Product Description

For any parent who has ever been told, "your child isn't performing up to his or her potential," this book has the answer. Renowned clinical psychologist Michael Whitley, Ph.D. offers a proven ten-step program to motivate underachieving children. This easy-to follow book identifies the six types of underachievers from the procrastinator to the hidden perfectionist to the con artist, and it presents the ten steps to help children succeed in school-and ultimately, in life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #143628 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-01
• Released on: 2001-07-10
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
Michael D. Whitley, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in Houston, Texas. His clinic specializes in motivational difficulties and behavior problems of children, adolescents, and adults.

Customer Reviews

Disappointed
I bought this book partially based on all the positive reviews. However, I was extremely disappointed. The author never mentions that poor grades could be due to a learning disability or adhd. I understand this book is not about learning disabilities or adhd, but it should be mentioned as a possibility for those parent's who have not considered it as a possibility. I suppose the book would be helpful for some parents, but my copy is sitting around gathering dust.

This book is right on.
As I was reading this book I was amazed to read how right on it was with what was happening in my life. As stated in the book, if you are an underachiever yourself, you may find it difficult to help your child. I found this very true. I love everything about the book. I only wished that there was a clinic close by my home, so I could receive the help to overcome my underachieveedness (is that a word?). I tried by best to help by son and it really made my brain itch! It's a wonderful book and full of useful information. It just made so much sense and put a label on all those thoughts that have ran around in my mind for years and years.

A Parent - Teacher Requirement
After a quick internet search I found many reviews on Amazon as well as several other sites for this book and called in an order for it at my local Barnes & Noble that same night.

Dr. Whitley has written this book in the most responsible and informative way without having to charge his readers for individual sessions! In my opinion this is a must read not only for parents of underachievers but also teachers and counselors. We have always tried to stress the same learning structure and goals as the teachers. However, if at home you are on Dr. Whitley's 10-step track and the teachers are still on a reward and punishment system - the parent needs to be proactive in dealing with the teachers and endeavor to obtain their support as a united front.

Although the steps may seem to be a cumbersome process at first read and initial implementation - the constant image of "Mr. Rogers" in the back of my mind is quite calming and thus the process can become a destressor for the parents. Of course, that may not be so for those parents of hard cases where the child is at the stage where he/she is capable of "frightening" resistance. Obviously, professional help with someone in-tuned with Dr. Whitley's methods would be more advisable than his book!

To me - this book is for the parents of students in 6th grade or less - and possibly 7-8th graders. These kids still have some moldability and aren't as likely to have other serious issues that could be the source of the problem (i.e. depression).

For the grammatically correct - the substance of the content of the book far outweighs any such errors that are more the fault of the editors than the author;0)