Vol 4(4) August 23, 2025
We often hear about learning targets and success criteria. But how many times do we truly teach students how to connect the two; and, more importantly, how to build their own pathway to success? How do we allow our students to take ownership of their learning by breaking the learning target into actionable parts ~ circling what they are being asked to do, and underlining what they are acting upon. This is the one thing you should never neglect when teaching students to create success criteria. Students should actively engage in defining what success looks like for themselves, not what we want success to look like for them.
Learning targets answer the question, “What am I learning?”
Success criteria answer, “How will I know I’ve achieved it?”
Many teachers provide students with success criteria, but research and experience show that students benefit immensely when they are involved in crafting their own. Ownership of learning begins with understanding not just what to do, but how to do it successfully.
A practical strategy is to have students circle all the action words in the learning target. Action words for example, analyze, compare, summarize, or define. These are the verbs that tell students exactly what they are being asked to do.
After identifying the action words, students should underline the object of the action, what they are acting upon. For example, in the learning target ~ “I will be able to analyze medical terms and identify the prefix, suffix, and word root.”
Students will circle “analyze” and “identify” (the action word)
Next, students will underline “prefix” suffix” “word roots” (what they are being asked to identify)
This step helps students clarify exactly what they are expected to accomplish. To fully understand the task and set themselves up for success, students should also ask - what are prefixes, suffixes, and word roots and where in a medical term are they located?
By identifying both the action and the object, students can begin thinking about the steps, strategies, and knowledge needed to create success criteria. When students are creating their own success criteria, it’s helpful when teachers guide them through thinking about the steps, strategies, and knowledge they will need.
For example, using this learning target: I will be able to analyze medical terms and identify the prefix, suffix, and word root.
First, students will identify the action and object by circling the action words which are analyze and identify. Next, students will underline the objects which are prefix, suffix, and word root.
To successfully accomplish the learning target, students will need to understand the definition and function of objects underlined, prefix, suffix, word root. Students may want to explore the definitions first.
- What is a prefix? - Prefix is at the beginning of a medical term (not all medical terms have a prefix).
- What is a suffix? - Suffix is at the ending of the sentence.
- What is a word root? - Word root comes before the suffix.
Students will also want to further explore the functions of each component.
- Prefix tells location such as above (epi-), under (sub-), excessive (hyper-)
- Suffix tells the condition such as inflammation (-itis), tumor (-oma)
- Word root indicate the system or organ stomach (gastr), enter (intestines usually small), colon (large intestines)
Understanding these basics help students better understand what is being asked and how to SUCCESSFULLY get there.
Now equipped with this knowledge, students are able to identify the prefix, suffix, and word root in a given medical term. The student will be able to successfully accomplish the learning target:
“I will be able to analyze medical terms and identify the prefix, suffix, and word root.”
If the learning target was, “I will be able to analyze medical terms, identify the prefix, suffix, and word root, and state the meaning of each component.” The question would be . . . How will students know the meaning of new prefixes, suffixes, and word roots?
Students must be given the necessary tools for success such as a medical dictionary or glossary to check the meaning of unfamiliar medical terms. Students can then be guided into building their very own success criteria such as:
- I can identify the prefix in a medical term and explain its meaning.
- I can identify the suffix in a medical term and explain its meaning.
- I can identify the word root in a medical term and explain what body system, organ, or structure it refers to.
- I can analyze a medical term by breaking it into prefix, word root, and suffix.
- I can use a reference (dictionary or glossary) to check the meaning of unfamiliar medical terms.
- I can explain the complete meaning of a medical term by combining the meanings of its prefix, word root, and suffix.
- I can apply this process to new or unfamiliar medical terms independently.
This breakdown allows students to take ownership of their learning because they are actively thinking about what to do, what they need to know, and how to do it, the exact essence of success criteria.
Teaching students to create their own success criteria, even at a young age, has profound benefits:
- Ownership of Learning: Students take responsibility for their progress, which builds intrinsic motivation.
- Clarity and Focus: Breaking down the learning target ensures students know exactly what is expected.
- Skill Development: Crafting success criteria fosters metacognition, they reflect on the how of learning, not just the what.
- Confidence: When students define what success looks like, they can track their own growth and celebrate achievements.
Practical Steps in the Classroom
- Present the Learning Target: Display it in student-friendly language.
- “What is a verb?”
The teacher may provide starter sentences such as, “A verb is an action such as jumping. What else? Analyzing, Defining.”
The teacher may then explain what it means to analyze and what it means to define.
- The teacher may then say, "Let us circle the verbs that indicate what you need to do in this learning target?”
- The teacher may then ask, “What are we being asked to analyze and define? Look at the sentence closely. Talk with your Table Partner and think about what we are asked to analyze and define. Teacher can provide a clue by saying, "It is in the sentence.”
- Students are then asked to underline the object, which in this learning target would be prefix, suffix, and word root”.
- The teacher then may ask, “How will we know we can accomplish this learning target SUCCESSFULLY?” “What steps will help me succeed?”
- The teacher, as a guide and coach will ask the students to brainstorm ideas and discuss their ideas with their Shoulder Partner together, and be prepared to share their response.
- Students have now begun the process of assuming ownership of their learning.
Success criteria become a reference point for self-assessment and teacher feedback. The real power of success criteria however lies not in giving it to students, but in teaching them to build it themselves. By circling the action word, underlining what they are working on, and asking the right guiding questions, students take ownership of their learning, deepen understanding, and develop a growth mindset. When students understand the what and actively shape the how, learning becomes more meaningful, and success becomes tangible.
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