"Your son is not failing; but I really feel he could do better."
"Your daughter's work is satisfactory; but I know she could get
higher grades if she tried a little harder." At P.T.A. meetings
the teachers all tell you the same thing. And you know it
yourself. Your child is capable of getting higher marks if he
would only put in a little more effort. But no matter what you
and your spouse try to do, you have failed to motivate your
child to improve his schoolwork. Why does your child perform
below his abilities at school? Is your child an underachiever,
and if so, what can you do to help your child maximize his
potential in school and in life? WHY SOME CHILDREN FAIL There
are a number of reasons why children sometimes fail to live up
to their academic abilities. Understanding these root causes and
determining which apply to each child is the first important
step towards helping an underachiever. (1) Not all failing
students are truly capable of better school work. Some children
sound or appear brighter than t