Project: Dabble

Learning something new is easier when you first define what success looks like. “I Can” statements help turn a broad goal into clear, manageable steps.

The first step in learning any new skill or subject is defining what success looks like.

Without a clear target, it’s easy to drift through books, courses or online resources without knowing exactly what you are working toward. Clear learning goals give your efforts direction. They help you choose the right materials, use your time more intentionally and reflect on your progress.

One simple tool can help you set more effective goals: the “I Can” statement.

An “I Can” statement is a short sentence that describes what you should be able to know, understand or do after a focused period of learning. Instead of a vague goal such learn about digital photography, an “I Can” statement makes the goal concrete. For example:

• I can explain how aperture affects depth of field.
• I can hold a basic conversation in Spanish about daily routines.
• I can edit a short video with titles, music and clean transitions.
• I can use a field guide to identify 10 common birds in my area.

Many classroom teachers use “I Can” statements because they help learners understand the purpose of a lesson. Instead of wondering, What am I supposed to get out of this? students know what they are aiming for from the beginning.

That clarity is also helpful for adults engaged in self-directed learning. When you write an “I Can” statement, you are starting with the end in mind. You are naming what you want to be able to do and giving yourself a benchmark to measure your progress.

“I Can” statements are also powerful because they are written in the present tense. This helps you picture yourself as someone who is capable of the task, even while you are still building the necessary skills.

For example, a goal such as I will learn watercolor points to a future intention, but it doesn’t give you a clear direction for getting started. By contrast, an “I Can” statement such as I can create a simple wash and blend two colors smoothly brings the goal into the present, making it more specific and actionable. It is a personal affirmation that helps you take ownership of your learning.

Making Learning Visible

I saw the power of this approach as a student teacher in a first-grade classroom. Before each lesson, students stood, pointed an imaginary bow and arrow at the “I Can” statement on the board and read it aloud together. Then they “shot” their arrows at the learning target. This playful routine gave students a clear purpose for the lesson ahead.

At the end of the lesson, they returned to the same statement for a quick self-check. With their eyes closed, they gave a thumbs up if they met the goal, a thumbs sideways if they were getting there and a thumbs down if they were still confused. This helped students think about their own learning and gave the teacher useful feedback.

Adults may not need the imaginary bow and arrow, but we still benefit from this process of setting manageable goals and evaluating our progress along the way.

As lifelong learners, we don’t have a teacher writing objectives on the board for us or checking our understanding after a lesson. We have to do that work ourselves. “I Can” statements encourage active learning because they focus on what you will be able to do, not just what you will read or watch.

Developing Effective “I Can” Statements

Strong “I Can” statements are specific, action-oriented and manageable. Each statement represents a step in a larger learning trajectory. It helps you connect what you have previously learned with what you are learning now and what comes next.

“I Can” statements help you answer three key questions:

• Where am I going?
• Where am I now?
• What do I do next?

But when you are new to a topic, writing specific “I Can” statements takes a bit of preparation. Unlike teachers, who often begin with a curriculum, syllabus or set of standards, self-directed learners usually have to find the path as they go. Thankfully, you do not need to understand the whole subject before you begin. Here are a few tips for developing effective “I Can” statements.

Start by previewing the material you want to learn.

Scan the resources you plan to use. Look through the table of contents, chapter headings, course descriptions, lesson titles, practice activities and project examples. This helps you get a sense of what skills or concepts are most important as well as what’s relevant to your overall goals.

As you scan, ask yourself: What is this chapter designed to teach? What skill does this video demonstrate? What ideas show up across multiple resources? Use those questions to draft your first set of “I Can” statements.

Turn each target into a statement with strong action verbs.

Focus on observable skills by choosing verbs such as explain, identify, compare, create, solve, apply or analyze. Avoid verbs like know, learn or understand unless you make them more specific and measurable. 

For example, instead of:

I can learn Python.

You might write:

I can create a Python function that takes input, processes it and returns a result.

If you are new to a topic, don’t be afraid to revise or clarify your “I Can” statements as your knowledge grows.

Keep your statements measurable.

A good “I Can” statement should be specific enough that you can tell whether you have achieved it. If your statement is I can explain how the periodic table is organized, you should be able to explain it clearly to someone else without notes. If you cannot tell whether you have achieved the statement, it probably needs to be revised.

Choose a small number of statements to develop at first.

A common question is how many “I Can” statements you need. There is no fixed number, but it helps to start small. Instead of trying to map the entire learning journey at once, focus on three to five statements that represent your next steps.

Once you can confidently demonstrate those skills, revise your list, add new statements or adjust your focus. Over time, this process helps you build mastery in clear, manageable increments.

Making the Most of “I Can” Statements

“I Can” statements are most effective when paired with other strategies, such as self-assessment, feedback and timelines. Because they focus on what a learner can do, they are sometimes critiqued for narrowing learning to a set of specific skills or tasks. They may not fully capture less tangible but important qualities of effective learning, such as curiosity, persistence, adaptability, risk-taking and the willingness to ask questions.

With this in mind, some learners choose to incorporate “I Am” statements, such as I am persistent when a concept feels difficult or I am curious enough to keep asking questions. These statements acknowledge the habits and dispositions that support meaningful learning.

“I Can” statements also are not timebound. If you struggle with procrastination, you may benefit from adding a deadline to help keep yourself on track. For example, if your “I Can” statement is I can ask and answer questions about my daily routines in Spanish, you might specify that you want to reach that point by the end of a six-week course.

It is also important to define what quality of performance counts as success. Do you want to complete the task with notes or without them? With help or independently? Slowly and carefully, or with confidence and fluency? These criteria help make your “I Can” statements more useful for self-assessment and give you a clearer sense of when you are ready to move forward.

The Power of “I Can”

Well-crafted “I Can” statements help you take ownership of your learning. They define success one step at a time, helping you use your time and resources with intention. Best of all, as you master new skills you develop a “Yes, I can” mindset. And that’s the foundation for lifelong learning.

Sources

Burrows, P., Clarke, D., Davidson, A., Lovitt, C., & Sullivan, P. (2022). Five perspectives on the use of “I can” statements. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 27(3), 34–39. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.882507749672783 

Many, T. W. (2022). Crafting “I can” statements: A practice worth pursuing. Solution Tree Press. https://cloudfront-s3.solutiontree.com/pdfs/Reproducibles_EYT/craftingicanstatementsapracticeworthpursuing.pdf

Moeller, A.J. and Yu, F. (2015). NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements: An Effective Tool for Improving Language Learning Within and Outside the Classroom. Dimensions: Vol. 50, Article 4. Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/dimensions/vol50/iss1/4