Middle school underachievers and some strategies to reverse the habit

I recently had the pleasure of listening to a presentation by Sue Whitnah titled "Intelligence Doesn't Equal Success: Developing Habits of Mind Necessary for Students to Excel" in which she addressed the problem of underachievement in gifted students. As a middle school educator, it came as no surprise to me that a typical underachiever hits rock bottom in the 7th and 8th grades. What was new and interesting to me were some of the pattern indicators which put elementary students at a greater risk of falling into the habit of not excelling in school.

In the early elementary years, a child who is frequently praised for intelligence, finishes work quickly, rarely needs to study, has a great deal of free time, has difficulty losing, and is possibly highly creative could be on the road to underachievement. As he grows older, the student becomes disengaged in his own learning despite the fact that he probably enjoys being the smartest in the class.


While the signs of underachievement tend to vary in different age groups, middle school students may demonstrate the following:

• Frequently compares self to peers


• Needs to be the best


• Has lower grades than in previous years


• Avoids work


• Uses excuses such as "I forgot"


• Is dissatisfied with work products because they do not match the level of sophistication the student might envision


• Avoids competition unless guaranteed to win


• Can be manipulative in fear of failure

What then, can we do to help reverse underachievement in gifted students? Whitnah suggests some strategies that educators can employ:

• Help students develop an intrinsic sense of pleasure in learning by rewarding effort, not abilities; giving genuine, specific praise for progress toward a learning goal; and emphasizing the joy of the learning process.
• Teach goal-setting skills, both personal and academic, that include prioritizing and self-reflection.
• Require students to use organizers, but give them choices about which to use.
• Identify and address individual students’ needs—learning styles, motivational, intellectual, social-emotional—and seek ways to connect these needs to learning tasks.
• Tap into strengths, but continue to work on weaknesses.
  Share own and others’ stories about overcoming weaknesses, limitations, and disadvantages.
• Encourage risk-taking. Many gifted students are perfectionists, and dealing with competition is stressful. Pretending to not care becomes a habit to combat the stress of not being the best. Try to convey messages such as the following: Everyone fails from time-to-time. Failure is only a minor setback that teaches us how to grow. Keep a sense of humor. Be gentle on yourself.

Sue has a great list of reading resources to share with parents:
G/T Parent Resources: Encouraging Children to Excel

She also recommends the following readings and resources to help combat underachievement:


Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades (Rimm, 1995)

Encouraging Achievement (Coil, 1999) -- You can see the reporoducables HERE.

Becoming an Achiever: A Student Guide (Coil, 2004)

Discovering & Exploring Habits of Mind (Costa & Kallick, ed, 2001)

"How Not to Talk to Your Kids: The Inverse Power of Praise"