Motivation

Psychologist Carol Dweck defines motivation as "the love of learning, the love of challenge." And, according to her, motivation is often more important than initial ability in determining our success. Yet somewhere in the middle grades the motivation of some young adolescents for learning takes a nosedive. A young teen may begin to grumble about assignments and teachers, ask to drop out of a favorite activity, complain that he's bored or show signs of being lost in the educational shuffle. Here are some the things that can contribute to low motivation:

> > > > > > > > To find out more about strategies to help with motivation you can continue reading the above article (//Motivation - Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence//) excerpted from the US Department of Education
 *  **Biological changes.** The onset of puberty—getting her period or being 4 feet 2 inches tall when your buddy is 5 feet 10 inches—distracts some teens. Distractions make it hard to think about the swim team or the social studies project that's due.
 *  **Emotional concerns.** It may take extra effort to concentrate on a science project when she is preoccupied with physical insecurities or concerned about being excluded from a special group.
 *  **The school environment.** A young teen may lose motivation after moving from elementary school to a middle school or junior high. The loss of motivation can be fueled by insufficient support in the new school or by an increased workload and expectations to which the student hasn't yet adjusted.
 *  **Social and peer pressures.** A child may be influenced by friends who believe that academic success isn't "cool," or that girls aren't good at math.
 *  **A shift in how your child views his ability.** Younger children tend to believe that the harder you try, the smarter you'll get. But Dr. Dweck notes that as children move into their early teens, they may begin to believe that ability is fixed and to compare their ability with that of others—the harder you **//have//** to try, the less able you //must// be. This view can dampen motivation. Why try hard if it won't help you to do well?
 *  **Lack of opportunities.** Some youngsters lack opportunities to take the classes or participate in the activities that they need to spark their enthusiasm. This is most likely with students from disadvantaged families or who are at risk, contributing to perceptions that they are unmotivated.
 *  **Short attention spans.** Some educators report that it's hard to get students to focus on a long history project when they're used to TV programs and media presentations that are fast, short and entertaining.
 *  **Undeveloped work ethic.** Some unmotivated youngsters may not have learned that school success takes time and effort. Many attractions compete for students' attention and, according to some research, some students expect school and activities to be consistently exciting. They aren't aware of the fact that both in school and daily life, they can learn valuable lessons from activities that aren't always fun and that achievement usually requires real effort. You can encourage and provide opportunities for your child, but ultimately your son is responsible for seeing that his homework gets done and your daughter must be the one to practice the piano.

Teaching strategies to activate, focus or build background knowledge in students:
 * Inquiry charts
 * Observation charts
 * Read aloud
 * Teacher made Big Books
 * Cognitive content dictionary
 * Super scientist awards
 * Direct experiences