Understanding IQ to Make Your Baby Smart

To make your baby smart, you need to understand what IQ is. 

IQ is more than just about acquisition and processing of knowledge and information by the brain; it is about the application of the information to solve problems or to achieve what the mind has set out to accomplish. Intelligence is smartness and beyond: it is about connecting all the dots together, and making sense of something that is apparently senseless and irrelevant.

To illustrate, a simple baby IQ test attests to a baby’s intelligence in correctly identifying an object without seeing it after feeling the object hidden in a box; a smart baby is able to visually “see” what he touches. As a parent, you can play such similar games with your baby; the objective is not just to test his IQ but also to help his brain wired to that mode or mindset of “seeing what you touch,” thereby instrumental in increasing his intelligence.

Increase intelligence by outsmarting the brain. Of course, the human brain is a very complex organ. The good news is that Albert Einstein had a fairly average brain size—only about 15 percent larger in areas responsible for visual-spatial recognition and math processing.

There are ways to grow and develop your baby’s brain to increase his intelligence, which is a component of his genes, his environment, his experiences, his personality, and his upbringing.

Even if there are genes linked to high intelligence, they would be difficult to duplicate. Smart genes come from smart parents, who know how to provide the optimum environment for their babies to grow and develop their brains. An optimum environment means it is safe, secure, and stress-free to enjoy what he experiences, while subconsciously learns from those experiences, which become not only his personality and temperament but also his memories. All in all, your baby’s upbringing holds the key to unlocking his intelligence and potentiality, and you as the parent always play a pivotal role.

Different Aspects of IQ

Information is the resource of human intelligence. If you wish your baby to be smart and intelligent, appreciate and enhance your baby’s unique gifts.

Generally, there are several areas of intelligence demonstrated by babies and children even at an early age:

Language intelligence: babies, showing a love for words and language, learn best by seeing, hearing, and saying words.

Spatial intelligence: babies learn best by seeing things as where they are.

Kinesthetic intelligence: babies with kinesthetic skills learn best through movement of different parts of the body.

Musical intelligence: babies learn best with songs and melodies, or information put to music.

Logical intelligence: babies who love abstract patterns and relationships between objects and things learn best with puzzles and games of logic.

As a parent, you need to not only recognize and explore your baby’s unique gifts but also encourage the development of those special gifts inherent in your baby. Parents play a major role in the development of intelligence in a baby through the brain.

Remember, nobody is perfect. Despite his many physical disabilities, President Theodore Roosevelt was admitted to Harvard University at the age of 16, because he had a photographic memory and a deep desire to learn and to achieve.

Remember, nature controls your baby’s unique intellectual development; there will be limits to what his brain can do, or what you as the parent can help. Your smart baby may show his intelligence in many different ways. Don’t rely on IQ tests that your baby may later be exposed to. As a matter of fact, IQ tests were originally designed by a group of French psychologists to help and identify those “mentally challenged” children in schools, and not the smart ones. Just as Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner said: “Strong evidence exists that the mind is a multi-faceted, multi-component instrument, which cannot in any legitimate way be captured in a single paper-and-pencil style instrument. Do what you can with what you have, and leave the rest to nature.

Visit my new website: Health and Wisdom Tips 

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Get This Book for FREE on How to Live Long!

“YOU JUST DON’T DIE!” 

My newly published book is FREE for download on Amazon from December 8 to December 12.

This 154-page book is about how to live your life as if everything is a miracle if you just don’t die as you continue with you life journey with the many changes and challenges confronting you, including your loss of vision.

Human existence is meaningless without life purpose and human happiness. The pursuit of longevity has been going on since time immemorial. Consciousness holds the key to the success of this pursuit. Consciousness of living is wisdom of the mind to understand the self, others, as well as how and why certain things happen. Wisdom in living enables one to complete the rest of one's life journey and reaching the destination.

To live to 100 and beyond—if you just don’t die—you must ask questions about life; after all, living is about asking questions and seeking answers to the questions asked, and thereby instrumental in providing wisdom or a blueprint to continue the rest of your life journey.

The first question you should consciously ask yourself is: "How long do I wish to live?" Of course, that is only a hypothetical question because you really don’t have much of a choice—unless you would like to purposely end your life prematurely. Naturally, the answer to that question may also change over different phases in your life, depending on the quality of your life in that particular phase.

