Is Your Child Getting the "Just-Right" Challenge at School?

It often can be difficult in the classroom to make sure that each child is given the "just-right" work. Teachers often tend to aim towards the middle of the class, which often results in children receiving work that is too difficult or too easy for them. The child may lose motivation if the work is too challenging, or not challenging enough. Finding the "just-right" work for the student will promote and support his or her intrinsic motivation. If work assigned is a bit challenging fort the student, perhaps the teacher should extrinsically motivate the student in support of completing the assignment and encouraging the student to work towards his or her fullest potential.

Ways to tell if the work is too easy:
Does the student call the work easy?
Does they finish their homework quickly, with little effort?
Are the books the child reads for pleasure more difficult than the books assigned at school?
Does the student fall apart when difficult work is given to them?

Ways to tell if the work is too hard:
Clues to telling if work it too hard for a student are often subtle.
Procrastination
Mood
Incomplete homework
Promising to work, but does not
Saying: "I don't know how to do it..."


If students respond yes to one or two of the questions above the child's work may be too easy, and the teacher may need to discuss with the child their observations. If the work is too easy for the child they may be bored and the teacher should challenge the student.

Source: Stipek,D.Ph.D., & Seal,K., (2001) Motivated Minds: Raising Children to Love
Learning. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Are Extrinsic Rewards Always the Best Motivator?

Greene and Lepper (1974), found that, "by using more incentives to learning in the classroom, proved that rewards can backfire, that a child's intrinsic interest in activity may be undermined by the use of extrinsic rewards and controls...they found that children who performed a task in order to receive an extrinsic reward subsequently became less interested in engaging in the task than did children who were asked to perform the task by had not received a reward, or children who were asked to perform the task and had received the same reward unexpectedly" (as cited in Landen and Williams, 1979, p. 283).

Source: Landen, J., & Willems, A. (1979). Do you really know how to motivate children?. Education, 99(3), 283. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Is Your Child or Student An Underachiever?

The following is a list of characteristics tied to the four types of underachievers. This list may help to determine what, if any, type of underachiever your child or student may be. Are these students lacking intrinsic motivation? Or have they yet to discover things about themselves that would then allow them to be motivated? Would extrinsic motivation be the best approach for underachieving students? Leave your comments!

Distant Underachiever

• Lacks close, long-term, same-age friends.
• Interests lie in activities that are isolated from others.
• In spite of the motivation problem, is "a good kid".
• Experienced significant emotional trauma early in life.

Passive Underachiever

• Becomes anxious when asked for an opinion.
• Because of narrow "details" focus, often misses the "big picture".
• Seems to agree with you too much of the time.
• Says, "I don't know" much of the time.
  

Dependent Underachiever

• Rarely seems to complete a task in the way expected.
• Interrupts conversations with you to talk to others.
• Seems to have a selective memory.
• Complains of being bored and does not seem to listen.
  

Defiant Underachiever

• Questions your requests and instructions; may comment that they are irrelevant or stupid.
• You feel on guard with this child.
• Disagrees for the sake of disagreeing.
• Attempts to avoid being around responsible adults.

Source: Spevak, P. PhD., & Karinch, M. (2006). Empowering Underachievers: New strategies to guide kids (8-18) to personal excellence. New Jersey: New Horizon Press

The Four Types of Underachievers

There are four types of underachievers.

1. Distant underachievers are detached from other people. About 5% are primarily this type of underachiever.
2. Passive underachievers find their self-worths and identities externally through the approval of others. About 20% are primarily this type of underachiever.
3. Dependent underachievers want others to experience their emotions, solve their conflicts and take their responsibilities. This is the most common type of underachiever. About 60% are primarily this type of underachiever.
   
4. Defiant underachievers are openly rebellious and often conflicted. External authority drives this conflict. About 15% are primarily this type of underachiever.

How do we motivate underachieving students?
Please comment with your ideas!

Source: Spevak, P. PhD., & Karinch, M. (2006). Empowering Underachievers: New strategies to guide kids (8-18) to personal excellence. New Jersey: New Horizon Press

Motivation Through the Years

As one grows older, intrinsic motivation becomes the primary motivational factor, while external motivators decrease in their prevalence.


Source: Spevak, P. PhD., & Karinch, M. (2006). Empowering Underachievers: New strategies to guide kids (8-18) to personal excellence. New Jersey: New Horizon Press.

Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg identified six levels of moral development. This simple hierarchy identifies the six reasons people are motivated to behave in certain ways.

Level 1: I do not want to get in trouble.
Level 2: I want a reward.
Level 3: I want to please someone.
Level 4: I always follow the rules.
Level 5: I am considerate of other people.
Level 6: I have a personal code of behavior.

What level are you on? Do you fluctuate between levels? Please comment!

