This document provides information and strategies for motivating underachieving students. It discusses: 1. Different learning styles like visual, auditory, and kinesthetic and how to support each child's natural learning style. 2. Simple ways parents can help motivate their children like setting proper expectations, helping the child set goals, showing the importance of school, and using encouragement and praise. 3. Developing resilience in children by teaching skills like goal-setting, time management, self-affirmation, and celebrating improvements.

1. Catch a
falling
“STAR”

2. How to
Helping
Underachievers
In School

3. Intellectual QuotientKey concepts about a child
•Every person is gifted
•Basic to a person’s psychological well
being is a mindset of: I am loved...
I am capable...
•A child is narcissistic but docile and
malleable.
•He needs to be controlled to develop self-
control.

5. • Visual learner – Seeing and Watching
• Auditory learner-
Hearing and Listening
• Kinesthetic learner - Doing & Feeling

6. Visual Learners: How To Spot Them
 Likes to look at books and pictures
Can read silently for a long time
They remember details and colors of what they see
They are fond of reading, spelling and proof reading
They remember faces of people he/she meets ( forget names)
remembers names seen in print
They quietly take in surroundings
They create mental photos
They are good at putting clothes together

7. Having to take action before either seeing or reading about what
needs to be done
Working in an environment with noise or movement
Tuning out sounds (not very responsive to music
Listening to lectures without visual pictures or graphics to illustrate
Working under fluorescent lights ( makes it hard to concentrate)

8. Never shuts up- the chatterer
Tells jokes
Tries to be funny
Good story teller
Hyperactive
Poor handwriting – has history of reversals
Likes music and rhythmic activities
Probably has ten excuses for
everything

9. Knows all the words to all the songs. Can memorize easily
Motorically awkward
Poor performance on group tests of intelligence
Poor perception of time, space

10. Difficulties in School
Reading quickly; reads more slowly than a visual learner
Reading silently for prolonged periods of time
Reading directions; unaware of illustrations
Taking tests under time pressure that must be read and written
Living with enforced silence in class when teacher is lecturing.
Can’t wait to talk
Being distracted by sounds
Seeing significant details

11. The Mover:How To Spot One
Wants to touch and feel everything- Rubs hands along the wall while
in line, walking down the hall
Moves all the time
Enjoys doing things with hands
Often writes everything – over and over
Can take a gadget apart and put it back together
They are good at sports
May be the child who is always making airplanes; fans from paper

12. Difficulties in Schools:
Having good interpersonal skills
Having legible cursive handwriting. Better with
printing or keyboarding
Sitting still; tends to fidget and needs to move
Listening to lectures more than four minutes
Spelling

13. Communicating without getting physically close to
another person
Recalling what is seen or heard- better at recalling
what is done

14. Expressing emotions without physical movement
and gestures
Sticking with one activity for a long period of time

15. Obstacles to Achievement
• Lacks motivation to achieve
• Not able to complete task
• Fears failures

16. The Underachievers
• Unmotivated
• Denies by action that what they do now has
impact on their future
• Doesn’t see/accept that their inability to
complete tasks & assume responsibility will
lead tocontinuing failure

17. Underachievers:
Lack the ability to:
work to completion
function independently
produce within time limit

18. Underachievers:
Performance falls short of abilities
Doesn’t initiate new projects; doesn’t find new
ideas challenging
Isn’t a self-starter, no
sence of urgency, misses deadlines

19. Underachiever:
• Doesn’t complete or submit work on time
• Seldom accepts responsibility for personal
failure
• Starts enthusiastically but quickly fades
• Easily distracted

20. Underachiever:
• Seems unaffected by own deficiencies &
ineffectiveneness
• Fakes happiness
• Hostile towards authority
• Excessively self-critical
• Fluent orally but poor iin written work

21. Underachiever:
• Doesn’t set own goals
• Lacks concentration
• Daydreams
• Disorganized
• Has poor study habits

22. Causes of Underachievement:
• Disabilities & Impairments
• Family Dynamics:
low parental expectations
inconsistent parenting techniques
autocratic & permissive parenting style
absence of role models of achievement-oriented behavior
no encouragement for self motivation, environmental
engagement & autonomy
• Negative peer influence

23. Duration of Underchievement
• Short-term or intermittent
Cause: family discord, etc.
• Long-term
Cause: socio-economic conditions,
family attitude towards school
too low or too high aspirations

24. What can you do
now

25. Motivating Your Child To
Achieve

26. The desire to do
things..
Its a driving force behind growth
and success.

27. What Dampens motivation?
 Fear of failure
 Frustration with inconsistent performance
 Lack of understanding the school
work
 Emotional problems
 Anger
 Desire for attention– even negative
attention

28. School is
boring I’m
done!
I don’t
care
about
math
I don’t
care
about
math
I’m
stupid ,
Why
try?
I’m
stupid ,
Why
try?

29. What Fires motivation?
Feel competent
 Have some choice and control over learning
 Believe that intelligence isn’t fixed at birth
 Feel loved and respected

30. simple Ways to help
your chilD get
motivateD

31. Set Proper Expectations Considering
Child’s

32. Talk kindly and honestly
to your child about her
interest and abilities.
Talk kindly and honestly
to your child about her
interest and abilities.
Share your OPINION
based on your
OBSERVATION
Share your OPINION
based on your
OBSERVATION
Have
an agreement
Have
an agreement
Set appropriate expectations by:
Communicating with your child

33. Re-evaluate as necessary
Plan to review your expectation with your child.
Talk to your child and make an adjustment. Make
sure that both of you will agree about the
expectations.

34. Help your child set goals
Write the goals
down.
Make the
goals specific
Make the
goals
measurable

35. Show your child you think school
is important
Maintaining a
relationship with your
child’s teacher
Supporting the
programs at your
child’s school.
Creating a suitable
environment
Keeping up with
your child’s
assignments
Staying positive about school and
schoolwork.

36. Support your child’s
Learning Style

37. Speak the Language of
Encouragement
Praise:
• Discusses results.
“Great work on the science quiz! You got an
A!”
• Uses opinion words such as
“good,” “great,” “terrific,” and“wonderful.”
Is typically given when the child
has performed as you had hoped she would

38. Encouragement:
• Notices effort and progress.
“Look at that paper ! I can tell you've spent a lot
of time on it ! It must feel good to know you
worked so hard!”
• Uses descriptive words.
“You washed the dishes without being asked.
Look at it ! So shiny and clean.
Can be given regardless of the child’s
performance.

40. Reinforce learning at home
and in the community
• Expand your child’s point of view
• Getting your child into the habit of reading.

41. Encourage Your Child to Be
Resilient

42. Skills Needed to be Developed
• Goal-setting
• Making choices
• Organizational strategies
• Planning & managing tasks
• Time management &
scheduling
• Focus

43. Skills Needed to be Developed
• Improved study skills
• Giving self-affirmation
• Recognizing negative thought patterns
• Doing positive self-talks
• Self-evaluation
• Celebrating improvements