How to motivate under performing learnersBy Bonginkosi Sunday Mongwe

Consult Parent or Previous Teacher of The Learner

By asking the parent, as a teacher you might discover if there is a certain barrier preventing the learners from performing.

Consulting the previous teacher will help discover the profile and the performance of the learner.

As a result, the teacher can be able to come with appropriate measures to help the learner.

Provide additional support to the learners

Giving the learner extra activities might help.

Detention might help the learner to take school work serious if the problem is laziness.

Give the learners sufficient time to engage in reading and writing: allowing them to work at their own pace.

Use resources and examples that are age appropriate

When making illustrations, use cartoons for kids or pictures that curb the interest of the learners.

Use examples that are at their level e.g what learners are experiencing at their age.

Use resources like toys, drawings, or games that they enjoy.

Sometimes give them opportunities to choose texts, when they are doing reading.

Acknowledge Their Efforts

Focus more on what they are able to do.

Give personal feedback.

Motivate them and tell them they can do it.

If they are improving, reward their efforts.

Make sure they have sufficient time to do more work at school.

Encourage parents to motivate and help them with school work.

Bibliography

DuPaul, G.J., & Stoner, G. (2002). Interventions for attention problems. In M. Shinn, H.M. Walker, & G. Stoner (Eds.) Interventions for academic and behavioral problems II: Preventive and remedial approaches (pp. 913-938). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Gettinger, M., & Seibert, J.K. (2002). Best practices in increasing academic learning time. In A. Thomas (Ed.), Best practices in school psychology IV: Volume I (4th ed., pp. 773-787). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Makubalo, G. (2016) motivating beginner readers (lecture notes). University of Johannesburg: Department of Education.