The Unique Challenges of Raising a Smarter Kid

By subscription only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription.

Hi,
A brand new year, 2008, is here with us! I can hardly believe it - 2007 seems like just yesterday. How times fly by especially when you see your kids growing up so fast with each passing year. It is just amazing to watch how our kids transform their personalities and behavior!

This year, I bet many of you are making New Year's Resolution probably related to health or financial. But, don't forget to make your family the biggest and the most important priority in your life. Myself, I'm resolving to try and make a sincere effort to understand my children, their personality and behavior. And most importantly, be a more patient father and husband. Let me wish you the best and the brightest of 2008! Have a wonderful New Year!!

Thought for today:
"Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction " - Annie Sullivan

Best Regards,
Andrew Loh
Andrew Loh
Publisher & Editor, BrainyZine
andrew @ brainy-child.com

Please visit our sponsor ad web site below. Thanks to our sponsor for keeping this a free newsletter.

The Unique Challenges of Raising a Smarter Kid
Raising a socially responsible and intelligent kid could be a daunting task and a strenuous exercise. It is very common to see parents struggling to raise their kids in a way that is good and satisfactory for them as well as their kids. All parents want their kids to be very smart and intelligent. They also want their kids to grow healthier and talented like all other children.

Supporting Your Gifted Child: Tips and Suggestions
Raising and nurturing a gifted child could be parent's tough task and a difficult exercise. Highly gifted kids are too complicated and very difficult to manage and understand. In fact, these kids never come to you with a readymade caring sheet! To support your gifted child and to manage his or her intrinsic capabilities, as a parent, you will need to first learn and understand about gifted children, their special characters, and how one can identify and streamline those characters to make them better citizens.

Q1: My 2nd son had his IQ tested at 6 years 3 months last March (just 6 days after he went through a car accident caused by him). Using the Weschler scale, it was 163. The psychologist said that it should have been a little higher had it not been for the recent traumatic experience. My concern is I live in Jakarta and my son is currently enrolled in a Singapore based school where enrollment is based on affordability rather than competency.....Sending him to Singapore for the Gifted program is a possibility but it may be detrimental to other aspects of his whole character. But staying on doesn't put him in a challenging environment too! What do you suggest?

A: It is true that some experiences, especially traumatic ones may affect a child's ability to perform, and this may well be the case for your son. A retest can be done after two years for such tests. Having said that, it appears rather obvious that he is above average in terms of cognitive abilities, so you may want to work on that ... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Enrichment Activities for Gifted Children here.

Q2: I have a 5.5 year old daughter. She shows many of the signs of giftedness. Her brother is gifted, and was recently accepted to a gifted school. I would like to send her to the school. I had her tested by the school with the WPPSI. She scored a 120, which surprised me. She is however ambidextrous, and often flips direction type of instruction. I am wondering if she did this on the test. Her lowest score on the test was in the Performance IQ section, she had a PIQ of 110. She scored higher in the verbal category, a VIQ of 124 ...

A: It has been suggested that gifted children have greater specialization in brain areas that control motor behavior and increased communication between the two hemispheres. This may be true and there is some evidence that children with high IQs have brains that are slightly less lateralized ... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Testing an Ambidextrous Child here.

Raising IQ: Help Your Children Reach Their Full Potential
By: Nancy Lu

A child's intelligence is just like a diamond in the rough. Our job as parents is to discover and polish it so that it shines to its fullest. The author emphasizes in this book the intellectual capacities of the child, how to stimulate his brain to its maximum possible development. With author's guidelines and suggestions, it will help nourish and maximize the innate intelligence and talents with your child, which will later pave way for a fully productive life.

This book also offers you an array of tips and suggestions to assist your kid to engage in highly creative and artistic activities and workouts. A highly regarded book by all parents, this book is a collector's edition and a parent's essential guide to make their kids better and smarter. All children have an innate potential and talent to become the best in whatever they do. But, as a parent, you must encourage and help your kid to make him understand his own abilities and talents.

Parent's Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education
By: David Palmer, Ph.D

This book gives parents an insider's look at how the selection process for special programs really work. It answers questions such as how schools identify gifted students and who gets tested and why. It also discusses the question of whether gifted classes are right for your child. It reveals what the signs of giftedness are and why every parent should recognize the signs of this as well as learning disabilities.

The book presents the common discussion of what an IQ score means and if there is a downside to having a higher IQ and if there are special programs available for gifted kids with learning disabilities. This book is a must for all parents and grandparents. It also a recommended book for school teachers and to those who wish to learn more about giftedness in children.

First Two Years of Child Crucial for IQ Development
NI Wire Dec 26, 2007

A recent study published in the journal Science says that a child's IQ depends on the quality of family environment he gets in the first two years of life being the most crucial. The team of researchers includes health professionals and child specialists from leading and famous institutions of the world. In many cases, the quality of parenting provided by the parents also influence the way in which a child grows and behaves in the later stages of life. Children raised in a cordial and helpful atmosphere are known to perform better both in academics as well as social behavior.

Can you boost your kid's IQ?
Blogspot Mar 15, 2007

The popular press likes to promote the idea of the pushy, hovering parent doing everything possible to get a child into Harvard from birth--see all the talk of Hothouse Kids and the like over past year. This is a misleading stereotype; most parents are focused on simply getting through the day without major crises, and have not developed a philosophy on why Baby Einstein is better than a Barbie.

Little geniuses need care too
Times News Services Dec 16, 2007

Academically and mentally challenged children are not the only ones that need much more support than is being provided in India. And while small moves are being made to nurture the giftedly enabled, another group of kids continues to suffer silently. Yes, Most of us don't even think that gifted children need special attention too. But the few people who are working in the field, say that gifted children form yet another group that the society continues to treat unfairly.

We Must Stop Failing Our Children
NY Times News Dec 23, 2007

Researchers at Haskins Laboratories in New Haven say that 95 percent of all children can learn to read relatively easily, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, bright or burdened with low IQ. This is no empty statement; the non-profit institute has been at the forefront of scientific research on speech language and literacy for decades.

Educational Toys at Top of Parent's Christmas Wish list
Beattie Communications Dec 17, 2007

With more than 80% of parents across the UK admitting that they intend to sneak at least one educational toy into their child's Christmas stocking this year- it appears that a visit from Santa will boost the IQ levels of the country's younger generation, along with the festive spirit.

Kid's Health: Give your child a healthy start
El Paso Times Dec 24, 2007

Your bundle of joy can bring bundle of questions-- in particular, how do I take care of my child so he or she grows up healthy and happy? While there is no perfect how-to manual on the subject, there are a number of basic things that parents can do to help their child thrive and be secure. In fact, parents can start making a difference in their child's life the minute he or she is born.

Subscription to this ezine is FREE and please feel free to pass this on to friends, colleagues, relative and see if they would like to be a subscriber as well! They can subscribe by clicking here

To date, fewer than 1% of subscribers have chosen to unsubscribe because I try to send out only useful and relevant information. The publishing schedule for this ezine is published every other Sunday (or Monday when things don't work out as planned)

Editorial Contact - General comments/feedback
Andrew Loh - andrew @ brainy-child.com

This ezine is 100% Opt-in and all email addresses are private and are not sold or distributed to any third parties. Our full privacy statement can be viewed online.

Disclaimer: This ezine is for informational purposes only. Please consult the appropriate professionals for more information.

Copyright ©2002-2007. brainy-child.com All Rights Reserved.