How Can You Raise Your Kids to Make Them More Intelligent?

As parents, we all want our kids to succeed in life. We give try to give them the best of everything to prepare them for the “real world.” That includes enrolling them in the best schools we can afford. But is education really enough to make our kids smart in all the ways that matter?

The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth tracked the careers and accomplishments of up to 5,000 young individuals to find out what it is that makes children smart. Other studies have stemmed from SMPY, including how to spot talented kids who are suited for the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

Does your kid have a future in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) field?

But the surprising thing about this study is that SMPY’s data seems to suggest that intelligence more inherent than it is honed by repeated practice. In fact, early cognitive ability has a greater effect on achievement than practice or even the family’s socio-economic status. In short, if you’re already smart and you’re identified to be smart, then you will make it. However, a study has shown that labelling kids as being smart from an early age can weaken their willingness to learn.

Despite the conclusion suggested by the study, however, there have been no studies to show that there is one single factor that will guarantee your child’s success or intelligence. In fact there are other ways to encourage a child’s intelligence such as parental support and cooperation during pre-school age, giving them tasks that increase in difficulty over time, virtual roaming and puzzles in computer games, as well as playing instruments and reading books.

The support and cooperation parents give a child in their pre-school years can greatly impact their future intelligence.

The bottom line here is that a child’s pre-school development has a lot to do with their intelligence in the future. The best thing parents can do to encourage a child’s mind is to be open and supportive while giving them age-appropriate puzzles and games to hone their intelligence.