Parenting Tips: How to Make Your Kids Smart

by Deborah Pace Rowley

I was excited to read this recent article in the Deseret News on March 27, 2012. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865552992/Make-your-kids-smart-habits-of-highly-effective-parents.html

The headline was Make Your Kids Smart: Habits of Highly Effective Parents. In the article, Mercedes White gives the following 5 suggestions to parents.

First, read to each child individually for 20 minutes a day. Recent studies found that children whose parents read to them regularly at a young age performed as much as a year ahead of their peers academically by age 15. 

Second, talk to your kids. The average conversation length between parents and child closely correlates to the child’s future IQ and reading levels.

Third, devote time to play. Play helps kids learn to interact with others and practice what they learn. Studies have shown that time spent playing make-believe games is especially beneficial for brain development. 

Fourth, find a quality preschool. Studies show that children in a high-quality preschool have better academic outcomes and even earn more money and have higher rates of employment as adults.

Fifth, limit television viewing. Children who watch more than an hour of television a day have difficulty concentrating and are more likely to struggle academically.

I loved these suggestions because they are practical and doable. We don’t need expensive DVD’s. We don’t need the latest high-tech gadget. We don’t need to teach our kids a second language before they turn 5. We just need to read, talk and play as we make learning engaging and fun for our kids. That is what Puddle Wonderful Learning is all about!

The fourth suggestion made me really excited for Tiff’s preschool starting in the Fall. The research says that high-quality preschools have teachers with bachelor’s degrees in education. Check. High-quality preschools incorporate make-believe and planned play. Check. High-quality preschools are engaging and utilize a variety of multi-sensory methods. Check. My sister is an amazing and gifted teacher. Even though she is younger than I am, I constantly come to her for suggestions and ideas about how to improve my own teaching. She taught at the highest rated school in the state of Utah for a reason. I want to be a teacher like she is one day! If you are looking for a quality preschool for your child, I guarantee you could not find a better preschool than Miff Tiff’s. Check out her link today!