How You Can Encourage Genius in Your Child?

We already know that all children are born geniuses. But how do we encourage our How do we make sure our child stays a genius? How do we help our child develop this genius? How can we take advantage of this "window of opportunity" to develop our child to the max? There are many things we can do, and one of the most important things we need to do is making sure we encourage creative thinking.

Helene Goldnadel says to encourage creativity; we always have to ask questions. Ask open ended questions. Depending on what you are doing, always ask your child for her opinion. "What do you think about?" Encourage your child to think about the subject, and truly listen to what she says.

Never criticize. No matter how "off the wall" your child's answer is, always sincerely listen to the answer, and ask more questions. It's OK if you are opposed to your child's opinion or idea. Don't correct her. You can ask more questions, open questions, preferably. For example: "then what would happen if?" Or "isn't it true that then would happen?". Don't try to show your child that she is wrong, don't try to add information in order to convince her otherwise. Just listen attentively, and ask more questions if appropriate.

Always encourage your child to "think outside the box". Watch your child at her play. If your child is trying to solve a problem, ask "what would you do if you didn't have". You will be surprised with the ideas your child comes up with. If your child uses a tool for a purpose - for example, your child uses a spoon for eating. Ask "What else can you use the spoon for?" This will encourage your child to get into the habit of thinking in a creative way.

Do you read to your child? When you are done reading a children's book to your child, always talk about the book. Discuss the book, and let your child express her opinion. You can ask questions about the book. Don't ask "test" questions, to see if your child has understood the book. Children dislike being tested and use their creativity to come up with the most astonishing answers.

Ask open ended questions. Like "What would you do if your were in this situation?" "Why do you think diddo what he did?" "What would be better to do?" "Who was smarter - the rabbit or the turtle?" There are many questions you can ask in order to encourage your child to think to analyze, to come up with new ideas.

Your child will enjoy talking to you, expressing her opinions, and she will enjoy the fact that you are attentively listening to her. Over time, your child will get into the habit of thinking creatively, and analyzing every situation.

There are many activities you can do with your child in order to develop her genius. The earlier you start, the more effective you will be. However, even if your child is somewhat older, it is not too late. Start now. In the resource box, you will find out what to do next.

Helene Goldnadel Thoughts on Testing Your Child at Home

By definition.... Or rather history.... the history of testing would indicate that the reason that we test was/is to determine the students' level of understanding of the given material that has been presented over a specified period of time in the classroom. Homeschool testing is quite different though. Certainly, when one teacher is assigned to teach anywhere from 15 to 30 students, testing as it is now is probably the most efficient way to accomplish this goal.

The homeschool class is different though. Very few parents stand before their kids and lecture with the expectation that the kids diligently take notes!!

With the one on one instruction that the homeschool class provides, teaching is much of the time more of an open discussion of the topic between the child and the parent. The child has all the time in the world to ask questions and seek answers and responses from the parent-teacher. In fact, as many question they need in order to get the clarification the child needs to cement the learning.

Many times a field trip to a community business, library, historical site, or museum is a great way to not only answer the question but illustrate it as well with a fun and educational outing! Don't forget children are learning all the time and the more enjoyable you can make it the better retention the child will have. This type of learning is especially effective when they can relate a field trip or an actual experience when discovering the answer.

Helene Goldnadel thinks you'll find as you implement different homeschool testing methods and ways to evaluate how well your child is absorbing the subject matter, a combination of visual and hands on learning is much more effective than solely relying on your teaching techniques. Remember, when you are evaluating how the child is doing, it is also good to keep in mind that how the child is doing is also a direct reflection on the methodology you are using as an instructor. Every child learns differently. And all new things to learn click in differently for every child. So, be pragmatic in your approach. If it works for the child - then do more and be successful.

Activities That Stimulate Early Brain Growth And Development

Everything your child sees feels, hears and experiences stimulates the brain. It's about connecting your baby with the different aspects of the world. As these connections are made the brain grows and every experience creates more connections using all of the senses.

