Brain Food: Best Brain Food for Children

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Hi,
Focus on gifted children is slowly shifting from their daily educational needs to issues like ways to manage their intelligence and skills. Gifted children are the toasts of the society. Likewise, they are the cream of a family as well. Gifted children may not do very well in their classroom even with their hidden talent and intelligence. Reasons for this could be numerous. However, utilizing the hidden qualities of giftedness is a different thing altogether.

If you believe that you have a gifted child, then your responsibility could only increase. You can do many things apart from sending your gifted child to the school. Gifted children are just like uncut diamonds. With gentle polishing and cutting, they can shine and sparkle like real diamonds.

At times, gifted children could be emotionally very fickle and wavering. Parents may need to be in touch with their gifted children all the time and help them become skilled, knowledgeable and practical. Both elders and child experts believe that the right type of nutrition can ensure better and optimal brain growth and development. This issue features a section on brainy recipes for brainy children. What I believe is that it is a gentle twist and a small change to the existing featured articles section. I also believe that it will be useful to you. Have a nice day!

Thought for today:
"Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere." - Unknown

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Best Brain Food for Children - Brainy Recipes (Part I)
Children are what they eat for their breakfast, lunch and dinner. Without nutritious and balanced diet, children may not develop their brain functions in an optimal manner.

Best Brain Food for Children - Brainy Recipes (Part II)
It is quite easy to use wonderful cooking recipes to prepare brain boosting food for your children. Make sure that you use those ingredients that contain copious amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Q1: We are a Hungarian family living in the UK. We have a boy who was born in the UK, he will be 3 in this summer. He speaks Hungarian, English and learning German in the nursery. He is very clever and he always was. He is gifted for us....Do you think gifted children are made or are born? Do you think can it be harmful for him in any way (e.g.: emotionally)? Do you think it is a problem that he does not play with other children? I do not mean he never plays with children, just not so often.

A: You just asked a question that has been debated for years! Are gifted children born or made? It's a nature-nurture question and I believe both are equally important in raising a child regardless of whether the child is gifted or bright. Firstly, let me define giftedness in general. Gifted children are children who show above average advancement on a range of human endeavours..... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Gifted Children - Born or Made? here.

Q2: My son (age 12.1, dx'd with Asperger's Syndrome at age 8.6) had WISC and WIAT tests done as a result of research into Autism at a university here in Melbourne, Australia. He had last been officially tested via a WISC when he was diagnosed in 2007, and before that at age 5.1 when his school asked us to get testing organized for him.

His FS WISC scores seem to drop with age: 5.1 = 131, 8.6 = 113, 11.8 = 107. I have wondered at that but was told after the second WISC that "maybe he was off on the days his scores were low" - but can that be correct?

A: The question is, can IQ scores change? Yes, it can, though not drastically in a short period. Especially during infancy and early childhood, there is a possibility of change in IQ scores frequently. However, IQ scores begin to stabilize in middle childhood. Furthermore, by the age of approximately 7 years, childhood IQ scores are found to be rather good predictors of adult IQ .... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Declining IQ Scores here.

Q3: My 4 year old daughter scored a 101 on the K-BIT screening 101, I was just wondering how well she scored compared to other children her age. What is a general test score for the K-BIT for a 4 year old?

A: Briefly, The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition (K-BIT 2) is used to measure verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability. It is used to obtain a quick estimate of intelligence, estimate an individual's verbal versus nonverbal intelligence and/or to screen to identify students who may benefit from enrichment or gifted programs. Additionally, this test is also able to identify high-risk children through large-scale screening who may require a more comprehensive evaluation....... Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on K-BIT Test Score here.

Feeding The Brain: How Foods Affect Children
By C. Keith Conners, Ph.D.

An informative look at how the foods we feed our children can shape the course of their growth, development and behavior.

This book covers:

How does diet influence IQ?
Do artificial sweeteners contribute to hyperactivity?
Does sugar alter behavior?
Can vitamin supplements help brain growth?
How do food additives affect behavior?

The Top 100 Recipes for Brainy Kids: Great Ways to Maximize Your Child's Potential
By Christine Bailey

Christine Bailey is a professional chef, teacher, and writer specializing in food and health. She has written for numerous magazines, including You Are What You Eat, Optimum Nutrition, Natural Health and Beauty, Pregnancy, and Mother and Baby. She is the author of The Top 100 Low-Salt Recipes

"Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar may be convenient, but they can play havoc with kids' concentration levels, and impact mood swings and overall behavior. In The Top 100 Foods for Brainy Kids, leading nutritionist Christine Bailey offers exciting ideas for dishes that will boost your child's brainpower all day long. Start his day with a delicious breakfast or pack a school lunch with a Vegetarian Sesame Seed Burger. Serve her Salmon Fish Cakes for dinner, or treat them to one of the scrumptious snacks or desserts.

Processed, Fatty Foods May Dumb Down Your Kids: Study
Yahoo News July 11, 2011

Feeding children lots of fatty, sugary and processed foods may lower their IQ, while a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients appears to boost it, British researchers say. "We have found some evidence to suggest that a diet associated with increasing consumption of foods that are high in fat, sugar and processed foods in early childhood is associated with small reductions in IQ in later childhood," said lead researcher Kate Northstone, a research fellow in the department of social medicine at the University of Bristol.

Harness kids' brainpower
Star Tribune July 18, 2011

A Minneapolis expert tells how parents can enhance their parenting skills by acquiring greater understanding of the many facets of their child's brain. Walsh, who lives in Minneapolis, has a new book called "Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids: The One Brain Book You Need to Help Your Child Grow Brighter, Healthier and Happier", which tackles the subject of brain development as it relates to topics including intelligence, memory, connection, exercise and the impact of technology.

Starting early with music, dance
AZ Star July 21, 2011

Music and dance are ways to help young children develop their brains, bodies and language, says Mary Rudy, director of Kindermusik at Musical Steps Academy. "Music is important because research shows that music enhances the total development of the brain, body, language and character of the child," Rudy said.

Pushy adults put stress on their gifted children
New Zealand Herald July 08, 2011

Gifted children often feel pressure to over-achieve in order to excel later in life - and teachers and parents are often responsible.

Do you really need to tutor your 3-year-old for kindergarten?
The Globe and Mail July 11, 2011

Forget about prepping your children for university entrance exams. To give kids a leg up in their academic careers, parents these days are starting earlier – much earlier

School success can be predicted just FIVE minutes after a child is born, scientists claim
Daily Mail July 21, 2011

A health test given to babies minutes after they are born could reveal how well they will do in secondary school, it has been claimed.

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