How to keep adolescents motivated to learn

Motivation may be defined as "the love of learning, the love of challenge". And it may be more important to determining success at school than raw ability.

Yet, sometime during early adolescence, a child's natural exuberance may start to wane and motivation diminish rapidly. A young teenager may begin to grumble about homework and teachers, ask to drop out of a favourite activity, complain that he's bored or show signs of being lost.

One of the things that can contribute to low motivation is the onset of puberty. Getting her period or being four feet two inches tall when his best friend is well over five feet distracts some teenagers, and this makes it hard for them to think about the school project due next week.

With the flood of hormones come new feelings and emotional concerns. It takes extra effort for a 13-year-old to concentrate on homework when he or she is preoccupied with physical insecurities or concerned about being excluded from a group of friends.

Peer pressure may not be much help either. A child may be influenced by friends who believe that academic success isn't "cool", and so will stop trying to do well.

A lack of effort sometimes stems from the belief that ability is fixed and comparing one's 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?

There is also a child's background to consider. Some youngsters lack opportunities to participate in the activities that they need to spark their enthusiasm. This is most likely with students from poor families or who are at risk, contributing to perceptions that they are unmotivated.

At the other extreme, there may be so many attractions competing for students' attention that they could end up expecting school activities to be consistently interesting or exciting. They are not aware of the fact that both in school and daily life they can learn valuable lessons from doing things that are not always fun, and that achievement usually requires real effort.

Modern media is one of the attractions, and although they can be a powerful educational tool, they may sometimes have the effect of shortening attention spans. It may be hard to get students to focus on a long history lesson when they are used to TV programmes that are fast, short and entertaining.

Here are some ways in which you can encourage your child's motivation:

¤ Be a good role model. Young teenagers benefit from seeing their parents putting forth their best effort, completing work and meeting obligations. Parents need to demonstrate that they value learning and hard work.

¤ Let your child know that sustained effort over time is the key to achievement. Teach him to set high goals and to work hard to achieve them. Help him to see the value of tackling challenges and of finding ways to meet or exceed those challenges.

¤ Steer your child towards appropriate activities. Young teenagers need opportunities to excel and be useful. Success can be a powerful motivator and boredom may be a sign that your child has not enough opportunities to develop her talents. She may need to do a new sport, an art class or be given the chance to do some voluntary work.

¤ Offer support. Insincere praise or praise for poor effort is no help, but young teenagers need to be reassured that they can do something. Your child may need help about how to get started on a new project or activity.

¤ Find strengths and build on them. Every child can shine in some area. Identify what your child does best, no matter what it is.

¤ Hold realistic expectations. It is important to hold children to high standards. But when young teenagers are asked to do the impossible, they may stop trying. Do not pressure an unathletic son to do well in football just because he played for the class team in primary school. Consider too your child's personality and temperament - he may be good enough, but he may still not enjoy playing football. Make sure that your child knows, deep in his heart, that you love him for what he is and not for what he does.

¤ Finally, be patient. Children's motivation generally improves when parents take these steps. However, patience may be required: Many young teenagers need time to develop the maturity that allows them to complete homework and chores with a minimum of supervision.

Adapted from Helping your Child through Early Adolescence, published by the US Department of Education.