Dr LeCrone
05-21-2006, 10:08 PM
Last week I talked about trying to understand the problem of the underachiever. After the problem is diagnosed by the parent and other professionals, the parent must offer help so the child can achieve his potential.
Some children lack the need for a sense of personal achievement and the acceptance of personal responsibility. With such children, parents often have a difficult time breaking through thoughts and feelings and encouraging these children to get ahead, improve on past records and simply do things better. They can however:
• Offer positive encouragement for good academic performance. They can help the child develop a perspective of wanting to learn for learning’s sake instead of the drudgery of remembering unrelated facts of simply to try to please their teachers.
• Encourage a child to accept school performance as a challenge rather than as a monotonous and boring task.
• Encourage reading and become role modes for reading a wide variety of books and magazines.
• Seek television channels that show science, art, music, literature and other art forms. Educational and informative programs come alive when viewed on these television shows.
• Set proper priorities for homework. If children understand that school is analogous to their parents’ jobs, completion of school work becomes their responsibility and will come before play or TV.
• Set a proper time and place for homework to be done. The hour should be one in which the child is not too tired to study. The place should be away from distractions. It can be either a place in the child’s room or a cleared kitchen table. Don’t expect the child to concentrate with bedlam going on at home. This is unrealistic and unfair.
• As the child gets older, provide adequate reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and library books.
• Plan family outings. Take a trip to a bookstore, the public library, a museum, art gallery or observe the wonders of nature. When parents show appreciation for art and culture, children will include these learning experiences in their leisure time.
• Keep family discussions about knowledge and school at a positive level. Talk about school successes and relations with peers and teachers. Share games that extend knowledge. Witness the success of Trivial Pursuit. Consider the popularity of the television program “Jeopardy.”
• Last, but not least, talk to children about the future. Always include the important fact that learning is a lifelong activity. Encourage them to think about higher education and college or university study. Help them explore a variety of careers in order to find the work best suited for their talents, ability and interest.
Ask adult friends and relatives to talk about their jobs, their job satisfaction and the economic gains from their work. Always make the child aware of the work world surrounding the child – be it firefighting or putting robots on a distant planet. The motivation and stimulation can be supplied to make your child a top achiever.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1986
Some children lack the need for a sense of personal achievement and the acceptance of personal responsibility. With such children, parents often have a difficult time breaking through thoughts and feelings and encouraging these children to get ahead, improve on past records and simply do things better. They can however:
• Offer positive encouragement for good academic performance. They can help the child develop a perspective of wanting to learn for learning’s sake instead of the drudgery of remembering unrelated facts of simply to try to please their teachers.
• Encourage a child to accept school performance as a challenge rather than as a monotonous and boring task.
• Encourage reading and become role modes for reading a wide variety of books and magazines.
• Seek television channels that show science, art, music, literature and other art forms. Educational and informative programs come alive when viewed on these television shows.
• Set proper priorities for homework. If children understand that school is analogous to their parents’ jobs, completion of school work becomes their responsibility and will come before play or TV.
• Set a proper time and place for homework to be done. The hour should be one in which the child is not too tired to study. The place should be away from distractions. It can be either a place in the child’s room or a cleared kitchen table. Don’t expect the child to concentrate with bedlam going on at home. This is unrealistic and unfair.
• As the child gets older, provide adequate reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and library books.
• Plan family outings. Take a trip to a bookstore, the public library, a museum, art gallery or observe the wonders of nature. When parents show appreciation for art and culture, children will include these learning experiences in their leisure time.
• Keep family discussions about knowledge and school at a positive level. Talk about school successes and relations with peers and teachers. Share games that extend knowledge. Witness the success of Trivial Pursuit. Consider the popularity of the television program “Jeopardy.”
• Last, but not least, talk to children about the future. Always include the important fact that learning is a lifelong activity. Encourage them to think about higher education and college or university study. Help them explore a variety of careers in order to find the work best suited for their talents, ability and interest.
Ask adult friends and relatives to talk about their jobs, their job satisfaction and the economic gains from their work. Always make the child aware of the work world surrounding the child – be it firefighting or putting robots on a distant planet. The motivation and stimulation can be supplied to make your child a top achiever.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1986