Source: Esquith, R. (2009). Lighting their fires. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Survey Results of What Motivates 5th Graders

• Money (real or fake)
• Candy/Food
• Extra Recess
• No Homework
• Grades
• Trip to another country
• Friday fest (gameday)
• Wanting to be the best
• Parents approval/sibling rivalry
• Computer/laptop
• Just to know stuff
• Learning

This unofficial survey was conducted by Jill Faulkner to a class of 5th grade students in Connecticut.

"What motivates a child?" Sample Survey

In Richard Lavoie’s 2007 book, The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning on the Tuned-Out Child, the assessment on p. 113-116, is provided to help gauge the motivation of the child in hopes that the teacher will use this information to better teach the child.

“The following informal assessment tool may be of assistance in determining the drives that motivate each child. This minisurvey could be given to all students at the beginning of the school year and could also be administered to any student who joins the class during the school year. Explain to the students that the survey is designed to help you get to know them better and to assist you as you design and plan your classes. Ask that they answer the questions thoughtfully and honestly, and assure them that there are no incorrect answers.”

From the list of 10 questions we have chosen 6 for you, the reader, to answer and find out what motivates you.

The instructions are to read the questions, circle 2 answers

1. If you did really well on your science project, what would you prefer the teacher to do?

1. Let you carry the project to the other classrooms and explain the project to the students
2. Put the project on display in the hallway
3. Give you a small prize
4. Write a note to your parents to tell them what a good job you did
   

4. You are on a roller coaster, and a photographer from a local newspaper takes you picture. The photo appears on the front page the next day. What do you do?
1. Carry the newspaper with you to show your friends and relatives
2. Frame the picture and hang it in your room
3. Hope that the photo wins a prize as “Picture of the Week”
4. Hang out by the newspapers at the local store and hope that someone recognizes you
   
   

5. What do you like best about your birthday?
1. Your family has a party for you, and all your relatives come
2. You are treated special that day and your mom makes your favorite meal
3. You get presents
4. Everyone tells you that you are growing up and maturing
   
   

8. Think about the teacher you liked the most out of all the teachers you’ve ever had. What did he or she do whenever you did an outstanding job on a project or assignment?
1. Let you sit with and work with your friends
2. Gave you certificates and awards
3. Gave you a prize
4. Gave you lots of compliments
   
   

9. Think of your favorite grandparent, aunt, or uncle. What is it that you like most about him or her?
1. He or she is fun to be with
2. He or she is proud of you and talks about you
3. He or she gives you gifts
4. He or she is very interested in you and listens to you
   
   

10. If you were a teacher, how would you reward a student who did a great job on an assignment?
1. Have lunch with the student
2. Have a “Student of the Day” award
3. Give the student a small present
4. Give the student a note congratulating him

ANALYSIS OF ASSESSMENT

Record the number of a, b, c, and d responses, and analyze the results.

If there are a lot of a responses, the child is motivated by people.

If there are a lot of b responses, the child is motivated by prestige, power and praise.

If there are a lot of c responses, the child is motivated by prizes and prestige.

If there are a lot of d responses, the child is motivated by people, prestige and praise.

“It is futile to attempt to motivate a disparate group of youngsters by using a single general approach or method. If the child cannot learn the way that we teach, we must teach the way that he learns” (Lavoie, 2007, p. 116).

Source: Lavoie, R. (2007). The Motivation Breakthrough: six secrets to turning on the tuned out child. New York, NY: Touchstone.

The Six P's of Motivation

Richard Lavoie’s SIX P’S OF MOTIVATION

Projects motivate the autonomous or inquisitive child.
People motivate the gregarious or affiliation-driven child.
Praise motivates the status-driven or recognition-driven or affiliation-driven child.
Prizes motivate the status-drive or recognition-driven or affiliation-driven or power-driven child.
Prestige motivates the autonomous or status-driven or aggressive or power-driven child.
Power motivates the power-driven or autonomous or aggressive child.


These Six P’s are a translation of Maslow’s research. Lavoie devised six sets of teaching strategies that emphasize the motivational drives for each child. What will each child respond well to? A project? Or respond well to the teacher? Or the praise from the teacher?


What have you found to be the most dominant motivational drive for the children you have interacted with? Please comment!


Source: Lavoie, R. (2007). The Motivation Breakthrough: six secrets to turning on the tuned out child. New York, NY: Touchstone.

Watch Second: Maybe Not So Effective After All!

Watch First: Effective Motivational Tool?

Types of Motivators

Intrinsic Motivators

• Competitive urges
• Family support
• Feelings of accomplishment
• Feelings of self-worth
  
• Extra-curricular activities (debate team, math club, etc)
  

Extrinsic Motivators

• Rewards
  
• Punishments
• Money
• Praise
• Gifts
• Stickers
• Extra Recess
• No homework
• Grades

Definitions

Motivation: "A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior"

Intrinsic Motivation: "A desire to perform a behavior for its own sake and to be effective.

Extrinsic Motivation: "A desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment."

Punishment: "An event that decreases the behavior that it follows."

Reinforcer: "In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows."



Source: Myers, D. (2004). Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.