| According to standardized intelligence tests, | | | | by having low expectations and bestowing an |
| children are getting smarter and smarter. | | | | excess of material possessions. When children |
| Most children recognize school success as a | | | | have difficulty in a particular subject, |
| highly valued achievement in today's world. | | | | permissive parents find many reasons that the |
| Our culture celebrates high achievers, and we | | | | problem is not their child's fault. They may |
| are one of the most productive nations in | | | | reason that the textbook is too hard. They |
| history. Yet many educators agree that | | | | may blame the teacher for being overly |
| underachievement is among the most serious | | | | critical. They may think that the child has |
| problems facing our schools today, affecting | | | | an inherited problem with this particular |
| nearly one out of four children. | | | | subject. |
| | | | |
| As early as the second or third grade, your | | | | One unfortunate trend in some school |
| child may show signs of not performing up to | | | | districts has been to overdiagnose learning |
| his or her potential. There is no clear | | | | disabilities or other handicapping |
| personality profile or temperament that we | | | | conditions, giving children who are topical |
| can associate with this problem. Family | | | | underachievers an excuse for their problems |
| conflicts and emotional problems might | | | | in some subjects, rather than just demanding |
| contribute to underachievement, but even here | | | | more from them. |
| there are no definitive patterns. | | | | |
| | | | A child whose parents only look to find blame |
| Underachievement can take several different | | | | for poor performance will never learn to look |
| forms. Some children do poorly in all subject | | | | to her own actions to find answers. The |
| areas-a problem known as pervasive | | | | message is that her problems are beyond her |
| underachievement. They may have specific | | | | control. |
| learning disabilities or emotional problems | | | | |
| that interfere with their learning, or they | | | | Temperament |
| may just dislike school. Some children simply | | | | |
| see school as a low priority in their lives | | | | An impulsive temperament is a significant |
| and are there only because they have no | | | | risk factor for many children. Some of these |
| choice. | | | | children are labeled as having behavioral |
| | | | problems and others are diagnosed as ADHD, |
| Another form of underachievement can occur | | | | but nearly all impulsive children tend to be |
| when a child has difficulty with one specific | | | | delayed in their language development as well |
| subject area. This type of child essentially | | | | as in their problem-solving skills. Because |
| succumbs to his frustrations in math, or | | | | of their slower development, they often start |
| language, or science, and does not feel the | | | | school below their real potential and, all |
| need to work harder in these areas. Educators | | | | things being equal, continue to perform that |
| refer to this as "topical underachievement." | | | | way throughout their school career. |
| | | | |
| Unfortunately, because underachievement can | | | | Children with an impulsive temperament have |
| come in many shapes and sizes, the early | | | | trouble thinking before they act. On the |
| signs of school difficulty may be overlooked | | | | other hand, children who are born with a |
| or mislabeled. The child is thought to be | | | | reflective temperament typically have a |
| bored instead of unmotivated, or perhaps a | | | | variety of coping strategies to resist |
| learning disability is diagnosed where none | | | | temptation, including the ability to persist |
| exists. Some educational researchers believe | | | | with a task, literally talk themselves |
| that so many children are uninterested in | | | | through the necessary steps, foresee the |
| school because of what they term | | | | future consequences of their actions, and |
| "insufficient rewards." This theory explains | | | | comprehend that there are multiple solutions |
| that human behavior is motivated by the | | | | to a given problem. As we shall see, although |
| desire for certain rewards, particularly | | | | some children do not seem to innately possess |
| social rewards like praise or recognition. | | | | these cognitive skills, they can be taught to |
| | | | control their impulsivity so that the path to |
| High-achieving students are constantly | | | | learning is easier. |
| rewarded for their efforts by teachers, | | | | |
| parents, and peers, but moderate- or | | | | Gender |
| low-achieving students do not have these same | | | | |
| reinforcements. If these students get social | | | | A child's gender must also be considered a |
| rewards from being the best video-game | | | | risk factor for certain kinds of |
| player, or having the largest baseball-card | | | | underachievement. Boys are more at risk for |
| collection, then it is no wonder that they | | | | problems in early reading, and girls are more |
| are unmotivated to do schoolwork. | | | | likely to have problems in math, especially |
| | | | when they enter middle school. According to |
| There are many other theories about why so | | | | psychologist Sylvia Rimm in her study of a |
| many children don't perform up to their | | | | thousand successful women, as reported in her |
| potential; in fact, there are probably as | | | | book "See Jane Win", many of the most |
| many theories as there are children who | | | | motivated and ambitious women that she |
| underachieve. On the other hand, there is | | | | interviewed were turned off to math in their |
| much more agreement on how to prevent or | | | | middle-school years. |
| reverse underachievement, and as we shall | | | | |
| see, this can be done at any stage of a | | | | She advises parents, "Whether you liked or |
| child's development. | | | | feared math, encourage your daughters to |
| | | | enjoy the subject. Your daughters will have |
| RISK FACTORS FOR UNDERACHIEVING IN SCHOOL | | | | more choices if they conquer math.... If you |
| | | | have a choice, find a school that encourages |
| Socioeconomic Level | | | | girls to take math and science." |
| | | | |
| It's hard to argue that the most common and | | | | Sibling Dynamics |
| serious risk factor for underachievement has | | | | |
