Name : SELA NOVI SELVIA

CLASS : VD
NPM : 1711040147
Lecturer : Agus Hidayat M.Pd
Lesson : Extensive Reading
Title : The Unmotivated Child (Helping your underachiever Become a
Successful Student)
Author : Natalie Rathvon, Ph.D
ISBN : 0-684-80306-2
Published : Simon Schuster
Design cover : Jennifer Ann Daddio
Time of published : 1996
price : U.S $12.00 , Can. $16.00
pages : 230 pages

The Unmotivated Child (Helping your underchiever become a successful student)

By : Natalie Rathvon, Ph.D

This book is an excellent book to give to parents or a teacher. This book

contains various ways to find out who is an underchiever from elementary, middle and also
senior. This book gives information about what problems experienced by an underchiever
and also solve the problems until make their success.
I think this book is very helpful for parents and also a teacher to get to know
childrens who excel and solve problems experienced by these childrens, why their can be
weak in learning. Certainly the underchievers must have the features theri showed. According
to this book, underchiever childrens can be seen from various levels. Natalie explained there
are 3 levels of children who look underchiever. The first will be seen from the level of
elementary school, middle school and also in high school. This book shows 8 signs of
underchiever children at the elementary school level. First, compile anxiety is given a group
or individual assignment. Second, compiled pressures must collect assignments within the
specified deadline. Then, too actively organizing the teacher or preparing help, this asks that
the child get special attention. Furthermore, it seems ignorant and also compilation of the
center of attention they look moved. Fifth, have difficulties in making friends with their
peers. Sixth, the difficulty to get along with his brother. Seventh, always asking if he solved a
problem. And the last one has difficulty organizing managed and given his belongings. While
the characteristics of underhievers in high school are: giving approval and suggestions to
their peers such as critics. Too arrogant and often show off strengths, and usually they lack
empathy for others. They always do not care about things that they think no one helps, really
need the body, but compilation he is interested in something, he will give a scathing
comment. Determine the change in pattern from the cementation towards low achievement.
Restrict communication with family members. Often protests against unjust teachers. And
finally the characteristics of underchiever children in senior schools: they are attracted by
teachers or other school staff, this is interesting as their encouragement at school. Difficult to
analyze a problem in class. Always pessimistic in everything. Too often interfere in other
people's problems. Withdraw from social. And turn to drugs, alcohol to revive feelings of
emptiness. Those are some of the characteristics mentioned in this book about undervchiever
children
In this book, Natalie gives a few tips to make the underchiever's child rise and make
him successful in the study. First the teacher or parenst must know what problems the child is
experiencing, why the child is doing that, or what causes the child to look low in his study.
The second parent plays an important role in this case, parents must control what the child
does, put the child in his position, not pressure the child to follow the wishes of the parents
and also guide the child to become what he likes. Third, arrange good communication with
children. This is the role of the teacher, the environment, and also parents are the main things.
If a child can communicate and talk about anything in his life, this makes it easy for the
teacher or parent to provide motivation and attention to the child. Fourth, it is the school that
should provide a strategy so that underchiever children can rise from their pessimism.
Schools must have unique strategies that make children interested in learning something new,
making it easier for children to do assignments without pressure. teaching methods must also
be considered so that children do not feel bored while studying. Maybe the techniques and
media taught by teachers in schools are also seen, and that results in children not interested in
what is conveyed by the teacher.
Natalie said that the underchiever's child world was very dark. This he raised in the
second part in his book. In this book, Natalie also shared information that there were several
factors that made an underchiever successful; the first must be encouragement and patience
from parents, both parents must pay more attention to the underchiever's child. Third, the
important role of the teacher in the classroom in carrying out his teaching. The teacher must
guide and be patient to deal with an underchiever child. Give good motivation and
enthusiasm from the teacher and also parents. The latter provides the needs needed by
underchiever students.
Nataline shares a few different examples and in different cases in her book. The
story taken by Nataline may be the story she got from parents or teachers because Nataline is
a counseling tutor and has a psychology clinic and a private education consulting course. I
like the example of a child who has a high level of ignorance. The example is on page 133.
For example, there is a problem where a child does not like his teacher at school. According
to Nataline on this issue, she encouraged parents to use constructive communication
strategies with the child. First the parents must give a positive response to the child's answer.
Such as children are very pessimistic because he is too stupid in science lessons. As parents,
we must not curse or scold the child. Conversely, parents must be optimistic, and provide
support to the underchiever's child. Parents can say "you are not stupid in science lessons,
don't say that! I don't want to hear you say that" or parents can also say "you are a smart kid if
you are diligent in reading and writing, remember that humans born with intelligence given
by God ". I like it when Nataline says not to scold the underchiever. Because children who
are scolded by their parents are likely to experience worse things than before.
Natalie hopes that prospective teachers and prospective parents also know the
weaknesses of their children so that this can be anticipated so as not to go too far. Therefore
Natali gives signs and also solutions in dealing with underchiever children.
The reader will get a lot of information a lot if he understands what the contents of
this book. This book is very well written, albeit with 230 pages. This book is designed to be
very interesting by presenting several parts to facilitate the reader in understanding. The front
cover of this book is made quite interesting, with harmonious coloring and accompanied by
images that make the reader interested in reading this book. The font used in this book also
looks modern, even though I know this book has been published a long time ago I was born
haha .. Although this book is very old, but the cover of this book is designed very modern.
You can get this book at a bookstore that sells obsolete books if there are still plenty of them,
because I'm afraid that only a few people still have them all over the world. Although this
book looks outdated, the contents of this book provide many benefits. The words and writing
in this book also look neat and well organized. Natalie wrote this book in sentences that are
easily understood by everyone. He uses everyday language to explain one by one the title.
Therefore this book is very suitable to read for those of you who really do not like standard
sentences. This book inspires readers to know and solve problems experienced by
underchiever children so they can be successful in their studies.
But there are some shortcomings in this book. This book is not equipped with a
complete example of the experience of someone who has an underchiever child. The example
presented by the author is only a piece of the intended sentence, not a detailed problem. That
makes the reader especially I'm a little confused to understand the problem. If the writer gives
a detailed example, maybe this book will be more interesting. Then, the author over-repeats
(rambling) explains the information that was already explained in the previous section. As
explained in the first chapter about the road of underchiever, and in the second part about the
underchiever at school. The author repeatedly explains the part that was explained in the first
part. But overall, I recommend this book for you teacher / parent candidates to know what an
underchiever is deeper.
This book is specifically for teachers and also for parents, because it guides a
teacher or parent to behave to treat an underchiver better. This book is suitable for 19-45
years old.
I will give this book a rating of 4.5 stars. Because for me this book contains all
aspects of conditions in which an underchiever child must get more attention from a teacher,
parents and also from his environment. This will make the underchiever feel cared for and
always optimistic about achieving his future or success. In essence, this book is the best book
I have ever read in the motivational genre.