Totally unmotivated to do work but admitted into AAP

[Anonymous]

Worried about how my child will fare in a fast paced pgm when he is unmotivated to do any work...anyone have a similar situation?

[Anonymous]

My kid was LAZY in school.

Little effort, daydreamed constantly, read books hidden under textbooks, skated through school. 50% effort or less would be an easy A.

In AAP, my kid quickly learned that same 50% effort would get a C, due to the peer group and pace of the class, and learned very quickly how to work and put forth true effort. We are very happy with the outcome after the first year.

Your kid might have a similar outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Worried about how my child will fare in a fast paced pgm when he is unmotivated to do any work...anyone have a similar situation?

AAP isn't that hard. he'll probably skate through. They don't boot anybody out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was LAZY in school.

Little effort, daydreamed constantly, read books hidden under textbooks, skated through school. 50% effort or less would be an easy A.

In AAP, my kid quickly learned that same 50% effort would get a C, due to the peer group and pace of the class, and learned very quickly how to work and put forth true effort. We are very happy with the outcome after the first year.

Your kid might have a similar outcome.

That's fairly typical. If your kid is smart the standard lessons are not challenging and breed laziness. AAP is a great place in that scenario. Kind of the point really....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Worried about how my child will fare in a fast paced pgm when he is unmotivated to do any work...anyone have a similar situation?

AAP isn't that hard. he'll probably skate through. They don't boot anybody out.

Not necessarily true. I know of one kid who returned to his base school for 5th and 6th when it was "politely suggested" after he continuously put forth very little effort and refused to do his homework.

[Anonymous]

After 1st year in AAP I don't think that it's easy or that kids 'skate through'. Sounds like that comment was made by someone whose child is not in the program.

I also have a lazy student. But it has been bc work has been too easy. DC works harder now and is much happier going to school. This may be what happens for you. On the other hand, I have heard from other parents that the kids are overwhelmed with the amount of work and not happy about it. So I guess you won't know which student you have until DC tries it.

My experience in AAP is that the kids need alot of self motivation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After 1st year in AAP I don't think that it's easy or that kids 'skate through'. Sounds like that comment was made by someone whose child is not in the program.

I also have a lazy student. But it has been bc work has been too easy. DC works harder now and is much happier going to school. This may be what happens for you. On the other hand, I have heard from other parents that the kids are overwhelmed with the amount of work and not happy about it. So I guess you won't know which student you have until DC tries it.

My experience in AAP is that the kids need alot of self motivation.

wrong. kid just finished 6th; didn't break a sweat. Much, much less rigorous than I was lead to believe. And no, DC is not a genius, just anothe above average kid from Lake Woebegon (Fairfax). Apparently the schools are all different though, so it may depend on which one you attend.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid. I'd give it a shot and see - it definitely reignited interest for one of ours that wasn't motivated prior to the AAP program. K-2 curriculum was super easy and boring, 3rd is better. That child would have probably been headed to be a HS drop out so we are thankful for AAP. It's not rigorous enough for the profoundly gifted but that's a different story.

If your child doesn't turn around in a year or two, he/she can return to the base school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After 1st year in AAP I don't think that it's easy or that kids 'skate through'. Sounds like that comment was made by someone whose child is not in the program.

I also have a lazy student. But it has been bc work has been too easy. DC works harder now and is much happier going to school. This may be what happens for you. On the other hand, I have heard from other parents that the kids are overwhelmed with the amount of work and not happy about it. So I guess you won't know which student you have until DC tries it.

My experience in AAP is that the kids need alot of self motivation.

wrong. kid just finished 6th; didn't break a sweat. Much, much less rigorous than I was lead to believe. And no, DC is not a genius, just anothe above average kid from Lake Woebegon (Fairfax). Apparently the schools are all different though, so it may depend on which one you attend.

Which school?

[Anonymous]

I'd say give it a shot. It may be hard to get in but it's super easy to get out and return to the general population if it doesn't work out.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure it's the case that the child is capable of doing the work but chooses not to (i.e., lazy), or are there signs of a problem with doing the work (e.g., attention, memory, processing, decoding) despite having above average intelligence?

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid. I have a rising 6th in AAP. DC gets straight A's for achievement, but S or G for effort. DC is bright, but not profoundly so. And unbelievably lazy. I do think that AAP has been good, bc I don't want to think about how much less effort could have been put forth. I think the other motivated students have at least been challenging DC to learn.

Different story with younger DC. Highly motivated, not as test-scoring bright as ODC, but definetly in the right place with AAP.

[Anonymous]

AAP is not supposed to be really hard for the AAP kids.
At the same time, you can't be lazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Worried about how my child will fare in a fast paced pgm when he is unmotivated to do any work...anyone have a similar situation?

Question: I assume he got in via the CogAt score and GBRS without any referral? Based on your description, one has to wonder how he got a good enough GBRS for admission since he is "unmotivated to do any work." That must have been apparent to his teachers all along?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Yes, DS got in via Cog At scores and no referrals. I feel the principals knew him well enough to recognize his intelligence. Teachers did also. This years teacher told me that the principals encouraged him to help DS get into AAP program.

DS gets outstanding grades and even G's for effort. But he needs to be told hundreds of time to get work done.

Yes, he has processing problems. He has ADHD.