The second question you should consciously ask yourself is: "Why do I want to live long, or why not?" This question will be naturally followed by the third question: “How do I live long, or what can make me desire to live longer?”

The final question—if you just don’t die—is: "How should I live the rest of my life to overcome my daily problems and life challenges?"

The objective of this 154-page book is neither to convince you to crave longevity, nor to show you how to live to one hundred and beyond. It simply presents you with the consciousness of living the rest of your years—if you just don’t die!

Click here to get your FREE COPY. Don't miss the opportunity!.

Stephen Lau

Copyright©

The Happenings During the Pregnancy Period

If you are pregnant for the first time, you should know more about the pregnancy period: all the dos and don’t, as well as the happenings you should expect throughout your pregnancy.

The pregnancy period is divided into 3 trimesters: first trimester (week 1 through 12); second trimester (week 13 through 26), and third trimester (week 27 through 40). A full-term pregnancy is actually 38 and not 40 weeks (why not: conception generally occurs 2 weeks after the first day of your period).

    

The First Trimester

 The Happenings

    

Conception takes place (week 1).

Breakthrough bleeding may happen (week 2-3) (why: fertilized egg becomes embedded in the lining of the uterus).

The breasts feel fuller and more tender (week 5-6) (why: stimulation of milk-producing glands). The nipples become darker with bluish veins (why: increase of blood supply to breasts).

Morning sickness (week 6-7) may occur. Morning sickness that begins in the first trimester may last until early second trimester. It is generally not harmful to the baby unless you have the following:

You vomit blood.

You have lost several pounds.

You vomit as soon as you drink even water.

You vomit well past the fourth month of pregnancy.

The dos and don’ts of morning sickness

Do suck a slice of fresh ginger in your mouth on rising every morning or any time you feel sick.

Do get sufficient sleep.

Do eat small meals.

Do eat more cold foods (why: they are less aromatic and therefore less likely to trigger vomiting).

Do eat more carbohydrates.

Do get a higher dose of vitamin B6 (50 milligrams).

Do get acupressure wristbands from the Internet (why: they are worn to overcome seasickness).

Don’t let yourself become hungry.

Don’t get out of bed too quickly; stretch yourself first before getting out of bed.

Don’t stress out; avoid any time stress.

The skin around the nipples begins to grow darker (week 6-7) (why: blood supply to the breasts increases significantly).

The waistband becomes tighter (week 8-9) (why: the uterus doubles in size).

Anxiety and irritability may develop for no apparent reason (why: change in hormones); hands and feet become warmer (why: increase in blood volume); dehydration becomes more frequent (why: extra fluids are needed by the uterus) (week 9-10).

The body weight may have increased by 2 to 3 pounds (week 10-11).

The risk of miscarriage is reduced by approximately 65 percent (week 12).

The Second Trimester

The Happenings

    

Most discomforts experienced in the first trimester should disappear by the second trimester.

Constipation may become more frequent (why: higher level of progesterone may affect muscles of the intestine; growing size of the uterus affects bowel movements). Do drink more water, and eat more fruits with fiber, such as apples (week 14).

Baby begins to move (week 16-20).

Perspiration may become more common (why: weight of the uterus increases, affecting body movements).

Dark patches of skin may develop on the face (week 17-18).

Breasts start leaking colostrums, the baby’s first food (why: the moisturizing substance protects the nipples during breastfeeding) (week 20-23).

Indigestion and heartburn may develop (why: larger and heavier abdomen may affect the digestive system) (week 22-23). Do take smaller meals with snacks; take a walk after meals.

Backache, pressure in the pelvis, cramps in the leg may occur (week 24-25). Do be mindful of posture, and do get plenty of sleep.

Stretch marks begin to develop around the breasts and abdomen (week 26-27). Do rub coconut oil on breasts and abdomen.

The Third Trimester

The Happenings

Discomfort in the ribcage may occur (why: the uterus is pushing up against the bottom of the ribcage, forcing the ribcage to spread out) (week 28-30).

Varicose veins may be formed (why: pressure is exerted on veins from legs to the heart) (week 28-30).

Episodes of forgetfulness or lack of concentration may occur (why: preoccupation with childbirth) (week 30).

Backache may intensify (why: change in the center of gravity) (week 31)

Better digestion and breathing may result as the baby gets into the head-down position (week 32).

Hands and feet become swollen (why: due to fluid retention in the body). Do wear loose-fitting clothing (week 33).

Aches and pains may occur in the pelvis area (why: due to hormone relaxation and increase in baby’s size) (week 34-35).

Hardening (about 30 seconds) and relaxing of the uterus becomes increasingly frequent (week 36-37).

Anxiety and depression may occur (why: due to physical discomfort and worry about the forthcoming childbirth) (week 38).

The uterus is taking up all the space in the pelvis and a great deal of room in the abdomen (week 39).

During the final phase of the third trimester, the body weight normally plateaus; some weight loss may even occur.

Smart Learning Environment

A smart baby needs a smart learning environment to learn

Most real learning in the first year occurs within the context of ordinary everyday life. It doesn’t require formal training; it is a natural consequence of everyday experience. Be that as it may, to maximize your baby’s learning potentials, you need to create an enriched learning and teaching environment. The typical American child, however, does not live in an enriched environment: he spends hours watching television or playing electronic toys; he is often engaged in self-directed play, instead of interactive and imaginative play with his parents.

An enriched learning and teaching environment for babies and children to reach their maximum intellectual potentials includes the following:

Your baby needs to spend time in a safe, secure, and quiet environment.

Your baby needs a dimly lit environment to see better; use only 40-watt or less light-bulbs in the nursery.

Your baby needs freedom of movement; use the crib or playpen sparingly.

Your baby needs age-related toys and art materials.

Your baby needs new things to look at all the time.

Your baby needs regular contacts with adults, especially eye contacts.

Your baby needs smiles, as well as friendly and affirmative words.

Is Your Baby Ready to Play and Learn?

There are some obvious physical changes and signs if your baby is good and ready to play and learn.

Your baby needs good rest before he can play and learn. Adequate rest avoids mood swings and improves the brain function in your baby.

Your baby’s breathing is always slow and even, with a relaxed abdomen, if he wants to play and learn.

Your baby sucking rate also slows down considerably.

Your baby’s attention focuses on the source of stimulation, his fingers and toes fanning with excitement towards it, as well as his pupils dilating and his eyes widening.

On the other hand, your baby may show signs of overstimulation when he cries and squirms, flailing his arms and legs, and even thrusting out his tongue.

Good parenting means providing an enriched learning environment for babies and children to learn while playing. A study conducted at the University of Chicago found out that some accomplished adults, such as distinguished athletes, musicians, mathematicians, and scientists all had parents who shared certain outlooks about enriched environment in which they were raised and reared.

They all unintentionally produced a prodigy

They all encouraged their children to play and to explore the world.

They all stimulated and motivated their children through playing and learning.

They were all dedicated to their own interests, and encouraged their children to do likewise, but without pushing them in that direction.

They all supported their children’s self-chosen interests, and made their passion a top priority.

They all encouraged their children to have independent thinking, and to think for themselves through curiosity and asking questions.

The key to successful parenting is to provide an enriched environment for learning while playing, as well as for recognizing talents and potentials that may or may not be the skills and abilities you value most. Praising your baby’s efforts and his accomplishments strengthens your baby’s neurological connections between activity and emotional 

Bottom line: the more your baby enjoys spending time with you as he explores the world, the more motivated he will become, and the more he will learn. Relax, loosen up, and always look at the environment and the world through your baby’s eyes, rather than those of your own. It is just that simple.

Sustained Drive and Curiosity

It is important to maintain and sustain the learning and teaching process of your baby. According to novelist John Steinbeck, a genius is “a child chasing a butterfly up a mountain”; let your baby’s curiosity be the butterfly and let his learning environment be the mountain. 

Also, visit my new website: Health and Wisdom Tips.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

How to Solve Reading Problems in the United States

WHY IS THERE A READING PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES?

The United States is the most affluent and technologically advanced of all the industrial nations on earth. With its “free” compulsory education for all, a network of state-owned and state-operated teachers’ training colleges, strict teacher certification requirements, and more money and resources dedicated to education than any other nation on earth, the appalling illiteracy rate of the country is a disgrace to educators. Teaching children to read should be the foremost responsibility of all parents. Well, sometimes you cannot blame the parents, because they themselves may be poor readers to begin with—it is something like the blind leading the blind.

