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From "slacker"
to "scholar"
Helping motivate your junior high schooler
Motivation, or the sudden lack of it, is a huge issue with
junior high schoolers. It’s as if overnight your previously
studious, capable child seems to have become the slacker
of the seventh grade. This shift in attentiveness can
leave parents puzzled and looking for clues about what to
do to get their child back on track.
Why now?
For many students, the answer may be as simple as the fact
that they have entered a new and tumultuous phase in their
lives.
Once they leave the cozy, contained elementary school
environment, students are hit with a host of challenges.
Suddenly, they have multiple teachers, each with their own
set of assignments and expectations. On top of this, they
need to learn how to juggle extracurricular activities,
sports and budding social lives.
Hormones kick into overdrive, hairstyles take on new
importance, and being an attentive student may suddenly
seem un-cool. It's no wonder why grades and ambition might
take a nosedive.
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What parents can do
Obviously there is no magic answer to motivating your
child. For some children, underachievement may have roots
that stretch all the way back to the preschool years. For
others, difficulties stemming from learning disabilities
may be intensified once they are coupled with the
challenges of junior high school.
The key is to look at your own child’s case, decide
whether it is new or on-going, determine what other
factors (such as changes in the family or home
environment) might be at play and then tailor your
approach accordingly. Teachers, guidance counselors and
support staff can be great allies in helping keep your
child achieving to the best of his or her abilities.
In the book Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades (And What
You Can Do About It), Dr. Sylvia Rimm, Ph.D., offers
the following suggestions that can help encourage your
child to do well:
Have positive,
realistic expectations
Remember to keep your views of achievement realistic and
positive (i.e., doing one’s best is more important than
being at the top of the class/winning the game, etc.).
If you are uncertain about whether you are expecting too
much or too little, talk with your child’s guidance
counselor or teacher(s).
Be a
positive role model
When talking about your own work, emphasize the
satisfactions and frustrations that go with reaching a
goal or finishing a job. This is a great way to show
your child that, despite the hard work and occasional
setbacks, achievement isn’t all drudgery.
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Help
your child get organized
Motivation can decline if a child doesn’t feel on top of
things:
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Teach
your child how to use a day planner or calendar to
keep track of assignments and activities. Have your
child use folders or binders to store paperwork for
each subject area.
- Make a space in your home where your child can do
his or her homework.
- Have your child keep all of the supplies he or she
will need to complete assignments in one location. A
storage box with a lid can keep pens, pencils, a
calculator and paper together. Have your child let
you know if he or she is running low on supplies.
- Involve your child in developing a study routine.
Together, agree on a set time for your child to work
on school assignments. For some students who are
lacking motivation, a "work first/play later" rule
can be a good incentive. |
Maintain a united parental front
Parents should be consistent when setting goals for
their children. If one parent sets goals higher than the
other parent, children are likely to choose the easy way
out.
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Allow
your child to make decisions, within limits
Encourage independence without giving children more
power than they can handle. Parents should be in charge,
although children should be able to make choices and
voice opinions.
Praise
your child realistically
Use words that set goals they’ll be able to achieve.
"Bright," "creative," "imaginative," "kind" and
"hard-working" are much more realistic than "brilliant,"
"genius," "smartest" and "perfect."
Give
your child lots of support and encouragement
Although the junior high school years are a time when
children begin to crave more independence, they still
need clear expectations and understanding of what they
are going through. Your positive, patient support can be
one of the best motivators there is.
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