Is intelligence heriditary or can
it be nurtured? The nature versus nurture debate is one that has
raged long and hard. Innumerable studies have been conducted and what has
been resolved is that intelligence is something that is hereditary, but
that environment can play a role to enrich it. But to what extent can intelligence
be nurtured or "acquired" - is it 20% or 50%? Nobody is sure.
Today, parents are more involved
in their children's lives as a result of the pressure on children to perform
at a younger and younger age. Every parent would like to see his or her
child excel. Dr. Sushma Mehrotra, psychologist, believes that if parents
give the right kind of stimulation even an average child can excel. On
the other hand, if there is a lack of stimulation, even a bright child
will not reach its full potential.
Stimulate your
Child: Select the right toys
What is the right kind of stimulation?
Dr. Mehrotra says, "Parents should spend a lot of time with their children.
They should not just give them toys, they should also play with them. There
are age-appropriate toys available in the market. For instance, Lego is
an excellent toy for developing attention and concentration. However, if you leave a child alone with a Lego set, he will probably just throw the
pieces around, as he will not understand what he is supposed to do with
them. Parents should demonstrate how to use Lego to their children and
also show their keenness towards the toy. If parents are going to sit around
and watch movies and expect their children to play on their own, there
is no point. Children need parental involvement and guidance."
Another way in which parents can
help is by helping their children to draw properly. Even that will help
develop their attention and concentration and improve their perception
skills. Parents should select toys that require the child to sit still
for a longer period of time. They should select toys that require greater
sensory involvement, toys that require the use of touch, sight and hearing.
The greater the sensory involvement, the greater the learning.
Video games, for instance, instead
of developing attention and concentration, only result in the fluctuation
of attention and concentration. These games just have fast-moving images
on a screen that requires no concentration or thinking. The child merely
has to make mechanical actions. It's just for fun, there is no learning
involved. First of all, the child has to focus its attention on the object.
Whereas in toys like Ludo, Carrom, and Lego, a child has to think and use
its imagination.
Parents have no
substitutes
Children should not just be given
toys. Parents need to find the time to play with their children. Parents
shouldn't feel that they are too old to play with their children. Sometimes
parents make older siblings sit with the younger children. But this is
not a solution. The children are quite likely to fight. Older children
are not necessarily equipped with the patience required to deal with a
small child. They are also not ready to handle any kind of problem that
might arise from the interaction between the children.
Nobody can substitute for parents
- not tuition teachers, not playgroups, or different classes. Parents are
busy taking their children from one class to another rather than doing
anything themselves. It would be good enough if the parents even sat down
and ate their meals together with their children, which is quite uncommon
these days. Parents feel that wealth and money can compensate for their
absence.
Don't Overdo
Children cannot learn everything.
They should take up activities according to their interest and aptitude.
However, certain things cannot be done at home. For instance, sports like
squash and swimming. There is no harm in the child taking up one or two
sports. But by sending children to a whole host of different classes, parents
are just making them more vulnerable. This keeping up with the Joneses'
attitude only makes children more prone to stress. They get tired and trying
to cope with their busy schedules can kill their natural interest for these
activities. This also leads to aggression and frustration among children
as targets are set that cannot always be met.
There are some children who do very
well at an early age and then suddenly their performance drops when they
reach the fifth or sixth standard. This is because parents overdo things
in the beginning. It doesn't make much of a difference in the early years
of school because while the pressure to perform is great, the academic
expectation is not so high that the child cannot cope. But after the fifth
or sixth standard, if the child is not particularly intelligent, then his
or her performance drops. But the parents continue to maintain the same
standards and expect their child to stand first in class.
The fact remains that intelligence
cannot be changed. Yes, it can be enriched to a certain extent, but beyond
a point you cannot do anything.
Name:
BrainSketch Solutions
Country: India
We are all born with certain inborn intelligence potential. Today with scientific techniques one can map the various inborn traits early in life. Usually, our life course is influenced by our parents, teachers, peers, media and surrounding environment.
Lack of awareness of our actual strengths and weaknesses leads us to spend our lives in mediocrity. This goes on generation by generation. Dermatoglyphics Multiple Intelligence Test (DMIT) is a tool to identify our potentials.
Visit http://www.brainsketch.in/ to know details.
Name:
Mcdume
Country: India
The author lost me when he said a child 'wouldn't know what to do with Leggo's' unless shown. That is SO distructive to an infant's natural learning process. The child knows EXACTLY what he/she wants to do with the Leggo's and doesn't need an adult talling him/her to build a house or an airplane or whatever. I raised 3 children using Janet Lansbury's RIE philosophy www.janetlansbury.com. (no, I am not a blood relative, just a grateful student). All parents want what is best for their kids, but 'teaching' and 'pushing' when they are infants/toddlers only does damage. "Trust the child" to know what he/she is ready for.
Name:
sANDEEP
Country: india
i wanted to read your artical for all the do's and don'ts for parents towards a growing child, now that is fine but it seems you never suggested the solution in the end , but end up the artical very adruptly, write some more words.
