The Secrets to Raising a Smarter Child
- By Inderbir Sandhu, Ph.D

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Early Signs and Methods of Raising a Gifted Child - Part II

By Andrew Loh

Children are like uncut and unpolished diamonds. The more you cut and polish them the more would they shine with brilliance. Here are some signs and clues that tell you whether you are raising a smart child or not.

Blame TV and Video games!

Are your children watching excessive TV and playing too many video games either on consoles or on computers? Past and recent research studies suggest us that watching too many TV programs or playing excessive video games may impair cognitive skills and several other brain development characters in an irreparable manner. In other words, children who indulge in such activities in an excessive manner may immerse themselves in a make-believe world of fictional characters. Similarly, they may also lose live and life contact with real people. Experts suggest that children should spend more time with people around them to develop several social skills. In fact, this is a sure sign that tells whether you are raising a smart and intelligent child or not.

Tips

1. Restrict or ration TV and video game playing time by more than 70 percent of normal two hours time. It means that you should allow children to watch and play games to the tune of about 30 minutes a day.

2. Even if they watch or play, make sure that they relate to their classroom work or project topics. Let children play games that teach them language, communication skills and any other cognitive skills.

3. Natural and wildlife programs are far better than movies that contain cartoon and other fictional characters.

4. Once in a while, sit down with your children to watch interesting programs that are fun and laughing in nature (like Muppet shows).

Pre-schools are where smart children are made

Some children show an early inclination to go to school especially if they have older siblings who are already going to schools. This is a very good sign to show you that you are probably raising a smarter and intelligent child. Research studies also tell us that children who attend a pre-school are 50% more likely to pass out from high school that those children who do not attend. Success always starts in small doses! Early schools (pre schools and KG classes) are the places where intelligent children are designed and created.

Tips

1. Make sure that your child go to a preparatory or pre-school so that he or she can get the necessary early education.

2. Early schooling means mixing with children from different backgrounds, religions and ethnicities. This would help children learn many social and communicative skills.

3. Early schooling is all about playing and learning basics. It also means that your children would become school-ready to face the tougher life that you can expect in a school.

4. More unstructured playtime means better acquisition of several cognitive skills which in turn help children become more intelligent.

Early inclination to juggle, fiddle, turn, move and struggle with education and learning toys

Recent research indicates that juggling and struggling with basic toys cold help children learn some complex cognitive skills. In fact, learning process in young children is a highly complicated and difficult skill that demands integration of very fine motor, cognitive and mental skills. If your child juggles and struggles with toys while playing, you can rest assured that they are trying hard to learn equally complex cognitive skills.

Tips

1. Juggling balls are some of the best toys are developing a series of complex skills. Bring home colorful juggling balls that softer and non-toxic in nature.

2. Allow some time in a day to play with such toys because they are can help children develop mind-muscle-motor skills development as well refine and retune skills that relate to focus and concentration

Early interest to learn two or three foreign languages

Some older children (8 years and above) possess a unique ability to learn two or more languages that are unconnected to the mother tongue. This is possibly one of the well-recognized signs to identify a gifted child. Learning many languages help children succeed in academics and school studies. For example, children who study more than one language possess more common sense and academic intelligence than the ones who do not. Learning two or more languages also help children learn many social skills that eventually allow them to face tougher competition in life.

Tips

1. Let your children learn and master an alien language. Here, an alien language means a dialect that is unconnected to the mother tongue. A person who speaks in Chinese may learn a European language and vice versa.

2. Learning a new language means both learning to write and speak. This is a double edged sword that fine tunes a child's ability to perform well in both studies and professional life.

3. Life success skills come naturally to children who learn more than one language. Such children are tougher and resilient when compared to the ones who do not learn.

Several other signs help and guide you in raising a gifted child. Just keep on looking for those signs and develop and use different strategies until you raise an intelligent and smarter individual.

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