Understanding underachievers

American Education, Dec, 1984 by Flora Davis

When 15-year-old Seth came home with all A's and B's on his report card, his parents weren't just pleased and proud, they were truly ecstatic. For years Seth had been a classic underachiever in school. His scores on IQ and aptitude tests indicated that he was capable of making top grades--but he never did. Seth's parents were sure he could do better because his work improved dramatically whenever he applied himself--which wasn't often. He was an outgoing youngster, imaginative and easily distracted. He often daydreamed in class, missing parts of the lesson.

Seth's parents tried various ways of helping him--and their efforts eventually paid off. Other underachievers are not so fortunate. Schools are full of children who don't do as well as they could. Some have always received poor grades; others are experiencing a sudden drop. Many might never be top students but shouldn't be failing. A surprising number are very bright youngsters who consistently perform poorly. Some underachievers have ambitious, college-educated parents; others come from deprived homes where expectations are low.

Not all children who get poor to middling marks are underachievers. Dana Liebmann Donati, psychologist at Princeton (New Jersey) High School, often sees disappointed parents who are convinced their children aren't living up to their potential when, in fact, the youngsters are doing as well as they can. "They're often great kids who are achieving in other areas--such as the creative arts--but are just not strong in academics," says Mrs. Donati.

How to tell if a child can do better

It's difficult to spot an underachiever prior to the fourth grade because the dynamics seem to be different in the first three school years. Some late-bloomers take longer than most to acquire reading skills but catch up once they're ready.

An older child is obviously underachieving, however, if he (or she) has always done much better in the past. Underachievers who've never been good students are harder to recognize, but uneven performance, too little time spent on schoolwork, and failure to participate in class are good clues. An even better indicator is IQ and aptitude scores that are much higher than the child's grades would suggest.

If your child is an underachiever, don't sit back and wait for him to outgrow it. A string of failures may cause children to lose their self-confidence and feel increasingly helpless. The longer the problem persists, the more difficult it is to solve, says Leah Blumberg Lapidus, clinical psychologist at Columbia University Teachers College. But child psychologists and educators agree that parents can--and do--play a major role in helping an underachiever.

Why some don't make the grade

To help a child do better in school, you must know exactly what kind of problem (or problems) you're facing. Children underachieve for at least seven different reasons:

Emotional problems: When grades plummet, it's often because a child has conflicts outside of school. Twelve-year-old Erica, for example, stopped doing homework and began failing tests soon after her parents separated. Her mother arranged for her to see a psychotherapist, who helped Erica handle her anxiety and guilt. After two months of therapy, she was better able to concentrate in class, but her grades didn't return to normal for a year.

Secondary gains: Sometimes children receive hidden benefits from low grades. A youngster who is angry, for instance, may try to strike out at others by doing poorly in school. That may have been partly what Erica was doing--paying back her parents for turning her life upside down.

Academic failure can also be a form of passive resistance. "Mommy can make you clean your room but she can't make you learn," explains Jane Wade, a teacher at the Lansdowne Middle School outside Baltimore. Poor performance can be a bid for attention too. When a parent confers regularly with the teacher, the child may feel like a failure, but at least she knows someone cares.

Children don't set out to fail in school--and often they don't know how to behave differently. They need help understanding their own motivations. That's why psychotherapy is usually the best answer when emotional problems or secondary gains are involved.

Teacher troubles: Sally had always been a good student, but in the sixth grade her marks dropped. The teacher was at fault, she said. "Mrs. Cox doesn't like me and I can't stand her."

When youngsters blame bad grades on a teacher, parents should investigate. Some children never have anything good to say about their teachers; in such cases the problem is usually the child's. But Sally had never taken a strong dislike to a teacher before. Her parents made inquiries and learned that Mrs. Cox was a martinet who tended to pick on certain children. They asked for Sally to be transferred to another class--and her grades improved.

Occasionally, the school itself is the problem. It may be so big, or seem so chaotic, that a sensitive youngster feels lost. If he or she can't adjust, changing to a different school may be best.