8 year old and school

[jen]

Our 8 year old son is in the Second grade now and since First grade has had a problem in school with not getting his work done on time or not paying attention in class.  He does not have ADD, rather, just no desire to do the work, especially in the subjects that aren't his "favorite".  His teacher already has in place a reward/punishment system for when they do good and/or break the rules.  We have had one set up at home also to reward him or take something away based on his school performance.  Even with these in place, he continually is the last to turn in his work.  Missing recess, punishments, and losing other priviledges seem to not work anymore.  He just doesn't seem to care or have the desire to do better or improve his grades.  His teacher says he has all the ability and potential to get straight A's but just doesn't apply himself.  He still gets all A's and B's but not without constant coaxing and threats by his father and I and not without constant reminding by his teacher to "Get To Work".  We've been warned that if this doesn't change, he will get seriously behind in third grade based on the pace and curriculum at the private school he is attending.  Any suggestions would be appreciated

[Sandi]

I would just like for you to know that you are not alone.  I too have an 8 year old boy who "all of the sudden hates" school.  He too gets good grades but with us riding him the whole way.  He is constantly missing reccess to finish classwork or even has to bring it home.  He is much more interested in talking or daydreaming in class.  I first noticed this behavior in preschool when I would try to work with him on simple letter and number recoginition.  He simply would rather be playing.  He showed quite an interest in Kindergarten and in 1st grade but has really lost all interest in school.  I am hoping and praying this is just a phase 8 year olds go through!!!!  Good luck!!

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Jen,

Lack of motivation in school is a common problem, and it can be difficult to ascertain the root of the inadequate motivation. For some children, physical illness diminishes their motivation, for other children, emotional disorders (e.g., depression) cause motivation to diminish. For others, what appears to be a lack of motivation is actually the influence of obstacles to learning (e.g., learning disability). And for some children, serious environmental stressors (e.g., problems in the home, difficulties among peers) can be manifested as poor motivation in school.

When all obvious causes can be ruled out, we are often left with the conclusion that it is in the child's nature not to be enthused about school. There are simply some children for whom this is true. And, for such children, the sorts of common-sense incentive systems, whereby you establish some leverage by making certain privileges contingent on their performance, are a sensible intervention and generally produce at least some improvement.

I think, though, that before assuming the explanation that it is in a child's nature, it is important to rule out the other possibilities in a careful, systematic way in order to insure that nothing is being overlooked. In this regard, you might take another look at the ADHD possibility, just to be on the safe side. Inattentive childre who do not also display hyperactivity can often be overlooked as manifesting a true problem.