I'm not sure if there are any threads like this, already, but...
I picked up a bunch of books from the library the other day. I m doing research for articles I am writing for my early learning website. One of the books I came across was Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten and claimed 30 IQ points were up for grabs.
I don't know if those IQ points are cumulative like that, but I certainly believe IQ can be improved with the right environment / diet / nurturing.
He maintains that we are all born with genes to learn (I guess some have genes that give them the potential to have very high IQs or low IQs.) The right environment, diet, and stimulation causes those genes to be "turned on" (or keeps "bad" genes from getting turned on, at least.)
He focuses mostly on 0-3 years old when we know the brain is making a lot of connections.
This stuff is not only in his book, but in most of the other books I picked up. I've come across this stuff over and over as I've done my research.
Things that might improve IQ:
*breastfeeding (I know not everyone thinks breast milk boosts IQ, but I do. It makes sense that getting less than optimum nutrition might cause the brain not to develop "optimally". Formula doesn't come close to breast milk yet because we don't even know everything that is in breast milk, plus breast milk is living tissue.)
*Stimulating learning activities (I remember learning how if a baby has cataracts, her brain will sacrifice the brain cells used to see and that can impair vision for the rest of the baby's life, which is why they remove them very early now. So it makes sense to do activities that stimulate and reinforce connections in the brain.)
*Nutrition after breast milk (Same premise as breast milk.)
*Music / Playing an instrument
*Creating a prepared environment so your child has a lot of opportunities to learn.
*Limit TV.
*Keeping toxic chemicals out of your home as much as possible.
I mostly see it as helping your child to fulfill whatever their genetic potential is (both in their ability to think and learn and also overall health), not necessarily give kids a magical 30 extra IQ points out of nowhere.
What do you think?
PS. This isn't a blame the mother / father thread where I'm trying to make people guilty for formula feeding or turning on a TV. I was hoping that wouldn't happen in this forum. I've seen it happen in other places. I'm interested in the scientific basis of these ideas, and not how they make people feel.
