4 Ways Parents Can Boost Children’s IQ

The right methods can help boost children’s IQ.

The right methods can help boost children’s IQ.

Parents can boost their children’s IQ, psychological research finds, as long as they use tried and tested methods.

After examining almost every available intervention, Dr John Protzko and colleagues found that just four had a real chance of working:

  1. Omega-3 supplementation,
  2. reading to children interactively,
  3. enrolling children in early educational interventions,
  4. and sending children to a quality preschool.

The results come from a meta-analysis, a type of study that collects together the results of many other studies.

In doing so, the researchers created a “Database of Raising Intelligence”.

Dr John Protzko, the study’s first author, explained:

“Our aim in creating this database is to learn what works and what doesn’t work to raise people’s intelligence.

For too long, findings have been disconnected and scattered throughout a wide variety of journals.

The broad consensus about what works is founded on only two or three very high-profile studies.”

Supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, like those in foods rich in omega-3, was linked to an IQ boost of 3.5 points, on average.

Preschools were linked to an increase of 7 IQ points.

They may boost IQ by providing the child with a cognitively stimulating environment.

In addition, it could be the extra exposure to language that provides the boost.

Dr Protzko said:

“Our current findings strengthen earlier conclusions that complex environments build intelligence, but do cast doubt on others, including evidence that earlier interventions are always most effective.

Overall, identifying the link between essential fatty acids and intelligence gives rise to tantalizing new questions for future research and we look forward to exploring this finding.”

Teaching parents how to read interactively with their children was linked to a 6 point IQ increase.

This is likely from the boost to language development.

The study was published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science (Protzko et al., 2013).

Why People Who Are Bullied Develop Relationship Problems (M)

How bullying in adolescence plants seeds of suspicion that lead to mental health struggles later in life.

How bullying in adolescence plants seeds of suspicion that lead to mental health struggles later in life.


Keep reading with a membership

• Adverts removed
• Cancel at any time
• 14 day money-back guarantee


Members can sign in below:

Human Consciousness May Emerge At Birth — Or Perhaps Before (M)

Until the 1980s, doctors regularly performed operations on newborns without anaesthetics, because they were assumed to lack awareness.

Until the 1980s, doctors regularly performed operations on newborns without anaesthetics, because they were assumed to lack awareness.


Keep reading with a membership

• Adverts removed
• Cancel at any time
• 14 day money-back guarantee


Members can sign in below:

How Parents Raise Selfish, Uncaring, Unhelpful Children (M)

To what extent are prosociality and mental health fixed traits, or do they change with circumstances?

To what extent are prosociality and mental health fixed traits, or do they change with circumstances?


Keep reading with a membership

• Adverts removed
• Cancel at any time
• 14 day money-back guarantee


Members can sign in below:

Happier People Are Raised By Parents Who Do These 3 Things

The largest household panel survey reveals how parents raise happy children.

The largest household panel survey reveals how parents raise happy children.

Children grow up happier when their mother is happy in her relationship.

Fully 73 percent of people whose mothers were ‘perfectly happy’ in their relationship say they are ‘completely happy’ with their family situation.

This is just one of the factors in a family that predicts which children grow up to be happier.

The others are: avoiding regular arguments and eating at least three evening meals together a week.

Arguing more than once a week with parents was linked to much lower levels of happiness among children.

The researchers also found that having no younger siblings was also beneficial for later happiness.

Older siblings, though, had no effect on happiness.

Dr Maria Iacovou, a study author, said:

“At a time when there is widespread political concern about ‘Broken Britain’, these findings show that family relationships and the happiness of parents are key to the happiness of young people.

Contrary to the popular belief that children only want to spend time playing videogames or watching TV we found that they were most happy when interacting with their parents or siblings.”

The conclusions come from a long-running UK study called ‘Understanding Society’.

It is the largest household panel survey in the world, which will follow over 40,000 households over a number of years.

These findings are based on a sample of over 10,000 men, women and children.

Dr Iacovou said:

“Together these findings reveal the complex influences of different family relationships on a child’s happiness.

Over the years, as Understanding Society follows the lives of families in the UK, we’ll build up an even better picture of how children’s lives are affected by all kinds of factors.

Understanding Society is really set to become a fantastic resource for anyone interested in the well-being of children.”

The study was published by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) (Ermisch et al., 2011).

9 Essential Child Psychology Studies

Why are children so depressed? Are modern parenting practices to blame? How has children’s play been ruined?

Why are children so depressed? Are modern parenting practices to blame? How has children’s play been ruined?

Children may be more depressed now than ever before.

For example, children were 5 times more likely to meet the criteria for a depressive or anxiety disorder in the year 2007 than they were in 1938.

Is the cause to be found in abuse, whether emotional or physical, or are parents damaging their children through what they believe are the ‘right’ practices?

Perhaps it is changes in technology, such as screen time, or in how children play that has affected them negatively?

Maybe the world is just a grimmer place than it was in 1938.

These and more subjects are touched on in these 9 essential child psychology studies from the members-only section of PsyBlog.

(If you are not already, find out how to become a PsyBlog member here.)

  1. Why Children Are More Depressed Than Ever Before
  2. The Worst Thing About Childhood Abuse Is The Memories
  3. Why Parents Should Show Children Their True Feelings
  4. What Happens When Parents Favour One Child Over The Others
  5. How Reading For Pleasure Affects Your IQ
  6. The Personality Trait Linked To Childhood Maltreatment
  7. This Much Screen Time Linked To Child Development Problems
  8. These Parental Personality Traits Are Linked To Children’s Success
  9. How Modern Parenting Has Ruined Children’s Play

.

Why Some Do Not Care About Politics Or Bother Voting (M)

The study may help to explain the weakening interest in politics in democracies around the world.

The study may help to explain the weakening interest in politics in democracies around the world.


Keep reading with a membership

• Adverts removed
• Cancel at any time
• 14 day money-back guarantee


Members can sign in below:

How Modern Parenting Has Ruined Children’s Play (M)

Parents are now expected continuously to watch, notice and respond to their children — which has changed how they play.

Parents are now expected continuously to watch, notice and respond to their children -- which has changed how they play.


Keep reading with a membership

• Adverts removed
• Cancel at any time
• 14 day money-back guarantee


Members can sign in below:

The Shocking Effect Of ‘Hidden’ Sibling Bullying On Adult Depression (M)

Around half of children were bullied by a sibling, sometimes with serious consequences, a study finds.

Around half of children were bullied by a sibling, sometimes with serious consequences, a study finds.


Keep reading with a membership

• Adverts removed
• Cancel at any time
• 14 day money-back guarantee


Members can sign in below: