Bright Minds, Poor Grades: Understanding and Motivating your Underachieving Child
Child-renowned clinical psychologist Michael Whitley, Ph.D. offered teachers a proven
ten-step program to motivate children.His easy-to follow book identifies the six types of underachievers from the procrastinator to the hidden perfectionist and it presents the ten steps to help children succeed in school-and ultimately, in life. Dr. Whitley also explained that parents must have powerful techniques that reach inside the child's mind, and work there, so that the child's communication with the parents about school deepens, the child discloses more about themselves to the parents. In order to do that, parents must swallow a little frustration, and become extremely positive. I call this the Mr. Rogers technique, patterned after Mr. Rogers on PBS. It's a gentle, kind, but firm insistence on honesty, value and work. Yelling, screaming and punishment will not do to build a strong work ethic in kids. If it did, America would be full of A students, because everyone has tried that. It's not just a philosophical or psychological issue, it's a deeply practical matter.
