At this time of the year, I often pick up my phone to hear yet another parent disturbed over the failing grades and poor motivation of their bright, even gifted, student. The frustration, anger and helpless feelings experienced by parents affects family life, parent/child bonds, relationships with school personnel and the child’s social relationships. School failure can be especially disturbing when the child has done very well in elementary school and then grades begin to slide upon transition to junior high school. It is particularly worrisome when the pattern of declining performance continues beyond the seventh grade.
Underachievement can result from a number of factors, some of which are inter-related. Bright students are often identified as being unusual or different very early in their lives and receive a great deal of attention for their unique talents. In the first years of school, they learn new information very rapidly and quickly master new skills. Work habits such as homework management, long-term project planning and studying for tests may not be necessary in order to perform at high levels. So these youngsters do not learn the connection between effort and outcome. They assume that success is the result of abilities and talents, which are inborn, and beyond their control. They do not learn that even the brightest person must sometimes sweat a little in order to learn new material. This is frequently exacerbated by the bright youngster’s intolerance of imperfection. The student is unwilling to try new tasks, particularly writing or art assignments that may not be perfect at first attempt.
Another issue for the bright youngster is that there may be delays in specific areas of learning which develop over time due to the child’s unwillingness to work at subjects which are not intrinsically interesting or which are not part of their area of expertise. This is particularly problematic in areas of mathematics and written language because these subjects continue to build upon previous skills throughout the educational course. Lack of practice during the early years can have a profound impact in later years. Besides learning gaps, these students may also have specific learning disabilities, which have gone undetected due to the student’s ability to compensate through use of high-level verbal skills during elementary grades.
Bright students become at risk for school failure when motivation, work habits and self-expectations interfere with academic performance. As parent and professionals, we can help by encouraging effort and engagement in school tasks from the very beginning. In addition, we can teach children that ability, alone, is not enough. Persistence and determination are equally important ingredients in achieving success.
For more information regarding school issues, call Ramona Hall at 661-222-7332.