Media Room

To the distress of parents and teachers, many bright students don’t perform their best within an academic setting. These adolescents have the potential, yet still fail to achieve.

Dr. Steven Gray, a licensed clinical psychologist and core faculty member at University of the Rockies, offers these strategies to help parents motivate underachievers to do their best in school:

·         Provide a new workstation: Prepare a new area for homework and study that is away from family traffic and void of distractions.

·         Provide structure and measured assistance: Learn to identify the difference between a lack of understanding and simple academic dependence. When homework struggles emerge, challenge your child to figure out as much as he can before jumping in to help. Have him talk you through what he does understand before coming to an answer together.

·         Bite-sized is better: Create short-term goals that allow your student to feel a sense of accomplishment.

·         Identify carrots: Find out what rewards and privileges will motivate your student. Often, parents are mistaken about which perks and rewards are most important to children.

·         Prepare for struggle. Don’t expect your student to happily accept new habits overnight. Create a united front between parents and teachers, and stay positive. Children are motivated by people believing in them.

·         Short and sharp. When your student retaliates, keep discipline short and sharp. One-day groundings are effective because they are immediate and parents can realistically enforce them. No TV tonight, but tomorrow is a new day.

·         Set realistic expectations. Accept that not every student will be a straight-A scholar and encourage your student to do his or her best.

Additional information about how to motivate youngsters, including common pitfalls that play into academic underachievement, can be found in Dr. Gray’s book “Motivating Marvin.”

“Motivating Martin” offers practical solutions for parents and teachers struggling with underachievers in their homes or classrooms, and is based on Dr. Gray’s research and experience in pediatric neuropsychology. Dr. Gray has over 30 years of clinical experience and operates a private practice with offices in Colorado Springs and Dallas.

About University of the Rockies

University of the Rockies is a graduate school specializing in master's and doctorate degree programs in the social and behavioral sciences. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org), classes are offered online and at the University's Colorado Springs, Colorado, campus. For more information, please visit www.rockies.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 866.621.0124 x2513.

About Dr. Steven Gray

Dr. Gray is a core faculty member within University of the Rockies’ School of Professional Psychology. He is a professional diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology and a licensed psychologist in the states of Colorado and Texas. He is also a registered clinician of the Association for Treatment and Training the Attachment of Children. He has over 30 years of clinical experience and operates a private practice with offices in Colorado Springs and Dallas.