right away, whether it’s finishing homework, practicing for a game, or working toward personal goals.
When kids realize they can stick with their goals, they don’t just succeed in the moment: they build lifelong habits for success!
