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Most children with special needs will experience difficulty in one or more academic subjects. Learning new material can prove to be difficult and retaining information for tests near impossible.
My daughter has always struggled with math. Although this has been a pretty consistent problem, with the correct instruction she has been able to learn and make progress. Currently as a 7th grader, she is working on algebraic expressions, such as solving for x.
She has mastered solving the simple equations, but as the complexity increases, more one-on-one instruction is required accompanied by a lot of repetition. Not unlike many other children with learning difficulties, my daughter experiences a lot of failure which in turn can trigger anxiety in connection with her academics. When her anxiety kicks in, it can take a lot of energy to help her remain positive.
I have found that there are two important components that need to be implemented to help my daughter achieve success. First, an appropriate learning strategy needs to be in place. Second, she needs to believe that success is within her control, thus reducing her stress.
Learning strategies, such as learning by a multisensory approach was addressed in Orton-Gillingham Hears, Sees and Touches a Who! This current post will address how stress can be decreased by providing your child with the correct feedback to let her know she is in control of her academic success.
Attribution Theory
We all want to be able to explain the world around us, and Attribution Theory is one way people explain things. An assumption of the Attribution Theory is that most people want to maintain a positive self-image. Thus, success or failure will be attributed to things that help us to feel the best about ourselves.
Therefore, children who experience frequent academic success, often believe they are responsible for their accomplishments. When these same children experience failure, they tend to believe it was due to their lack of effort.
By comparison, children who experience frequent academic failure, often believe the task was too difficult. When these same children experience success, they tend to again believe it was due to luck or that the task was easy.
The implication of Attribution Theory as it relates to academic motivation is that the amount of effort a child will expend on an activity is determined by her perception for her chance at success or failure.
Research Study
The effects of Attribution Theory was tested on improving math performance and self-esteem within a 2nd grade classroom. These children were administered pre- and post-tests on math skills and self-esteem. Teachers were then given simple scripts that corresponded with three different treatments. Each child received one of the three treatments: attribution training, persuasion training, or reinforcement training. The study was conducted for eight days.
In the attribution treatment, the teachers would say or write to the student:
“You seem to know your arithmetic assignments very well.”
“You really work hard in math.”
“You’re trying more, keep at it!”
In the persuasion treatment, the teachers would say or write to the student:
“You should be good at math.”
“You should be getting better grades in math.”
“You should be doing well in math.”
In the reinforcement treatment, the teachers would say or write to the student:
“I’m proud of your work.”
“I’m pleased with your progress.”
“Excellent progress.”
On a self report test, all the children reported higher self-esteem at the end of the study. But the self-esteem of children in the attribution treatment group showed the greatest increase.
The students who received the attribution treatment scored one to two points higher than other groups on their pretest and they not only maintained this higher score, but on average they increased it during the training. The students who received persuasion training saw their post scores drop from the pretest. Children receiving the reinforcement treatment did not see any score changes from pre- to post-test.
(This was a 1975 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.)
When a child does not feel like she has any control over how well she performs academically, this can cause anxiety. As a child’s stress increases, her ability to be productive and her desire to work hard will decrease.
Research tends to indicate that academic achievement is increased when students attribute their success to things such as their effort and hard work. But academic achievement is compromised when students attribute their failure to things such as bad luck, their lack of ability, or the work was too difficult.
As long as a good learning strategy is in place, it is important to help your child keep her stress level down so that she can experience success. Helping her see that her successes are within her control can be one way to help alleviate her stress.
About Danette Schott, M.A.
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