Packed with practical tools, this book provides K-6 educators with a research-based framework for accelerating the reading and writing growth of underperforming students. Strategies and resources are included for building foundational skills, comprehension, and vocabulary; engaging students with independent reading and periodicals; developing…

Academic underachievement of students from disadvantaged backgrounds is an ongoing and unresolved problem. Schools serving vulnerable communities often fail to meaningfully engage their students who are often exposed to significant family and environmental adversities. However, where the educational landscape is overwhelmed with neoliberal…

Young gifted children perform in the top 10% in assessments of cognitive, social, expressive or other abilities. The study first considers why, and how, cognitively gifted pupils in particular may face enforced underachievement as early as in preschool. A longitudinal multilevel model is developed to represent various types of interaction between…

Over two decades, national assessments in Ghana have revealed generally poor performances across curriculum-based tests for primary school (Grades 1-6). Various reform agendas have been applied to the education system, sometimes with isolated success, but the overall performances remained stable and low. Surveying teacher mentors in schools…

In England, Scotland and other countries, policy-makers often depict the targeted recruitment of men to the teaching profession as a panacea for male underachievement and disaffection from school. It is commonly assumed that the gender gap in achievement stems from the dearth of male role models in teaching, especially at primary level. Giving…

The study involving 122 upper elementary children revealed that gifted Ss reported less anxiety about school performance than average Ss and a greater willingness to take on challenging tasks, independently solve difficult problems, and make judgements about classroom efforts. Underachieving Ss, gifted and average, saw themselves as performing…

Comparison of academic performance in students receiving special education for mildly handicapped, low achieving students receiving Chapter 1 services and regular education students (all Ss in grades 4-6) revealed statistically significant differences between groups. Results supported the conclusion that mildly handicapped students can be defined…

A six-step approach for increasing a child's academic output is presented. (MT)

The Estes Attitude Scales are reviewed for appropriateness of use as diagnostic and identification tools with elementary gifted underachiever populations. It is pointed out that the scales are especially helpful for examining students' attitudes toward school subjects. (SW)

According to these scenarios, the heart attack victim has a better chance of surviving than the child facing grade retention. Despite parental objections and research studies showing that children held back are three time as likely to drop out of school than children who are promoted, the antiquated practice of grade repetition continues. (MLH)

Characteristics of gifted underachievers are noted, and a successful program is described which features enrichment units and learning centers. Sample personal development activities are suggested which promote positive peer interaction, encourage new friendships, and bring about introspection. (CL)

To dispel parents' and educators' confusion about children's learning problems, this article properly defines terms such as slow learner, learning disability, attention deficit disorder, and underachiever. A sidebar categorizes four types of underachievers, who perform better when tightly monitored. (MLH)

The study compared 50 school-identified learning disabled (LD) children with a group of 49 low achieving students (nonLD) not identified as LD. Analysis indicated considerable similarities between the groups; an average of 96 percent of the scores were within a common range, and the performances of LD and low achieving children on many subtests…

Three types of definitions of learning disabilities (LD) (ability-achievement discrepancy, low achievement, and scatter) were examined to determine the extent of common variance within 48 school-identified LD children and 96 nonLD children (all elementary students). Both samples had previously been administered a battery of psychoeducational…

Normal (N=58) and learning disabled (N=52) primary grade children were classified into five groups (overachievers, target achievers, under achievers, slow learners, and disabled achievers) based on IQ-achievement and age-achievement discrepancies and followed over a 3-year period. Learning disabled students became more disabled with age in spite…