Four strategies you can use to make your child smarter

Is your child particularly intelligent? In order to determine the intelligence of one's own children at an early stage, various characteristics help – this is what a study found.

Munich – Many parents want healthy, but also intelligent children. Four methods can be used to determine the intelligence of one's own offspring – at least that's what a study by the University of Bochum says.

Using a few factors to infer the child's later intelligence

The university's researchers found that premature birth or growth restriction of the fetus can lead to poorer development. The main focus is on neurocognitive development, i.e. the processing of information in the brain. As a result, this has an impact on school performance and educational success. But how can parents find out whether their own child is likely to be less intelligent than average, according to the study?

If your own child is disadvantaged from birth, strategies may be necessary to increase intelligence. © Panthermedia/Imago (symbolic image)

In their study, the researchers realized that the ratio of birth weight to head circumference can predict expected psychomotor development at the age of four. For this purpose, more than 500 infants were examined by X-raying the skulls by ultrasound. You can therefore pay attention to several factors in your infant: If the weight of your newborn baby is less than 2800 grams, it is considered underweight.

The head circumference of average newborns is between 34 and 37 centimeters. Premature babies born in the 28th week of pregnancy, for example, often have a head circumference of only 26 centimeters. The birth weight divided by the head circumference allows conclusions to be drawn about the IQ at just over four years.

Using four strategies to promote the child's intelligence

According to Arne Jensen of the University of Bochum, the early detection of these physical deficits can pass on "supportive strategies to promote school performance and later educational success". What do these strategies look like?

Learning researcher Elsbeth Stern explained four strategies to Focusonline. Parents should therefore pay attention to four different things: Teach the child to read at an early age and support them in doing so. Establish contact with peers at an early age, breastfeed your own child and praise him or her extensively. The latter motivates children to learn, which is supposed to increase their intelligence. Regardless of intelligence, however, emotional security and a loving environment are still particularly important for the development of the child.

0

Also Read

The next change in the weather is on the horizon – gloomy outlook for numerous regions

READ

Breakdown kick-off at Rock am Ring: "Embarrassing, three times today"

READ

Fatal Ironman accident: Accidents "foreseeable" according to participants – there were also concerns in advance

READ

"I don't understand Ms. Neubauer": Trigema boss Grupp responds to demand from climate activist

READ

"Unbelievable scenes": ARD commentators joke cluelessly after fatal Ironman accident

READ

Fancy a voyage of discovery?

My Area

• 1. Reading: Promotes language development and the ability to concentrate.
• 2. Contact with their peers: Children can freely share interests with each other and try things out. This supports cognitive processes.
• 3. Breastfeeding: Breast milk can be good for brain development, according to a study by The Lancet, among others.
• 4. Praise extensively: Has no direct effect on intelligence, but on motivation to learn.

Another study showed the link between fries and mental illness.