Even if parents are educated, they may not want to spend quality time with their children. It is not surprising to find some parents with the notion that their only parental responsibility is to bring their children into this world, leaving them to fend for themselves in matters of education and learning, or simply relegating the intellectual well-being of their children to their teachers.

In addition, many people may erroneously believe that in this day and age, information can be readily obtained from the visual media, such as the television, such that there is little need to turn to the written word, and hence the general indifference to developing reading skills.

WHO SHOULD TEACH CHILDREN TO READ?

Reading should always begin at home, and parents should be children's first teachers. Ideally, teaching children to read should be the joint efforts of both parents and teachers. It has always been a wrong presumption that teachers alone should do the teaching of reading and that teaching should be conducted only at school. Contrary to popular belief, educational researchers have found that important aspects of intellectual behavior are often acquired at home rather than at school.

Parenthood is not just a moment; it is an ongoing process. It would be wrong for parents to assume that they could ease their responsibility of teaching once their children attend school. At best, the nursery or kindergarten should be an adjunct to, not a substitute for, the home and the role of parents.

Since parents teach their children to talk, it is only natural that they should teach them to read as well. If parents think they should educate their children, they should shoulder the responsibility of teaching their children to read. To teach their children to read and write is the greatest gift and enjoyment of all parents. If you do not enjoy your child, why did you bother having one in the first place?

WHY CAN ALL PARENTS TEACH THEIR CHILDREN TO READ?

Parents, who are interested in their children's intellectual development and who are responsive to their children's interest in printed language can teach basic reading skills. They not only can but also must if they want their children to become early and proficient readers. Children are born learners; and parents are natural teachers and main educators of their children in reading and writing in their early years. Parents do not need a course in reading instruction before they can effectively teach reading and writing. Parents often have the following advantages over their teachers:

They understand much better the temperamental climate of their own children—their interests in certain activities and their readiness to learn.

They can provide consistently daily reinforcement in developing their reading skills—something that may not be possible at school.

They can afford the one-on-one relation with them, which is virtually impossible in the classroom.

They can create a learning environment that makes learning easy and possible, since parents already provide for them all of their basic daily needs.

29 Smart Steps to Teach Your Smart Kid to Read

  

This 117-page is based on how I taught my daughter to read some 30 years ago.  She learned how to read at two-and-a-half. If I could do that, so could you -- what you need is the how.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Do You Want Your Smart Baby Becoming Super Smart?

Make Your Smart Baby Super Smart

Is this book right for you? Just look at what this book is all about. This book covers the following:

• The wisdom of smart parents: understanding the baby’s vision, hearing, sensitive skin, sense of taste and smell; knowing the baby and knowing the self. 
• Knowing the baby’s brain: how the baby learns and remembers.
• Enhancing the baby’s learning environment.
• Sustaining the baby’s drive and curiosity to learn.
• Stimulating through repetitions and discipline.
• Understanding the baby’s emotional development
• Knowing what toys to buy, and what play activities to engage in.
• Teaching artistic skills, math and science capabilities, and languages
• Overcoming many challenges. 

Stephen Lau

Three Ways to Teach Your Child to Read

When your child knows some vocabulary, is interested in pictures as well as in words, it may be time to start teaching your child to read. There are three stages: lap reading, shared reading, and paired reading.

Lap Reading

You can successfully teach your child reading by interacting with him or her. Just like teaching your child to walk and to talk, you have to motivate him or her. To please the parents is not enough; even pictures in books do not necessarily make the print look interesting. Your child must learn to appreciate the rewards of reading in order to work at learning it. Your child must realize that books provide pleasure: that people and things can be shown in pictures, that pictures can be read and talked about, and that pictures can both illustrate and tell stories. Besides creating an intellectually stimulating learning environment, you must above all be very patient when you are actually teaching your child to read.

Have your child on your lap.

Read  the  book  with  as  much  dramatic  expression  as is appropriate to the text.

Do not slow down by pointing to each word as it is said; the finger should move along under the sentence as it is read.

Occasionally, induce your child to read the words you have omitted. If your child does not recognize a word, help him or her get the right sound by telling your child to look at the first sound or at the part of the word that he or she already knows.

