Dr LeCrone
05-21-2006, 10:07 PM
When a child is not living up to what parents and teachers feel is the child’s academic potential, the situations become frustrating. Before parents feel they have reached a dead end, they may have tried a variety of approaches to remedy the problem.
Parents have told me they have tried:
• Disciplinary measures.
• Bribes for improvement
• Open discussions between parent/child and teacher/child.
These children seem to have the intellectual capacity to perform adequately in school, but they are not producing and are perceived as lacking motivation. Furthermore, it is often difficult to get them to complete assignments or even to talk with parents and teachers about school.
Parents who have a non-productive or underachieving child should try to understand the problem. Then they can offer help.
Investigation may show the problem is complex. Or it may show it can be solved by teaching achievement motivation. The latter requires a great day of encouragement and perseverance.
The child may have a learning disability, a handicap that will require the assistance of educational professionals. Or the child may not feel the need for personal achievement.
The first step is to understand the problem.
• Talking with the teacher is a good beginning for understanding. Information given about daily work habits, enthusiasm for learning new concepts, ability to understand and express ideas and observations of classroom performance will help in analyzing and diagnosing the problem.
• Never overlook the family physician or pediatrician who keeps anecdotal notes about the child since infancy. These will prove invaluable in any study the parent or school may make.
• A psychological or educational evaluation may be necessary to get verbal and performance scores so individual educational plans may be derived.
• Always take the whole family into the picture. Examining the lifestyle may be useful in understanding why the child is not producing up to the level of capability. Has there been an emotional trauma within the family? Is there calm and serenity among family members? Do parents and other family members set a good model for the encouragement of studying and learning?
• Does the parent ever turn off the television set and read a good book or magazine?
• Does the parent make time for helping the child with classroom projects instead of pleading that he is always too busy?
• If the study shows the child has a learning disability, then early correction of teaching techniques and perhaps remediation is necessary. Working with the child on an individual basis often will correct the problem. Special classes are available in schools.
• If the study shows the child needs to develop a sense of achievement and accept personal responsibility, then the parent can zero in with measures to provide for these needs.
Remember that helping your child learn for the sake of learning is one of the most important gift, along with good health, that you can give. By aligning all the factors, you can do it. Next week I will discuss more about offering help.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1986
Parents have told me they have tried:
• Disciplinary measures.
• Bribes for improvement
• Open discussions between parent/child and teacher/child.
These children seem to have the intellectual capacity to perform adequately in school, but they are not producing and are perceived as lacking motivation. Furthermore, it is often difficult to get them to complete assignments or even to talk with parents and teachers about school.
Parents who have a non-productive or underachieving child should try to understand the problem. Then they can offer help.
Investigation may show the problem is complex. Or it may show it can be solved by teaching achievement motivation. The latter requires a great day of encouragement and perseverance.
The child may have a learning disability, a handicap that will require the assistance of educational professionals. Or the child may not feel the need for personal achievement.
The first step is to understand the problem.
• Talking with the teacher is a good beginning for understanding. Information given about daily work habits, enthusiasm for learning new concepts, ability to understand and express ideas and observations of classroom performance will help in analyzing and diagnosing the problem.
• Never overlook the family physician or pediatrician who keeps anecdotal notes about the child since infancy. These will prove invaluable in any study the parent or school may make.
• A psychological or educational evaluation may be necessary to get verbal and performance scores so individual educational plans may be derived.
• Always take the whole family into the picture. Examining the lifestyle may be useful in understanding why the child is not producing up to the level of capability. Has there been an emotional trauma within the family? Is there calm and serenity among family members? Do parents and other family members set a good model for the encouragement of studying and learning?
• Does the parent ever turn off the television set and read a good book or magazine?
• Does the parent make time for helping the child with classroom projects instead of pleading that he is always too busy?
• If the study shows the child has a learning disability, then early correction of teaching techniques and perhaps remediation is necessary. Working with the child on an individual basis often will correct the problem. Special classes are available in schools.
• If the study shows the child needs to develop a sense of achievement and accept personal responsibility, then the parent can zero in with measures to provide for these needs.
Remember that helping your child learn for the sake of learning is one of the most important gift, along with good health, that you can give. By aligning all the factors, you can do it. Next week I will discuss more about offering help.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1986