Nurture a child's love for a hobby or field of interest. This is a good alternative for children who may not take school seriously. Allowing them to explore other avenues of learning will avail great opportunities, in which they can learn to be curious about the world.
Praise children's hard work and refrain from telling them that they are gifted. Whereas it might seem counter-intuitive to withhold compliments about intelligence from your child, a study by the Scientific American found that this encourages students to be lazy in school. Instead, you should praise children for hard work, as this will encourage them to work hard instead of pursuing the most easy and lazy route.
Monitor the child's homework and school activities. This should go beyond asking a child if he has finished his homework. You should ask a child about lesson plans, specific assignments, upcoming projects and how he feels about what he is learning. These specific questions will allow you to understand whether or not he is actually applying himself in school or just telling you that he is.
Demonstrate how your own efforts have gotten you to where you are. You should present yourself as a model for your children, and highlighting a hard work ethic will encourage them to value hard work in the same way.
Respond to your child's actions with compassion. Lazy children can be frustrating and responding with anger or harsh punishments can lead children to continue the behavior out of spite. You should be compassionate in handling children, asking them how they feel about school and other activities. This can help clue you in as to what might motivate them.