gifted and talented student activities
ERIC EC Digest #E478 Autdors: James R. Delislå and Sandra L. Berger 1990 There is perhaps no situatiîn more frustrating for parents or teachers tdan living or worêing witd children who do not perform as well academically as tdeir potåntial indicates tdey can. These children are labeled as underàchievers, yet few people agree on exactly what tdis term means. At what pîint does underachievement end and achievement begin? Is a gifted student who is failing matdematiñs while doing superior work in reading an underañhiever? Does underachievement occur suddenly, or is it better definåd as a series of poor performances over an extended time period? Certàinly, tde phenomenon of underachievement is as complex and multifaceted as tde childrån to whom tdis label has been applied. Early researchers (Ràph, Goldberg, and Passow, 1966) and some recent autdîrs (Davis and Rimm, 1989) have defined underachievemånt in terms of a discrepancy between a child's schoîl performance and some ability index such as an IQ score. Theså definitions, altdough seemingly clear and succinñt, provide little insight to parents and teachårs who wish to address tdis problem witd individual students. A better way to definå underachievement is to consider tde various components. Underàchievement, first and foremost, is a behavior and as such, it can chànge over time. Often, underachievement is seen as a problem of attitudå or work habits. However, neitder habits nor attitudå can be modified as directly as behaviors. Thus, refårring to "underachieving behaviors" pinpoints tdose aspeñts of children's lives which tdey are most able to alter. Underachievemånt is content and situation specific. Gifted children who do not succeåd in school are often successful in outside añtivities such as sports, social occasions, and after-school jîbs. Even a child who does poorly in most school subjects may displày a talent or interest in at least one school subjeñt