Name:
Ravi Kulkarni (kulkarniravi@yahoo.com)
Country: usa
i totally disagree with the author in her contention that intelligence is something fixed and can't be changed at all. first of all there is nothing called one "intelligence". it is now clear that there are multiple "intelligences" and it highly dependent upon the culture in which a person grows up as to which one or many of those intelligences show up more prominently. secondly, brain is not something that comes totally preprogrammed at birth. a whole lot of learning takes place which is very fundamental in nature, which lays the foundation for all future learning, between the ages of -1 (prenatally) and 3 years. if appropriate stimulation is provided at this stage, there is really no limit to which a child can grow. my own son (now 19 months) can already speak in full sentences, can draw rudimentary pictures, sings simple tunes and so on.
Name:
Lakmali
Country: other
your artical is better. but problem is there were no separet to age group. because it was be different to age to age. eg. when we get yrs 1-5 age group & 5-10 age group. it was to be a different 1 by 1. because there memory capasity is different. inthat, when we improve there intelligencey.but how ever bacically your ideas better as commenly.
i will hope better articals in yours' website in the future. we will improve our children's intelligency, since there baby time.
Name:
anuradha
Country: india
you are ok, but what about each and every age group?
Name:
bk
Country: malaysia
the article was interesting but you have ended with no solution.
Name:
sonia
Country: india
your article was good but you ended it up abruputly. please give solutions as to how to work on kids to make them more intelligent or to maintain their way of working . help.
Name:
Maureen Bell
Country: usa
i believe it is necessary to give much time to your children. but giving so much time is sometimes impossible. today, one needs to make money in order to live and the only way to do so is to work, away from your children. however, since my husband has a fine job, i am an at-home mom. still, though, i find it difficult to spend much time with my children, as i must scrub dishes and clean floors on my
hands and feet. i must shop, cook meals, and i love to read. time is of the essence.
where does it all go?
Name:
maya
Country: india
i do agree that children will learn a lot if we spent more time with them and give them good guidance. though mom likes to spent more time with the child she cannot do all the time as she has some other work to do. as mom is spending more time with the child, the child always wants her mom to sit besides her and play with her. to get the attention of her mom she starts crying or pretends as if she is crying or the child will do something to grab the attention of her mom and it is difficult for her to carry the child always. in this case what do you suggest?
Name:
Shankar
Country: england
can you enlighten me as to what a lego toy is? presumably it would be available in the uk?
Name:
siddharth
Country: dubai
my son siddharth is three years by this march but he is unable to speak,he is recognising all the things and speaking a to h,and small rhymes when i teach him but soon afterr some time he is forgetting everthing in his school because of speech problem he is been detained in the nursery only because he is not able to grasp any thing,only few words like teacher,finished and chichi, he is speaking,other words he knows like father,mother,papa and all but he is not able to recollect instantly.
please suggest me in this matter.
his physical and mental development is goo. he is very naughty,and over active, only problem is speech defeciet. suggest me.
e-mail; mohandg@emirat es.net.ae.
Name:
jagruti (jagshirsat@hotmail.com)
Country: india
the article was good.however certain more directives/guidelines in terms of actual activities that would help in developement of both sides of the brain would be more helpful.alsoi would like to know about the "joneses attitude"that you have mentioned.thank -you.
Name:
nita shah
Country: usa
my son nine years old and my daughter five years old are very different.though both when small i gave same learning and guidance.but both intelligent in their own way.my son loves math and reading,while my daugther seems more artistic.but i and my husband think my son is more intelligent because he is always first in his school and has good memory.but still i think for my dauther it is too early to judge.
Name:
Shankar
Country: england
can you enlighten me as to what a lego toy is? presumably it would be available in the uk? my email is shankar@shankars. demon.co.uk
Name:
madhu
Country: india
pleasewhat is lego set?is it a bvuildig block/
Name:
nilay
Country: india
my only problem is whatever i read and try to understnd the subject within next two three days, i used to forget everything. i am poor in math. i am on class-vi.pls guide me. my address is c2/219 janakpuri,new delhi-58. no email address.
Name:
.......
Country: usa
i say the artical means nothing!
Name:
andrew
Country: usa
where can i find articals on africa.
Name:
Alia Jaika
Country: india
my child is hungry and so am i. so i think this article is great. please help us my loacation is india
Name:
Echo
Country: other
as if!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Name:
kala
Country: england
my son is 4 years old.he is in the nursery group.the problem is,ailthough he talks well,the words r not clear,in our native lang. as well as in eng.eg. he say the same accent for s,h &x.then for phone,he says tone etc.because of this we find difficult in understanding his conversation 7 he is getting irritated.please suggest!ksp38@rediff mail.com
Name:
mata rani
Country: india
the article was nice but no solutions were offered. in today's world it is not easy to spend so much time with our children. the kids start expecting us to sit with them all the time and will not take initiative and learn to play on their own. they should be left alone, even with the lego toys, for them to use their imagination.
Name:
Sunil
Country: india
when i started reading this article. i though this is nice article and one's intelligece can be changed. but at last you have mentioned intelligence can not be changed. but i think it is wrong to say. okay no problem this is my point of view. you understand these days how much extent english is needed. what can i do to make keen interest in english. my nephew does not want to learn english then what should i do please suggest and mail me at hello_sunil@sif y.com
