How to Raise a Smart Child

Relax and trust in your child’s natural ability to learn. So many parents think their children need to formal instruction and start scheduling classed starting in infancy. The good news is, you can relax and stop worrying! Think of all the things your child has learned or will learn with no help at all. For example, he or she learned to walk with no help at all. They also learned to speak a complex language by observation and interaction, with no instruction at all. If you step back and let learning happen, it will. In truth, it is impossible to prevent a child from learning!

Share the world with your child. Children learn about the world by experiencing it. No textbook or class can replace hands on, experiential learning. Provide many opportunities to explore the world. Go to museums, parks, nature centers, libraries, concerts, sing-a-longs, fairs, theaters and various performances.

Follow your child’s lead. Do not close the door to learning opportunities by casting judgment on their learning value. All humans learn most when motivated by their own interests. For example, children can learn math through cooking, history through board games and science by making mud pies.

Reduce structure to provide freedom to expand. Children of all ages need downtime to read, explore or just absorb. Sometimes this looks like they are “doing nothing,” but boredom and apparent nothingness can be avenues toward great adventures and new discoveries. Overscheduled children frequently do not have the energy to expand sufficiently on their own interests.

Narrate as you go. With infants and toddlers, narrate the world for them. For example, talk to them while you do the laundry, tell them about your work and explain what you are seeing when out for a walk. With older children and teens, keep them in the loop as much as possible. This can include sharing challenging social or work situations with them, having them help with the family finances or telling them family stories.

Read with your child. Reading opens up the world for a child. Reading to your child can start when he or she is in the womb. Make reading together a nightly ritual that does not end when the child learns to read independently. Reading a book or series aloud together is a nice way for families to bond, even throughout adolescence. Also, let your child see you enjoying your favorite novel or nonfiction piece.

Model learning through living. Let your children see you pursuing your passions and following your dreams. Let them observe how you solve problems or find answers. Share your work with them. Children learn by example and by showing them that you are constantly learning and growing, you will help them feel free to do the same.

Ask questions or turn questions back to them. Posit questions to children that create opening for exploratory thought if it feels right and natural for you to do so. For example, “What do you think that bird is doing?” or “Where do you think that ship came from?” In addition, you can turn their questions back on them. For example, if your child asks you why birds migrate south for the winter, you might first say, “That’s a good question. Do you have any ideas?”