| to do with the socioeconomic level of the | | | | Some experts believe that certain sibling |
| family. Children who are born into poverty | | | | combinations may also be a risk factor for |
| (22 percent of American children live at or | | | | underachievement. Children who are fewer than |
| below the poverty line, according to 1997 | | | | two years apart may be very competitive with |
| statistics) will likely be deprived of the | | | | each other, particularly if they are the same |
| best nutrition, high-quality health care, | | | | gender. If one sibling has more natural |
| educational toys and books, and parents who | | | | aptitude than another, the second sibling may |
| have the time to spend on early stimulation. | | | | feel that it is useless to try to compete. He |
| | | | may use his seeming indifference to school to |
| Research strongly suggests that a deprived | | | | get attention from his parents. The so-called |
| early environment will impede both the | | | | class clown is often the younger sibling of |
| emotional and cognitive development of | | | | such a family constellation, getting |
| children, but even with appropriate early | | | | attention by testing authority rather than |
| stimulation, children who are born into | | | | risking failure in the eyes of his parents |
| families with low incomes will likely suffer | | | | and the world. |
| from fewer parental expectations, | | | | |
| lower-quality schools, and a greater exposure | | | | Siblings of gifted children can also be at |
| to family and community risk factors. Many | | | | risk for underachievement. Their needs may be |
| child advocates are particularly concerned | | | | overlooked in the adulation of the more |
| that these children will fall even further | | | | talented child. Some parents recognize this |
| behind in the upcoming decade, since they | | | | problem and mistakenly overcompensate for |
| won't have the same access to computers and | | | | it-the less gifted child may find himself the |
| the Internet as will children from | | | | recipient of false compliments, leaving him |
| higherincome families. | | | | to believe neither in himself nor in his |
| | | | parents. The siblings of gifted children |
| Although most schools and libraries have | | | | often harbor great strengths of their own, |
| computer centers with a collection of | | | | but fail to find them or trust in them, given |
| software programs and Internet access, it's | | | | the excitement generated by the gifted child. |
| not the same as having immediate access to a | | | | |
| computer in the home. | | | | Children with a sibling who has a handicap |
| | | | :nay also be at risk for low achievement. |
| A Disruptive Family Event | | | | Sometimes these children use poor school |
| | | | performance as a means to compete with the |
| A specific disruptive event in a child's | | | | sibling for their parents' attention, and in |
| life-such as a move to a new school, a | | | | some cases there is a guilt factor, with the |
| divorce, or a serious illness in the | | | | nonhandicapped sibling feeling somehow |
| family-can trigger an episode of | | | | responsible for her sibling's problems. The |
| underachievement. Children who are | | | | guilt this child might feel both for her |
| categorized as "situational underachievers" | | | | potential success at school and for being the |
| previously performed well in school and | | | | one who is not handicapped can lead to |
| enjoyed learning, and their sudden poor | | | | various emotional problems, with |
| grades and lack of interest in work are out | | | | underachievement a common symptom. |
| of character. Situational underachievement | | | | |
| occurs as a symptom of an underlying problem, | | | | In most of these cases the underachieving |
| and when that problem is addressed through | | | | students will usually respond to increased, |
| some form of intervention, the child will | | | | straightforward encouragement and |
| typically bounce back, after a period of | | | | acknowledgment by their parents of the |
| three to six months. | | | | special situation they are in. |
| | | | |
| When the underlying problem is not addressed, | | | | A Sense of Entitlement in Gifted Children |
| however, these students may not easily find | | | | |
| renewed success in school. In extreme cases | | | | Finally there is the paradox of the gifted |
| the underlying causes can lead to a form of | | | | child, who is born with innate intelligence |
| learned helplessness, in which children feel | | | | or special talents but who all too frequently |
| that they have no control over their lives | | | | does not fulfill his or her potential. A |
| and that it is not in their power to master | | | | considerable amount of the psychological |
| the tasks before them. Underachievement then | | | | research on underachievement has focused on |
| becomes a chronic problem. | | | | these children. Many psychologists have |
| | | | concluded that underachievement in gifted |
| Overindulgence and Permissive Parenting | | | | children frequently stems from too much |
| | | | attention paid by one or both parents, |
| In earlier times, before television and video | | | | leading to a sense of entitlement. |
| games and the dozens of household appliances | | | | |
| we take for granted, children were expected | | | | When these children inevitably encounter |
| to work hard around the house and contribute | | | | teachers or instructors who do not give them |
| to the well-being of the family. Today most | | | | the same level of attention or the special |
| children are required to do only perfunctory | | | | considerations they feel they deserve, they |
| chores, and even these are met with | | | | may become uninterested in school as an act |
| complaints. Parenting articles on getting | | | | of defiance. |
| children to do chores advise us to "make | | | | |
| chores fun." But that does not teach today's | | | | Virtually all of the problems -divorce, |
| children what their grandparents knew when | | | | trauma, behavioral problems, and shyness-can |
| they were little: sometimes it is necessary | | | | be a factor in underachievement. However, |
| to do difficult work without any short-term | | | | preventive measures can be taken at every age |
| rewards. | | | | to keep underachievement from being an |
| | | | additional obstacle to a child's healthy |
| A permissive parenting style is characterized | | | | development. |