If your child does not know the meaning of a word, help him or her select the correct clue to get the meaning by discussing the context with him or her, by looking for other context clues, by making your child read on to the end of the sentence, or by re-reading the sentence.

The first storybooks should have big pictures and a small amount of text. These books are for reading through, not just being looked at and talked through. Of course, the story, its characters and events, and the pictures will be discussed, but reading the story itself is the essence of reading experience.

The choice of the first storybooks for lap reading should be based on the following criteria:

The stories should be popular or well known, for example, Cinderella, Snow White, or Pinocchio.

The stories should be short—preferably finished in one short session.

The illustration should be vivid and appealing.

The language should be appropriate for reading aloud.

The stories should contain some of the eternal virtues and vices, such as courage and cowardice, life and death, honesty and falsehood.

Shared Reading

As your child grow older and as his or her interest in books increases, lap reading soon gives way to shared reading. You know your child is ready for shared reading when he or she enjoys looking at books with you and enjoys your reading to him or her. Although lap reading is gradually replaced by shared  reading, the interaction in lap reading, however, should continue; reading and playing language games should remain the primary concern.

The ideal book to begin shared reading is one that is well within your child's ability to understand. Very often, your child's favorite book, which he or she has read many times and which he or she virtually knows by heart, serves that purpose.

Sit side by side with your child.

Introduce the book to him or her: the background, the events, and the character.

Read the text, running a finger under the lines of print.

Occasionally, pause for your child to provide the next word or phrase. “We’ll play a game. When I stop, you tell me what you think comes next!”

Encourage your child to watch your fingers and “follow the story” by holding his or her hand to point along the line of print.

The aim of shared reading is to encourage your child to become attentive to the text and familiar with scanning it from left to right. To establish the association between print and language, pause occasionally to ask, “What do you think will happen next?” Encourage your child to ask about the story and the way it is developing. Shared reading, involving your child’s active participation, makes him or her realize that print gives meaning and guessing gives sense.

Ask your child to read aloud, pointing to each word. At first, your child may go too quickly for the finger. Make your child slow down and coordinate what he or she says with where his or her finger is.

Ask your child to look for words so that he or she becomes familiar with the physical appearance of letters on a page.

Introduce new words that your child has never seen before and ask him or her to find them on the page.

Teach your child new words, especially those words that are different in the way they are pronounced and the way they are written. Sounding out those words can be challenging for a beginning reader.

Place the “sentence game” with your child. That teaches him or her to rely on his or her semantic and syntactic predictions. Your child has already learned to use such predictions in his or her understanding and production of speech. Here, your child can now apply that to reading.

Paired Reading

Paired reading takes place when you and your child read together with your finger running the line of print. It is learning to read reading. The main objective of paired reading is to enable your child to become an independent reader without experiencing failure.

Select a suitable book, which interests your child. 

Introduce the book to your child: the story, the characters, the background and the pictures.

Give your child the message: “First, I’ll read—you follow the story as I read.”

Read the book for one minute or two with finger running under the print.

Then ask your child  to read with you, “Now you read it with me and let’s see how we go.”

Praise your child for his or her efforts. “Let’s try it again. It sounds as if you can read it as well as I do.” Read the passage again, and pause a couple of times for your child to provide the next word or phrase. If your child makes mistakes or fails to supply the word or phrase, simply supply the correct word or phrase and carry on reading.

   “This time I’ll start you off, and then you will carry on reading, won’t you?” Read the first few words with your child, and then let him or her read the same passage aloud alone, supporting them if necessary. Praise them afterwards for trying and for reading so well.

Encourage your child to read aloud with confidence and clarity. The strategies for reading with confidence are as follows:

The  stories  should  be  short—preferably  finished  in  one  short session.

Set a good example by expressive speech and clear articulation.

Do not interpret your child’s speeches—that would unwittingly encourage this or her murmuring and mumbling; instead, say, “Sorry, I didn’t hear that. What did you say? Come again!”

Teach your child to read silently ahead before looking up and saying what he or she has just read.

Encourage your child to look at people when speaking to them and looking up when reading aloud, that is, good posture with head up and slightly back at all times.

Give your child a good model for copying.

  

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau