No Kidding:
How Parents Can Help
Boost Kid IQ Scores

Kid IQ is an important factor in determining an individual's potential as an adult. IQ demonstrates a person's ability to process information, and to solve problems effectively. A high child IQ test score is no guarantee of a carefree, happy adulthood, but it can be useful in terms of determining what kinds of educational approaches will be most appropriate for a child.

A person's IQ certainly isn't carved in stone, and can change throughout the course of their lives, but a kid IQ score is a good indication of the child's chances for academic success as they age.

The IQ tests children take are designed to measure the skills they possess at a particular age. Kid IQ tests for very young children focus mainly on pictures, and will measure spatial perception and other talents. But as kids age, their child IQ score will be based on more complex tasks that evaluate language and math skills. Once you know your kids' IQ test score, you might want to learn what kind of careers they might eventually pursue.

What Determines IQ?

There are many IQ tests for children available online that can help you measure your child's current IQ. But chances are, it's not too late to start taking steps to help increase your child's IQ.

How Can Parents Help Increase
Child IQ Test Scores?

Diet - Pregnant women can help give their children a head-start by consuming a diet rich in folic acid and choline. Studies have suggested that women who take supplemental choline during pregnancy can ease their child's way for learning later in life -- effectively boosting a child's intelligence. And other studies have indicated that a women's hormone levels and the amount of iodine and even fish in their diets can affect kid IQ.

Kids who are breastfed have been speculated to enjoy a 10-15 point boost in kid IQ test scores, perhaps because of the omega-3 fatty acids found in breastmilk. This premise, though, has been debated by many in the scientific community.

A diet rich in the B Vitamins -- often called the Brain Vitamins -- has also been shown to be useful in optimizing IQ potential and brain function. community.

Environment - Scientists have speculated that IQ levels have risen in recent years in part because of environmental factors like lower exposure to lead and mercury. The use of unleaded fuels has been speculated as being partially responsible for higher kid IQ test scores. community.

Intellectual stimulation - Children who are in environments that encourage learning do better than children who do not have a supportive learning environment. Kids who are in accelerated, head-start learning programs are twice as likely to have high IQ levels compared to other children. community.

Providing stimulating toys and books and encouraging children to be socially mature can go a long way to boosting kid IQ.

Encouraging learning - A study at Harvard University showed that children who were given an opportunity to explore and examine their home environment, and who were talked to by their parents, were given a significant intellectual advantage. community.

The Sound of Music - One particularly famous study established the Mozart Effect by demonstrating that children who were exposed to classical music improved their performance on some tests, albeit modestly. Some experts argue that listening to music improves spatio-temporal reasoning -- though the effect is not thought to be long lasting.

To keep your child's left and right brains in balance, you might want to encourage their artistic pursuits. You can learn more about ways to encourage your child's interest in Anime and art here.