Early Childhood: Let's Not Hurry Children Through Childhood

~ B R A I N Y - Z I N E ~

" Learn How to Nurture A Smarter Kid "

Volume #4 Issue #16

ISSN: 0219-7642 Apr 30, 2006

Andrew Loh, Publisher

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Hi,

The television show "Super Nanny", currently showing in my country, has captured a lot of public interest recently. Basically, there is a nanny character person that provides solid advice and technique to help the parent with misbehaving children. In fact, some of the children in the program are really little 'rascal' - fighting, swearing, hitting ...etc. Comparatively, you would be very thankful that your kids are 'normal' .... 8-). One interesting observation was that the children's misbehavior will often intensify before it is finally eliminated. More often than not, the misbehavior will get worse to test his/her parents' new found strategy. Both parents have to work together and be consistent and insistence before they can see the desired outcome. All in all, it is a very good parenting programs that I encourage everyone to watch if it is showing in your country. Have a good week ahead! Take care.

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

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Let's Not Hurry Children Through Childhood
By Micheal Grose

Many children feel the same stress that adults feel. In a culture that values success they can easily be pressured to grow up to quickly. It appears that the pressure for children to perform is increasing.

Early Head Start: Are Parents Trying too Hard?
By Micheal Grose

One of the implications of the current trend toward smaller families is that we now have a generation of parents who are willing to go to enormous lengths to give their children a good start in life. Are parents today trying too hard? Read more here!

Q1: I've been reading about gifted children because I think my daughter shows some characteristics. I want to be sure I am challenging her without overwhelming her. Thing is, though she matches most of the "things to look for," so do most of her similar age friends. It seems the standards/averages seem way low. We know too many children who all fit the gifted or at least talented "criteria" OR are way advanced compared to the "average" children of their age.....

A: I do agree that for some parents, the standard checklist for gifted children appear to indicate that they have almost all, if not all the distinct characteristics. However, the standards are not at all way too low. The characteristics are very general and applies to the average "above average" child and not to the exception. Continue to read Dr. Sandhu's answer on Thoughts on the Standard Gifted Characteristics Checklist of Above Average Children here.

Q2: I am wondering if my daughter may be gifted. She maintains a 94 average (with all honors and AP courses), but she is disappointed with this "low average." She often questions authority and theory, and promises to not accept things "as they unfortunately are." She refuses to believe that she may be gifted and often degrades her intelligence even. Overall, I would love to know if my daughter seems gifted!

Q3: My son is 4 and I was recently told by his teacher after mid-year evaluations that he is "brilliant". I looked up characteristics of gifted children and was quite confused. He is a bit of an introvert and on the quiet side so characteristics like bossiness and early talking don't apply....I guess ultimately my question is whether it's possible that my son is gifted despite the fact that his skills seem to be more analytical than verbal.

Q4: My son is 28 months old and he has been skimming through the pages of books since he was about 3 months old. He was actually born at 7 1/2 months and was a bit delayed in speaking, but now that he has started, he will not stop. He can repeat any word that you say to him and he has been identifying letters and numbers off of anything.....

The 2,000 Best Games & Activities: the ultimate guide to raising smart, successful kids
By Susan Kettmann

Are you looking for some great playtime ideas, with a little creativity and brain building thrown in? This fun, easy guide contains 2,000 games and activities that will help your babies, toddlers and children reach their full potential-through play. The book includes activities that take five to ten minutes and use ordinary household items, this book is essential for parents or caregivers of children from babyhood to eight years old. The activities are so straightforward yet unique and thought inspiring; just great for working out those young minds when they need it most.

Gender differences in learning
TheStar Apr 16, 2006

Males and females have strengths in different areas of learning. It is not unusual for males to dominate in mathematics courses and female to dominate in language courses at tertiary institutions. Neuroscientists have confirmed that the brain is physically dissimilar in many aspects between males and females, partly explaining the differing aptitudes.

Pupils test fish brain food pills
BBC News Apr 5, 2006

Schoolchildren across Teesside are to take fish oil supplements in the hope of boosting their brain power.

Raise your child to the top of the class
News 14 Carolina Apr 17, 2006

A new book " Top of the Class : How Asian Parents Raise High Achievers - and How You Can Too" debunks the stereotype that Asians are born smart. It does, however, suggest Americans can look to Asian cultures for tips on raising successful kids.

Birth order does not affect IQ
Mcleans.ca Apr 25, 2006

An Ohio study finds that the notion that first-born children are more intelligent is a myth.

Brain games aim to boost your IQ
BBC News Apr 24, 2006

Dr Kawashima's Brain Training comprises a variety of mini-games designed to give brains a workout. Activities include solving simple maths problems, counting people going in and out of a house, drawing pictures on the Nintendo DS touchscreen, and reading classic literature aloud into the device's microphone.

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