When kids struggle in school, it’s common to assume the poor performance relates to motivation. “Just try harder and you will be a strong reader”. “Just put in more effort and your grades will improve.”
Although true for some students, we find that most students want to do well but if school is difficult day-after-day, motivation starts to wane. Many students start out the school year well, but as the work builds and intensifies, motivation issues can pop up.
“Alex Just Needs to Try Harder”
This was the case for Alex. Alex was bright but his reading and math skills were falling further behind every year. These issues came to a head in junior high when the expectations increased , school moved much faster and homework was a nightly task. In addition to his struggles in reading and math, Alex had difficulties with executive function. He was not getting his homework completed and would often forget to turn it in. Alex felt overwhelmed and often avoided the work.
Alex’ mom had assumed he simply needed to try harder. This can be especially true for parents who did not struggle in school. We often assume our kids have the abilities and good performance is simply a matter of choosing to do well.
The Real Root Cause of Alex’s Motivation Issues
Alex’s LearningRx assessment showed cognitive skill weaknesses that were making school very difficult for him. This is common for students who come to us with motivation issues. Most students want to do well, but when school becomes increasingly more difficult, motivation suffers. Human nature is to avoid difficult tasks. In fact, many students express the desire to do well, to achieve strong grades. However, when getting the work done to perform well is difficult day-after-day, procrastination and avoidance become common.
Alex’s Motivation Switch is Now On!
Fast forward 7 years and Alex is now excelling in college and even owns his own company!
What changed everything was getting to the root cause of his learning and motivation difficulties.
Peer-reviewed research published in Frontiers in Education showed that LearningRx training reduced academic difficulties and oppositional behavior for school-age children with learning struggles compared to a control group. We see this repeatedly, and based on both research and our client reports, the result of gaining the cognitive skills to do well has often been improved motivation.
At LearningRx in Savage we turn “I can’t” into “I can!”.
Does Your Child Struggle with Motivation?
If your child is struggling with motivation, call LearningRx Savage to schedule an initial assessment. The assessment will provide insights as to if there is something deeper causing issues with learning.
Help is a phone call away!
Results are from past clients. You or your loved ones may or may not achieve the same outcomes.