Motivating Gifted Underachievers
Parents Help Reverse Gifted and Talented Student Underachievement
Aug 2, 2008
Gifted underachievers frustrate parent and teacher efforts by working far below their academic potential. School interventions frequently fail to motivate gifted students and parents’ efforts to punish poor performance often cause more harm than good.
What factors influence reversal of underachievement in gifted and talented students? Numerous studies fail to identify interventions with any significant effect on gifted child motivation and achievement. A retroactive study by Linda Emerick identified factors influencing gifted students who reversed their academic underachievement without apparent intervention.
Ten gifted students from eastern regions of the United States participated in the study. Researchers identified gifted and talented youth using educator nomination, based on three criteria:
- Giftedness based on standardized achievement test and IQ scores.
- Sustained academic underperformance of two years or more, followed by a reversal.
- High academic achievement lasting more than one year, evidenced by grades, honors, and awards.
Gifted students ranged in age from 14 to 20 years old. Twenty percent were gifted females; twenty percent were gifted African-Americans. Gifted youth came from a diversity of socioeconomic backgrounds and a full range of urban, rural, and suburban environments.
Six Important Factors for Reversing Gifted Underachievement
Researchers gathered data on gifted underachievers using parent, teacher, and student questionnaires, and academic records. Gifted students participated in individual interviews to discern their self-perception of factors influencing their shift to high academic performance. Six common themes motivating gifted underachiever performance emerged:
- Out-of-School Interests and Activities
- Parents
- Classes
- Personal goals
- Teachers
- Self-concept
Emerick identified outside interests/activities and parent attitudes as the strongest factors motivating gifted and talented children’s reversals from underachievement to high performance.
Motivating Gifted Underachievers Using Out-of-school Interests and Activities
All ten gifted students remained active in outside interests during their period of underachievement. Students articulated four ways out-of-school activities fostered academic success by:
- Providing escape from school frustrations.
- Developing a sense of self-worth, control, and success despite academic failure.
- Maintaining a life-long love of learning through challenge and enrichment.
- Identifying meaningful in-school learning opportunities related to personal interests.
Outside interests and activities are the strongest factor in reversing gifted underachievement. Parents often limit out-of-school activities hoping to focus a gifted underachiever’s efforts on academics. Emerick’s research supports allowing gifted kids full exploration of their interest areas despite academic failings.
Parent Roles in Changing Academic Underperformance in Gifted Children
Gifted students expressed three ways that parents positively influenced their switch from gifted underachiever to academic high-performer by:
- Supporting of out-of-school interests and activities.
- Maintaining a positive attitude towards the gifted child despite academic failings.
- Remaining calm, consistent, and objective during periods of underachievement while placing responsibility for change squarely on the student.
Parents should note that restricting participation in outside interests as punishment to motivate academic performance backfires. If a gifted underachiever loves computers and fails a math test due to insufficient effort, parents should not withhold computer time to encourage homework completion. Instead, parents should find a challenging computer course where the gifted child can develop self-worth and study skills. These assets will translate into improved school performance over time. Patience and encouragement are essential during periods of underachievement.
References:
Emerick, Linda J. “Academic Underachievement Among the Gifted: Students’ Perceptions of Factors that Reverse the Pattern.” National Association for Gifted Children Gifted Child Quarterly Summer 1992; Vol. 36:3 p.140-146.
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