Most parents give birth to smart children, fully capable of doing well in school. Yet some children won't succeed academically. Why? It's not the teachers who are to blame, nor the subjects being studied. And though some children have learning disabilities or legitimate attention deficit disorders that stand in the way of achieving their potential, most kids innately have the intellect to learn the curriculum for their particular grade. The major stumbling block for these kids is their lack of academic discipline: They've never acquired the study skills required to master certain tasks and concepts.

WHAT IS ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE?

Academic discipline requires a realistic understanding of the time and commitment it takes to do well in school. It involves setting aside a time and place to dig in and master academic concepts. Instilling it requires more from parents than simply overseeing homework assignments; it's a value that pervades the entire household, in everything from daily chores to family travel.

If parents impose academic discipline on their children from an early age, children independently manage their own academic responsibilities by the late elementary years, working toward excellence, gaining satisfaction from learning as they strive to reach their academic potential.

Read on to learn how you can instill academic discipline in your child.

Jan Faull, a child-development and behavior specialist, is in her 25th year as a parent-education instructor and public speaker. She is the author of the recently published UNPLUGGING POWER STRUGGLES as well as MOMMY! I HAVE TO GO POTTY!, a guide to toilet training. Faull lives with her husband and three children in Renton, Washington.