After reading the book Freakonomics, I was a bit shocked. There is an interesting chapter in the book that analyzed and gleaned the data from an Early Childhood Longitudinal Study database conducted by the government. It seems that high IQ is set way before a mother-to-be picks up their first parenting book at the first news that they are pregnant.

The data is quite clear, and surprising at the same time. Reading books to children everyday, taking them to museums, staying home with them from birth until kindergarten has absolutely no correlation to high test scores in later life.

What does have a correlation: How many books a parent has in the home; fifty or more books in the home of a child yielded higher test scores than those who had none. A mother who was 30 or older before they had their first child also were more likely to have kids who tested higher. A wealthier and more educated set of parents were also an advantage.

It seems that the writers of Freakonomics were right. In test scores, it doesn’t seem to matter what the parents DO. It matters what they ARE. Presumably, a household that has books present, that had a mom who had a child at a later age, and where parents were wealthy and educated were already smart to begin with and therefore passed on the smart genes to their children.

I began to worry that nothing I was doing was mattering to my child. I’m kidding. I didn’t really worry. This chapter in the textbook after all, was measuring test scores and IQ. It doesn’t measure how happy a child is. It certainly doesn’t measure whether those high-scoring children can translate those scores to a successful, productive, and enriched adulthood.

I’m quite convinced that there are many highly intelligent criminals out there. Just as there are many honorable and productive individuals in society who had to work a little harder than the “smart” kids. My daughter scoring high on tests comes bottom on the list of many things I want her to be. Can I make her smile in a day? Can I build good memories for her? Am I modeling what it is to be happy, content, to persevere in the face of disappointments, to be kind and courteous? Am I instilling a love of learning and giving her opportunities to strengthen her natural talents?

So while the conclusion of the chapter dismisses what a parent does, I am not quite as quick to do the same. Every parent know that what a parent does matters, and it matter a whole lot to the one’s child.

Yes, according to a recent study conducted by Harvard researchers,

The study shows that kids who live in neighborhoods with heavy traffic pollution have lower IQs and score worse on other tests of intelligence and memory than children who breathe cleaner air. This is based on their study on 202 Boston children age 8 to 11 years old where they estimated the children?s exposure to black carbon which is an emission in automobile and truck exhaust, particularly by diesel vehicles.

Children exposed heavily to black carbon had a 3.4-point drop in IQ and also scored lower on tests of vocabulary, memory and learning. The researchers suggest that traffic pollution possibly affects the intelligence of the children by causing inflammation and oxidative damage to their brain.

According to research team leader Dr. Shakira Franco Suglia, the effect of pollution on intelligence was similar to that seen in children whose mothers smoked 10 cigarettes a day while pregnant, or in kids who have been exposed to lead.

Sources:

MSNBC, 15 Feb 2008

Suglia et al. American Journal of Epidemiology 2008 167(3):280-286

Every parent thinks their child is the smartest person ever born. That’s just a natural part of being a proud parent. But sometimes…they’re right. And there are signs you can look for at a very early age that might be signs that your child is indeed gifted, including the following:

Early Development of Language Ability

You know someone who has bragged that their child said their first word at five months, even though they were simply running ?mumbagargle? through the ?My kid is awesome!? filter and getting ?Mommy? out of it. However, if your child starts speaking words clearly well before other children their same age, this could be a sign of a gifted child.

An Extensive Memory

If you find yourself saying ?How the heck did she remember that?? often, or find yourself asking your child something because you can’t remember but you know they will, this could indicate a high I.Q.

They Need Less Sleep As An Infant

Let’s face it, all infants sleep less than their parents would like. But if you notice they seem to require quite a bit less sleep than normal, this can be an indicator that they are gifted…it’s a common trait among people with higher intelligence. And yes, that means they may always need less sleep than normal.

Intense Reactions To Noise, Pain or Frustration

Simply put, gifted children have a more pronounced reaction to outside stimulus. A loud noise will scare any infant or small child, but if it takes you a while to figure out what has disturbed them, this could also be a sign.

These are just a few of the many indicators that you may, in fact, have a gifted child. To find out more, visit the National Association of Gifted Children online. And remember…whether or not your child is gifted, they’re still special, and still have the potential to succeed beyond your wildest dreams. All they need is your informed support and understanding.

And cookies. They need lots of cookies.