Customer Reviews

Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten: Build a Better Brain and Increase IQ up to 30 Points

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've looked at a ton of books during my pregnancy, and of all of them, the two most useful, helpful ones so far are What to Expect When You're Expecting and this book, Raise A Smarter Child by Kindergarten. I think that I will return to this book again and again. In chapter 3 alone, there are over 30 activities to do with your child, with clear explanation of what to do as well as how it helps your child. The author's narrative throughout the book is not preachy and he acknowledges his own bias, but presents clear, factual support. This was definitely not money wasted (especially since at the bookstores you pay retail!).

I really enjoyed this book. There is plenty of excellent information on how to raise your own little Einstein. In a nutshell, Dr David Perlmutter (a renowned neurologist) believes that from the ages of 0 to 5 there exists a window of opportunity to optimize your child's brain. He claims 30+ additional IQ points can be earned during these critical, formative years.

Dr Perlmutter provides solid advice on nutrition, environment, games, TV, computers, video games, and more.

Some of my favorites:

* Start using a computer at age 3
* Formal music training can begin at age 4
* Video games and TV are not evil! (As long as they are controlled by the parent!)
* Focus on the creative and not repetitive, robotic memorization.
* Stay away from things such as DEET and other environmental toxins
* Go organic
* Daily multivitamin and supplements

It is slightly tacky that Perlmutter *occasionally* mentions his own brand of supplements. However, I am not sure that any competing formulations exist. Nonetheless, I will forgive him this slight negative. No biggie...

I highly recommend "Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten". Every parent should read this NOW so that they can take complete advantage of this five year window of opportunity. Your child will thank you!

Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten is perhaps the most comprehensive book I've ever seen relating to enhancing our children's intelligence and paving the way for their future success. Dr. Perlmutter, a neurologist, not only provides the activities, lifestyle recommendations anf nutritional information to build a better brain, but he goes so far as to claim that as many as 30 IQ points are up for grabs and provides the hard core science to back it up. He shows us not only how to treat ADHD without medication, but more importantly, how we can easily prevent it in the first place. His unique schedule for immunizations is especially helpful. This is very important read for all parents and future parents.

I was a bit put off by the tittle of the book at the start, thinking that it might be another one of those miracle recipes for having a brainy child. But I decided to give it a try, after reading the other reviews. Well, I'm frankly surprised not many people actually commented on this book. It's excellent! There is a load of information, all backed up with studies and scientific proof. The book is nicely organized and it was really refreshing that there is actually real practical advice on just about everything, from food to great toys that will get your baby's brain work that extra mile. You just can't go wrong with this.
I didn't give 5 stars to this book because I was really annoyed by Dr. Perlmutter's advertisements of his own products and vitamin supplements through out the book... it just makes it feel like he's looking to grab some extra bucks from you... I mean, seriously, the logo on those supplements is his own face. Creepy, huh.
Anyhow, still a great reference book and I would recommend it to anyone soon to be parent.

I am still reading this book and have been intrigued with the level of research, resources and information included in the text. It's written in a way that will educate and motivate parents or caregivers to take an active part in their children's development. Even though it's written by a neurologist, it's not overwhelming to interpret. It's a MUST read for parents; an excellent resource for parents of kids ages 0-Kindergarten.

Despite the title (which I didn't like), I thought this book was one of the better ones I've read - it was well written and fun to read and gave me a lot of ideas as to things to do and consider and taught a lot (e.g., it never for a minute occurred to me that our wooden deck (which came with the house) might be made of arsenic-treated wood that could hurt our son). As someone who reads a lot of parenting books, I can highly recommend this one as one of the best and best written!

I bought this book years ago among many other baby books. I was recently reviewing my books to find the perfect one to give my young niece who is expecting, and of all the books I've had and read, I found this one to be the best. It's full of great information, much of which I've found in many other books but this one is the most well rounded. I love the section on nutrition, as this is INCREDIBLY important to a child's development. There is a quick reference guide in the back listing foods to avoid and foods you should chose for your children, which is very easy to quickly thumb through. The author does get very in-depth and detailed when talking about how much of each vitamin and mineral your child should be getting, and it's honestly more than I will do but it is good information to have regardless, parents should be aware of all these things.

A note to the reviewer who doesn't think nutrition is important for her child's development, I'm sorry but parents have a huge responsibility of doing what's right for their children and good nutrition is extremely important and essential for development. I have studied child development quite a bit on my own and in college and something that is not disputed and has many studies backing it up, is that good nutrition is essential for optimal development. I'm sure that a doctor who studies neurology would know about the development of the human brain and what it needs to function properly. Will eating something essentially void of any nutrients (like bisquick) stunt your child's development? Probably not, but maybe if that is what your child lives on which, sadly, many do. I'm sorry if some of the information is scary but parents, especially those who are not all that health conscious, need to re-evaluate and make better choices at the grocery store. I eat so much healthier since having my son and I am very careful about what he eats but I don't go overboard, I let him eat the junk his school gives him for snack, though I do usually switch out his Halloween bag with a pre-prepared bag of somewhat healthier candy. I think it's the least parents can do (and healthy food is not always too expensive or difficult).

Sorry about that somewhat negative tone, it struck a nerve in me. I highly recommend this book, though I don't think parents should worry about who's baby is developing the fastest or what their IQ is by kindergarten. Children will develop at their own rate but this is a great tool to optimize a critical time in their development.

I loved reading this book! It had so much useful information. I would definatelly reffer to it again in time. The only downside is that it was published in 2006 and I know in the last 4 years there was some changes and new researches were done, especially what it comes to research on viccinations. I wonder if writer changed his opinion on any of the topics based on the most recent data.... If he would come out with a new edition, I would definatelly buy it again.

I have to say that as a stay at home Mommy of a 1 1/2 year old I couldn't help but wonder if I was doing all I could to help my child be the best he could be. This book was a great help to me. It was a really easy read, I think I finished it in 2 or 3 days. It is really reassuring to know what things can help my child and what can hamper him. The activities for the different age groups are a wonderful help, I keep index cards in the pages so I know right where to go when I feel like we need something educational to do. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels they would like a little guidance on what more they can do to educate their child.

I love this book. Kudos to the author for providing such insiteful information helping one to tap into the health related, learning issues of our children.