Summary+and+References

Summary and References

__ Underachievement __ Definition-discrepancy between the child’s school performance and some index of his or her actual ability, such as intelligence, achievement, or creativity scores or observational data.278

Identification __Test scores__-despite the limitations of test scoring there is no way that a student is going to score high without skills.278 __Intelligent Test Scores__-students could score advanced on279 __Problem with tests__-Using test scores alone may under identify because of lack of motivation, tension, negative attitudes, or years not learning in school.279 __Creativity test scores__- High scores on Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, GIFT, GIFFI279 __Observation__-teacher and parent observations provide the only basis for identifying those that struggle on tests. Use of checklists rating scales provides snap shot of student in a level of comfort.280 __Underachievement Test Scores__-three tests developed for identification of underachievement: achievement identification measure, group achievement identification measure, achievement identification measure.285

Other Characteristics of underachieving Gifted Children285-287 //Avoiding effort and achievement to protect comfort// //Deficient academic skill// //Poor study habits// //Peer acceptance// //Poor School concentration// //Home and school discipline problems// //Do as well as gifted achievers on tasks that required holistic information processing, but not in skills requiring precision// //Scores well on tasks requiring information, abstract reasoning, and vocabulary// //Scores poorly on rapid copying of codes// //Some avoid writing if difficult assignments are required “pencil anxiety”//

Etiologies of Underachievement Underachieving is learned behavior and can be unlearned 287

__Family Etiology__-poor family morale and disruption, overprotection, authoritarianism, excessive permissiveness and inconsistencies between parents resulting in manipulative principles. __Identification and Modeling__-nonidentifying with father/mother if overachiever, modeling idea “avoiding schoolwork is acceptable.” 288 //Nurturance//-the parent that is highly nurturing gets the student to identify with that parent. If that parent doesn’t exude effort, neither will the student 288 //Power//-If the student looks up to one parent and that said parent views education in the negative, there will be an imitation of that attitude. //Similarities-the child choses to emulate a quality of the parent for various reasons all up to the child.//

Gender Issues in Underachievement- Four major trends in home interaction “//Father is an Ogre//,” father is dominate and consistently says NO, students learn to appeal to mother MANIPULATION foundation.289 “//Daddy is an Dummy//,” usually seen in a house where the father is not college educated and the mother has an education.289 “//Mother is an Orge//,” mother is disciplinarian and the father is not. and “//Mother is the mouse of the house//.” Mother is viewed as insignificant.

__Gifted boys__ start their academic underachievement earlier than girls. 90% of studied underachievers at certain clinic were elementary boys, and girl population increases in middle and high school. 291 Family disfunction is more prevalent in underachieving students 294 Manipulation Rituals and Countermanipulation //Countermanipulation//-vociferous father who argues desperately with the umpire at a little league baseball game. The student rejects that behavior and withdraws or utilizes manipulation ritual. 292 //Dependence rituals//-student manipulates parent into doing homework. The child either doesn’t understand or feigns non-understanding so the parent assists. To prevent “suffering” the parent the parent will explain step by step. Over time the student has the parent work through the assignments with them. The student gets attention for not understanding and struggling with work. Students will sit and wait for directions to be explained twice and will then raise his hand for assistance. One on one directions are a form of attention sought. 294 __Too Much Power__—parents give child too much control at home and children become dominate or aggressively manipulative. Children use adult vocabulary and reasoning so parents treat them as an adult. Students use this to bypass work because it is boring and irrelevant. 294 Students will then use this manipulation to excuse themselves from activities they do not want to do.

School Etiology Good year, Bad year syndrome à Usually traced to teachers with training and no training.

School Climate Inflexibility -demonstrate lack of respect for the individual child is a strong factor. G/T learn faster and integrates information more easily. These kinds of thinkers are frequently thinking differently and asking questions. A rigid environment will not accept the leeway to have them express themselves differently. To avoid punishment, the student slows pace and dulls interest. 295 Competitive Classrooms - In a classrooms that announces grades, compares grades between students, surprise of the teacher when students different than expected, and ranking are qualities of a competitive classroom.296 Negative expectations breed negative actions and create a climate that encourages underachievement.296 Peer Pressure- By fifth grade, children start to believe it is “not cool” to achieve.297 Unrewarding Curriculum -Many say that school is irrelevant, dull, or unchallenging.297 Matching efforts with outcomes -unmotivated to do schoolwork. This underachieving has been caused by a complicated school and family dynamic. If a student understands the efforts and outcomes in a positive light, they are not an underachiever. However, if one variable is in the negative, then the student is an underachiever.298

** Treatment of Underachievement **
 * 1) **//__Assessment__//**-testing to make sure there is a viable gap between performance and ability utilizing tests, interviews, and observation302


 * 1) **//__Communication__//**-between parents and teachers discuss assessed abilities and achievements.303


 * 1) **//__Changing Expectations__//**-collection of anecdotal information to establish ways to affect individual therapy.303


 * 1) **//__Role Model Identification__//**-Highly talented students showed that parents modeled the values and the lifestyles of successful achievers. Underachieving children should be matched with an achieving person to serve as a model for them. The model should have many characteristics as possible-nuturance, same gender, similarities to child, openness, willingness to give time, sense of positive accomplishment304


 * 1) **//__Correction of Deficiencies__//**-address the skill deficiencies and reinforce over time.305


 * 1) **//__Modifications of Reinforcement__//**-analysis of step one to see change.305
 * //__Treatment Beyond Home and School__//**-These recommendations are successful if not complicated by drugs, alcohol, crime, or serious depression. This “complicated” underachievement also may be able to reverse the underachieving pattern.

Underachievement is a great loss for themselves as well as society.
=Hyperlinks for further research= Defining [] [] [|http://gcq.sagepub.com/content/37/4/155.short] (9 articles) [] (10 articles) [] [] [] (6 articles) []

Reaching [] (12 articles) [] (3articles) [] (15 articles) [] (13 articles) [] (trying to sell thesis, but good abstract) [] (super interesting comparing underachievers from China, Japan, and US) [] (hit View full text) ===**[|Why try? Factors that differentiate underachieving gifted students from high achieving gifted students] **=== [|[DOC]] [| from peegee.net] DB McCoach, D Siegle… - 2001 - peegee.net (word doc, refreshing outlook) []