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How to Motivate an Underachiever

If you feel your child is unmotivated, here's how to turn things around.

Symptoms and Causes

Factors and Behaviors Commonly Associated With Underachievers
Commonly associated behaviors
Has his social circle outside school
Seeks out low-achieving comrades
Disparages the value of school, teachers, and goals
Adopts alienated fashions, mannerisms, language, and demeanor
Has low self-esteem
Has a learning delay
Feels he has low academic ability
Is easily bored or distracted
Is hypersensitive and critical
Has low or nonexistent motivation and effort
Dislikes book-work or academic challenges
Dislikes structured activities and timed exercises
Forgets, misplaces, or loses textbooks or assignments
Organizes poorly time and materials
Has poor self-management skills
Has a learning style that does not match the teaching style
Is disruptive in class
Possesses poor test-taking and study skills
Gets low or failing grades
Thinks good grades are the result of luck or favoritism
Takes on limited extracurricular school activities

School factors
Morale of student population is low
Teacher/student relationships are poor or ineffective

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