We all know that growing up in a good environment can raise a child’s IQ, but what exactly are the things that parents do that work, and what doesn’t? This is what a study featured on ScienceDaily.com aims to find out.
A team of researchers headed by doctoral student John Protzko from NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, analyzed data from previous studies based on normal population. They investigated each intervention such as early education, diet, and the like to see which of them had an effect on children’s IQ.
The results demonstrate environmental and social factors can affect one’s intelligence:
- Children of women who eat foods rich in Omega-3 have their IQ raised by 3.5 points.
- Financially disadvantaged children who are given education have their IQ raised by 4 points.
- Engaging children in interactive reading raises their IQ by over 6 points.
- Enrolling children in preschool raises their IQ by 4 points.
Of course, every child has different needs, so what may work on one may not work on the other. Parents need not be worried too much about hard figures and IQ points--what is important is they keep on doing what they think is best for their kids’ development.
(Photo by Renato Ganoza via Flickr Creative Commons)
