Ten Tips To Make Smart Kids

her nose in a good book, originally uploaded by The Hadfields.

This weekend I read Intelligence and How to Get It by Richard E. Nisbett (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009). I enjoyed it -- it was readable and as an educator I found it encouraging. If you don't have time to read the whole book, you could flip to Chapter Ten and read "Raising Your Child's Intelligence...and Your Own." Or I could read the chapter and summarize it for you. Here is my synthesis of Nisbett's suggestions:

1. Talk to your child

Involve your child in conversations: talk to your child about issues, ideas and your interests. You don't need to dumb things down for them, but you do want to interest them. Reading to them is important too.

2. Keep it positive

Stress is bad for the brain and bad for learning. Encourage often and try to avoid yelling and scolding.

3. Categorize

Help your child to sort objects and events into groups by looking for similarities and differences. Chores are great way to teach sorting -- whether it's matching socks as they come out of the dryer, sorting the recycling or creating the family's grocery list.

4. Exercise

Everyone benefits from exercise - expectant moms, their babies-to-be, children, parents, elders. Healthy brains need healthy bodies.

5. Solving problems requires fluid intelligence

Fluid intelligence is the type of intelligence that helps us to use creativity to solve problems. You can improve fluid intelligence by doing exercises that help strengthen memory and attention. See: Top 10 Websites and Games for Brain Exercise for ideas.

6. Breathe well

Meditation-type exercises, like yoga, focus on breathing, posture and body awareness to improve fluid intelligence.

7. Control yourself

Studying instead of partying requires self-control. Kids with greater self-control do better at school. How do we teach self-control? Model it. Kids copy the behaviours they see. Reward yourself regardless of your performance, your kids will do the same. How to improve your own self-control? Try to put the "reward" out of sight and mind to help yourself wait until you've earned it before you enjoy it.

8. Hard work: the road to success

Everyone can get smarter. We need to understand this message and relay this message. To get smarter takes hard work. By praising kids for their hard work we give them control over what it takes to get smarter. When we praise them for being smart, we place them in a mine field - one false move and they'll no longer look smart. Click here for more tips on how to praise your child.

9. The five Cs

Encourage a sense of control
Challenge your child
Instill confidence
Foster curiousity
Contextualize: relate activities to the real world or the virtual world (Internet, movies, TV)

10. Improve your child's school

What makes a better school? According to Nisbitt, better teachers and better programs. Hire teachers that connect with students and make a difference in their lives. Check out the US Dept of Education What Works Clearninghouse for information about research studies showing the effectiveness of programs and take steps to become more involved in your child's school.

Want more information? Buy the book. Or take it out of the library like I did.