Low Motivation
Your child may:
Seem lackluster, sluggish, emotionally flat
Just sit in seat doing nothing when there is work to do
Need to be frequently reminded to stay on task and to remember assignments
Have little facial or physical affect
Not ask questions, volunteer, or participate
Not appear to enjoy school
Only come to school for social aspect
Have frequent absences or frequent reports of illness
Frequently skip classes or school
Not make up missing work
Possible Supports or Interventions
Read Alouds
Positive Praise
Praise, according to research, should be given in a ratio of at least 4 praises to 1 criticism
When your child displays positive or productive behaviors, actions, skills, characteristics, etc, or appear to need some encouragement, etc, verbally praise the student and/or give them a high-five, pat on the back, clap, exclamation, cheer, hop, etc
Praise can be done either quietly or if the student is motivated by peer approval, can be done in front of the class
Praise can be verbal or physical (like pat on the back, fist pump, head nod, hop, jump, etc)
When delivering praise, use direct eye contact, positive demeanor, open body position, and get to the level of the student if possible
Make praises specific, personalized, and individualized
Repeat praises if your child seems unconvinced at the first stating of the praise
Restate praises in different ways to get the point across
Studies indicate a 5:1 ratio, or, 5 confirmations, praise and approvals for every 1 criticism or disparagement.
When a child is seen behaving appropriately, paying attention, being on task, prepared for work, sitting quietly, being kind to others, etc, make a remark to the student about how happy or proud you are to see what they are doing appropriately. You could also say to the student, “Good Job”, “I like what you are doing”, “You are doing ________ so well!”, etc.
IMPORTANT! When giving praise, it is essential that you display a positive affect or demeanor while doing so. Express excitement and that you are pleased. This will increase the effectiveness of the technique.
Give Choices
How do I do it:
Speak in calm, neutral tone
Provide the child with two or more choices that you will fully accept, for example, “you can either do your work sitting at your desk or sitting at the table”
Have the child decide in ten seconds, or you will choose for them, for example, “I gave you several choices. If a choice isn’t made within 10 seconds, I will choose for you” (this prevents the choosing process from going on all day)
Present with choices, for example, “You can either do the odds or evens, you choose”
Give choices when rewarding, for example, “Johnny, do you want computer time or a fancy pencil?”
Depending on the situation, need, and child, there are numerous ways to teach kids coping skills
Always try to use active listening skills
Use a clam tone
Be firm when necessary and set boundaries
Use support and resources below for specific lesson plans, ideas, strategies, and skills
Structured Routines & Visual Schedules
You can write your schedule on the board daily, crossing off events as they occur
You can provide your child with an individual schedule on their desk daily, having them cross off events as they occur
The schedule can include pictures as well as words
You can also add a timer for each topic, providing student with a time frame for each subject
A routine wheel can be utilized whereby the days routine is represented on pie sections of the wheel, and a spinning arm in the center is turned to point to the current event or task in the routine
Engage your child in keeping track of where they and the class are in the daily routine
Ask your child what is next in the routine and remind them when a period is ending soon
Colors, shapes, and other similar things can be used to symbolize the various parts of the routine, for example, yellow card is reading period, red card is history period, etc