The initial years of a child are considered the most critical in early development. Hence it's important to stimulate a child's mind at an early age. There are many pre-primary and play schools that offer a holistic environment for better growth and development. However, as a parent, you can introduce your child to certain basic activities that can help build the child's brain.

The top activities Helene Goldnadel always suggests to parents are:

Reading

A child is never too young or too old to be read to. Reading builds their vocabulary, stimulates their imagination and lays the foundation for learning. Today, there are many books available for children of all age groups. These books are written specifically for the new generation of children immersed in our technology-filled world. Choose one from them and give it to your child. You'll be surprised to know how fast they get into the material.

Writing

Encourage your child's attempts to write. If your child scribbles something and then tells you what he "wrote," take it seriously. You can even sit with your child and write some stories, songs or some beautiful phrases. Allowing them to prepare their own shopping list for the supermarket or mailing his/her (scribbled) words to Grandma is also a great writing activity. This will help your children learn that words are powerful and have a meaning.

Play

Play is not only fun, it is the fundamental way that children learn. Indoor games like mazes, puzzles, and riddles require critical thinking. It builds mental skills and enhances a child's ability to learn. On the other hand outdoor games like football, basketball, etc enhances health and social skills. Allow your child to choose his/her favorite play or game and give them time to enjoy it. It will teach them new skills, encourage the development of self-confidence and satisfy their interest in exploration.

Art and Craft

Get sheets of paper, a collection of crayons, paint, colored pencils etc and set up a space for kids that allows creative expression. More than the freedom to make a big mess - art and craft allow children to discover their inner potential and gives them endless choices to think out of the box.

Making Learning Fun for Kids Let Them Grow and Perform With Comfort

Kindergartens and preschools shape your child's abilities and prepare your little ones for ahead. It is a vital component for every child to be able to read, write and speak. The preschools make it sure that kids develop themselves with the activities so that they become self-confident while they socialize and interact with others. It should be made a fun learning experience for kids to be able to read, write and speak. They should enjoy these activities while they learn.

Since kids are at learning stage and it is natural that they make mistakes. They should be taught that all written words mean something. There is no word without meaning. With this thought, they will be able to relate that word with what they comprehended. It would be easy for them to understand different words and retain them. It is a stage where all kids learn new words and enhance their vocabulary. Kids generally make punctuation mistakes and grammatical errors. Therefore, one should be able to correct them else this would develop as their habit. Kindergartens and preschools usually give worksheets and workbooks to practice handwriting, which should be thoroughly practiced. Parents should note the improvements and get them to run-through this activity so that they develop.

When children read, they recognize letters and sounds and then join them to form a meaningful sentence. This activity takes time to develop but once your little ones are able to make out various alphabets then it becomes simple for them to connect them. You should make your child read more frequently. Try and give your child the book he/she likes to read. Also, let them learn words from poems, signs, advertisements and logos. Make them read anything they want to also help them get the right word while they pronounce these words. Note the words or pattern of words where your kids find difficulty. The more they read, the more they would learn to speak. Talk about their day or the book they read or anything they like to talk about. Develop this habit and watch about how they use the words from their reading into their speech. Keep yourself involved in their activity so that they do not get distracted and enjoy this activity. Always remember, your child will be more enthusiastic and perform seriously if you are participating. Listen to them carefully and let them mix with others. It would give them opportunities to talk and get them more involved in this activity.

Now, when the reading, writing and speaking skills are introduced in the child, it is of prime importance that you maintain that habit. Following are some tips by Helene Goldnadel that you can practice with your child:

• Encourage talking with your child and ask them lot of questions.
• Give them lots of books to read and let them narrate the story in their own words.
• You should be patient as they can take time to explain what they want to say.
• Practicing rhymes together can be of great fun.
• Listening to your child would encourage and motivate him to a great magnitude.
• Be aware of your child's reading and writing level. Do not expect miracles fortnight.

The abilities of writing, reading and speaking help a child to grow and perform in an environment. Making your child active and responsive is essentially required but it should be recollected that children will only learn when you make this learning experience as stimulating as you can!