How to Raise a Brighter Child (Paperback)

by Joan Beck (Author) "How much is your child capable of learning before he's six years old and ready for first grade?..." (more)
Key Phrases: creative youngster, reading strips, learning stimuli, United States, University of Chicago, University of Illinois (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

THE LATEST STUDIES PROVE SOONER IS SMARTER

How much is a child capable of learning before the age of six?

What happens to a child's brain during the preschool years when the body is growing so rapidly?

How can working parents make sure their children are getting enough mental stimulation?

Should parents help a youngster learn to read before he or she starts the first grade?

How can parents safely use computers and the Internet as early learning tools?

Is a child's intelligence level actually fixed for life by inherited genes? You'll find the answers to these and hundreds of other vital questions in this revised and updated edition of this classic parenting guide. How to Raise a Brighter Child incorporates groundbreaking scientific findings on brain development to help you boost your child's potential from birth. Discover specific early learning techniques to aid your child's development of his or her mind -- in his or her own personal style and at the appropriate speed. These are not formal lessons. Most are fascinating games. And they work!

About the Author
The late Joan Beck wrote the award-winning "You and Your Child" column for The Chicago Tribune for many years, in which she pioneered coverage of new research on brain development, the battle against birth defects, and the struggles of parents to balance family and careers -- all the while, raising two children herself. Later, she became the first woman member of the Tribune's editorial board and her twice-weekly op-ed columns were syndicated in hundreds of newspapers nationwide. A member of the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame, Ms. Beck was also the author of four books: Best Beginnings, Effective Parenting, Is My Baby All Right? with Dr. Virginia Apgar, and How to Raise a Brighter Child, which has been translated into eight languages and published widely around the world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; Revised edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671035754
• ISBN-13: 978-0671035754
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #385,462 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reading for all parents, September 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Raise a Brighter Child (Paperback)

This book gently encourages and guides parents to stimulate their children's intellectual development - without pushing, without pressure. The authors emphasize that the aim of early learning is to raise happier children, not to turn them into geniuses or protegees. I particularly enjoyed the recommended activities, toys and other resources. This book taught me how to talk, listen and play with my child. In just a few days, my husband and I observed how our 4-yr-old's daughter simply exploded and her inquisitiveness and creativity bloomed. I wish I had read this book much earlier. In addition, the authors don't add to my guilt of being a working mother. Rather, they emphasize and any parent, even single mothers, can give their children early learning. This book has also reinforced my decision to teach my child to read at home (using "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons), a decision that I was not very confident about previously. Now I know that teaching my daughter to read is one of the best gifts we could ever give her. The small text, newsprint and unimaginative layout do not make for easy reading, however. Nevertheless, I have and will continue to give copies of this book as baby shower gifts to all my pregnant friends.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The MOST important book I've read, March 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Raise a Brighter Child (Paperback)

Absolutely invaluable. Shows the crucial importance of early mental development and how to stimulate it in your child. Countless examples of how to direct your child's natural curiosity. Explains why first 6 years of life are perhaps the most important for intellectual developoment, and how those years can give a child a "leg up" that lasts a lifetime.

Our son learned his alphabet by 20 months, knew phonetics by age 3, and was reading short words just before his 4th birthday. He teachers regard him as one of the happiest and brightest children they've encountered.

After this book, I'd recommend "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons" by Englemann as a great follow up.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The missing "owner's manual" for your child!, January 13, 1998

By	Bev's Books ([e-mail]) (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Raise a Brighter Child (Paperback)

I was a young new mom and scared to death when the doctors told me that my new baby MAY be slightly learning disabled and in need of surgery to correct a very rare birth defect.

I read every book I could find concerning the brain, its function, learning, IQ, etc..., determined to help my baby as best I could. "How To Raise A Brighter Child" saved me much grief and gave me confidence that no matter what my son's future, I felt armed with the skills to give him a better chance of being as normal a kid as he could possibly be.

At present, my son is a happy, heathly, handsome, bright and very NORMAL teenager. He has won both academic and sports related awards to attest to his mental and physical capabilities. The surgery turned out (with much praying) to be nothing more than a cosmetic correction.

The book helped me to appreciate just how much and how fast a baby learned, that its IQ was established before school age, and how much a parent can do to easily help it learn more. This book IS the missing 'Owner's Manual' for a new baby. I have given a copy to every first time parent I have ever met (instead of the traditional pair of crochet booties).