How can we strengthen a child's effort and motivation to learn?

In a previous post, I discussed the problem of children's lack of motivation and grit. Today, I would like to offer some additional thoughts and recommendations for helping kids with this common, but often difficult, problem.
 

To understand a child's lack of motivation, we need to return to first principles: Children, when they are not angry or discouraged, want to do well. They want to earn our praise and approval, and they want us to be proud of them. Children may say that they don't care, but they do care.