Motivating Underachieving Gifted Children

By subscription only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription.

Hi,
Gifted children have a unique problem! They usually lack an internal motivation to learn and achieve success in a traditional classroom setting. Staying motivated for them is a big struggle. Boredom, monotony and repetitiveness might snatch away the desire to learn and develop mastery. In a way, traditional classroom could become a painful place to spend time. A loss of motivation to learn means underachievement and a failure to achieve academic success.

Turning underachievers into super achievers is not an easy task. The first requirement to perform this task is to fine-tune gifted children's brain to achieve classroom excellence. As gifted ones lack motivation to achieve this objective, they invariably need a serious dose of motivation that comes from within their heart and soul.

Motivating underachieving gifted children is to create an approach that uses a combination of different strategies and methods. All of them are tied to enhancing motivation and to catalyze enthusiasm to learn more and master classroom lessons. This is made possible when parents invest their time and energy to learn these techniques. All the best.

Thought for today:
"Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Please visit our sponsor ad web site below. Thanks to our sponsor for keeping this a free newsletter.

Motivating Underachieving Gifted Children Tips
Motivating underachieving gifted ones is a challenging task. Although several methods and strategies are available to motivate gifted children, parental help is a must to ensure maximum effect and complete training. Read the article to learn more.

Q1: We just received gifted testing results from the school district and I have concerns about the results that I would like some advice on prior to my meeting with school staff next week. My concern is regarding the nonverbal results from the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales. According to the results, my 6-year old son scored at the 25th percentile with a score of 90 (t-scores of 50 and 37 for odd-item out and what's missing respectively)...

A: The Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scale (RIAS) is an individual test designed to measure general intelligence, while eliminating dependence on motor coordination, visual-motor speed, and reading skills. The Verbal Intelligence Index (VIX) assesses verbal intelligence by measuring verbal problem solving and verbal reasoning where acquired knowledge and skills are important..... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Validity of IQ Test Scores here.

Q2: When I was a child, I took the Slosson IQ test and no longer have my scores; however, I was just now told that I scored at least at the 95th percentile. What would that be, roughly speaking, in terms of a standard IQ measurement? I've been trying for years to find out my IQ and no one has told me. Thank you.

A: Different tests convert percentiles differently and we use a manual strictly to get the best possible estimates. The Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) serves as a quick estimate of general verbal cognitive ability or index of verbal intelligence. This test was designed to facilitate the screening of children at risk (i.e., of educational failure) by providing a quick estimate of mental ability... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Conversion of Percentile to IQ score here.

Q3: My 7 years old daughter had her WISC-IV and WIAT-III test done, however I am not sure how to interpret the result I have received from the tests. I am not sure if I should consider a gifted school for her or not. The psychologist who have done the test did explain the test but didn't give us the IQ score. I am hoping you can help me with the interpretation....

A: For the Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), I would need to have the sums of scaled scores for each of the index. However, when I combined the sums of scaled scores for each of the subsets as given, I am getting a different composite score. Based on those score, the FSIQ is 90, which is in the average range. I have attempted many times but the results are the same.... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Interpretation of WISC-IV Score here.

Q4: My son was given an IQ test to determine whether he was eligible for the gifted program at his school. His teacher asked for the test to be given to him based on this standardized test scores as well as his work in class. He was given IQ the test this school year, and I received a letter from the district only stating that he was not eligible for the gifted program. I requested more information from the district and I received another letter stating:

Test: KBIT - 2 - Kaufmann Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition Score: 84%

A: KBIT-2 is a brief assessment (more of an ability assessment) for screening children with high ability. It takes about 20 minutes to administer the test. It is quite commonly used for evaluations for gifted programmes. For admission into gifted education programmes, there is usually a cut off point for first level screening. Usually the cut-off percentage is 97% (an IQ score of about 128 onwards)... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Interpretation of KBIT-2 Percentile Score here.

The Underachieving Gifted Child: Recognizing, Understanding, and Reversing Underachievement
By Del Siegle, Ph.D

Why are some gifted children willing to tackle new challenges whereas others seem insecure or uninterested? Why do some gifted students achieve while others become caught in a cycle of underachievement? Are there strategies teachers and parents can implement that promote an achievement-oriented attitude? The Underachieving Gifted Child: Recognizing, Understanding, and Reversing Underachievement answers these important questions.

Although there are many factors that contribute to achievement, achievement-oriented students exhibit four key traits: they believe that they have the skills to perform well, they expect that they can succeed, they believe what they are doing is meaningful, and they set realistic expectations and implement strategies to successfully complete their goals. This book offers specific strategies to help increase student achievement by improving students attitudes in these four important areas.

A Love for Learning: Motivation and the Gifted Child
By Carol Strip Whitney, Ph.D and Gretchen Hirsch

Spark the motivation in your gifted child or student! Keep them eager and excited at home and in the classroom! Gifted children are susceptible to many de-motivating factors, which can lead to depression and academic underachievement. The authors present concepts and techniques to counteract those factors, allowing a child's motivation to skyrocket.

Dr. Whitney is a Gifted Education Specialist with the Olentangy School District in Lewis Center, Ohio. Dr. Strip Whitney has been a presenter at both the National Association for Gifted Children and the Ohio Association for Gifted Children, who honoured her as the Ohio Gifted Educator of the Year. She was one of four teachers selected from the state for Best Teacher of Mathematics in Ohio. She also received the Golden Apple Achievement Award from Ashland Chemical.

Tips to boost infant and toddler brain development
The News Star Mar 20, 2014

When babies are born, their minds are still a work in progress, and their brains will rapidly grow and develop based on their experience. That means the first few years are critical for healthy brain development.

Fussy infants and toddlers watch more TV
Click2Houston Apr 14, 2014

Does your baby have difficulty calm him or herself? Falling and staying asleep? It can be stressful, especially for new parents. But once again, researchers are recommending that parents avoid plopping them down in front of the television.

Music Positively Influences Brain
Daily Sabah Mar 28, 2014

Music is an indispensable part of life, enabling us to express our feelings and thoughts. Clinical psychologist Nalan Pulat Gölcüklü from Bursa Medical Park Hospital explained how music contributes to an infant's mental and emotional development.

5 Good Reasons to Take Your Kids to the Library Today
Huffington Post Apr 14, 2014

I learned to print my name almost before I could read it -- for the sole purpose of getting my own library card. I was so young I had to stand on tiptoe to see over the check-out desk and hand the librarian my application. When the librarian, in turn, handed me a library card with my own name typed on it -- not my mother's -- I was ecstatic.

The top 10 things you must do when bringing up baby
The Independent Apr 03, 2014

An Apple a day? Babies' concentrations may be affected by early exposure to tablets and smart phones. It might not look like they're doing much but your baby's early days are actually the most important in their lives.

Subscription to this ezine is FREE and please feel free to pass this on to friends, colleagues, relative and see if they would like to be a subscriber as well! They can subscribe by clicking here

To date, fewer than 1% of subscribers have chosen to unsubscribe because I try to send out only useful and relevant information. The publishing schedule for this ezine is published every other Sunday (or Monday when things don't work out as planned)

Editorial Contact - General comments/feedback
Andrew Loh - andrew @ brainy-child.com

This ezine is 100% Opt-in and all email addresses are private and are not sold or distributed to any third parties. Our full privacy statement can be viewed online.

Disclaimer: This ezine is for informational purposes only. Please consult the appropriate professionals for more information.

Copyright ©2002-2012. brainy-child.com All Rights Reserved.