Ways to make your kids smarter

By Sade Oguntola

Many parents are bothered by their kids' poor performances at school. However, this report by Sade Oguntola highlights what they can do to make them geniuses.

Intelligence, an inherited gift can both be nurtured and enhanced by the right environment. While intelligence clearly has a genetic component, scientific research is beginning to show that certain approaches boost learning and mental development in young minds.

The proven strategies for building your child’s brainpower scientists have outlined to include:

Playing music:
Researcher Nina Kraus, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University, said there is now a concrete evidence that playing music can significantly enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, including speech.

“Experience with music appears to help with many other things in life, potentially transferring to activities like reading or picking up nuances in tones of voices or hearing sounds in a noisy classroom better,” Kraus said. Experiments started with 20 adult volunteers, who watched and listened to a movie of their choice. “‘Men in Black,’ ‘The Incredibles,’ ‘Best in Show’ were favourites,” Kraus said.

Similarly, a study by University of Toronto researchers said organised music lessons appear to benefit children’s Intelligent Quotient (IQ) and academic performance and the more years the student takes lessons, the greater the effect. The study found that taking music lessons in childhood was a clear predictor of better grades in high school and a higher IQ in adulthood. So, help your children release their inner ability, sign them up for the school band or private lessons.

Foster fitness:
A new study found that making your child more involved in exercises can help improve memory. Exercise boosts brainpower by building new brain cells in a brain region linked with memory and memory loss, the U.S. researchers said.

Tests on mice showed they grew new brain cells in a brain region called the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus that is known to be affected in the age-related memory decline that begins around age 30 for most humans.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging scans to help document the process in mice — and then used MRIs to look at the brains of people before and after exercise.

Similarly, studies by University of Illinois researchers have shown a strong relationship between fitness scores and academic achievement among primary school children. Participation in organised sports fosters confidence, teamwork and leadership, according to research by the Oppenheimer Funds. This study also found that 81 per cent of women business executives played team sports as girls. So instead of retiring to the television after dinner, consider throwing a ball around or going for a walk. Even better, encourage your child to get involved in an organised physical activity or school sport.

Breast feed:
Mother’s milk is elemental brain food. Researches consistently have shown that breast-feeding has multiple benefits for growing infants. It prevents dangerous infections and provides essential nourishment. Danish researchers have discovered that breast-feeding can make babies both healthier and smarter. The study found that infants who breast-fed for nine months grew up to be significantly more intelligent than those who breast-fed for one month or less. Breast-feeding your infant can deliver long-term dividends.

Games:
Games that promote teamwork or creativity develop children’s strategic thinking and planning skills. Educational toy companies are now creating motor-skill and memory enhancing games for small children—even toddlers.

A recent study conducted at the University of Rochester found that participants who played video games for example, recognised and learned visual cues much faster than their non-video-game-playing counterparts. Due to this, British teachers have begun using some video games in the classroom.

Playing mind games such as chess, crosswords, cryptograms, riddles—they all train the brain to perform mental gymnastics while promoting strategic thinking, problem-solving and complex decision-making.

Avoid junk food:
Cutting out sugar, trans fats and other junk foods from your child’s diet and replacing them with high-nutrient alternatives can do wonders for early childhood mental and motor development—especially in the first two years of life. For example, kids need iron for healthy brain tissue development, as nerve impulses move more slowly when children are iron-deficient. Studies show that poorly nourished children have trouble fighting infections, which causes them to miss school and fall behind their peers.

Nurture curiosity:
Parents who show curiosity and encourage their children to explore new ideas teach them a valuable lesson: Seeking knowledge is important. Support your kids’ hobbies and interests by asking them questions, teaching them new skills and taking them on educational outings to develop intellectual curiosity.

Books:
This tried-and-true method sometimes gets overlooked in the rush to adopt the latest IQ-boosting technology, but reading is a low-technology way to improve learning and cognitive developing in children of all ages. Read to your children from an early age and keep the house stocked with books.

Never miss breakfast:
Eating breakfast improves memory, concentration and learning. Children who don’t eat breakfast tend to tire easier, be more irritable and react less quickly than those who begin the day with a solid meal. With today’s hectic schedules, a full breakfast isn’t always possible. But even an energy bar and a glass of milk can go a long way towards helping your kids stay focused and engaged during school hours.