In which age to start with IQ training exc. verbal analogies?

[BarbaraH84]

What do you think, in which age we should start to train IQ abillities like verbal analogies or spatial reasoning?

I read a good age is 3 to 4 to begin with that.

Thanks for your view/position for that topic. :-)

Edited by BarbaraH84 - 6/2/11 at 5:47pm

[kathymuggle]

The idea of IQ training has me a little 

I think logic games are great from whenever your child shows interest.

[hakeber]

IQ is ameasurement of innate intelligence.  You can't train an IQ higher or lower.  You can engage in logic games from very young with things like shape sorters and other puzzles, and work into logic and language games as soon as a kid shows interest to foster any innate brainy abilities, but you can't actually increase someone's IQ.

[sapphire_chan]

IQ training? Start with good nutrition during pregnancy. Then avoid all environmental toxins, chemicals, etc. Do everything absolutely perfectly from start to finish and if you get a brilliant kid, it won't because of what you did. And if your kid has problems, it won't be because of what you did, but you'll be able to find a hundred people (mostly complete strangers who don't have the slightest idea what's actually going on with your kid) who are more than willing to blame you.

[whatsnextmom]

3 and 4-year-olds learn from play. That's how they are wired. If you want to give them the best start, read to them, take them interesting places, do regular household activities with them like cooking and sorting socks, give them lots of free time to explore and experiment, sing songs, see live performances, get out in nature, let them fail at things and learn from it. If they love word games and puzzles, great but typically, those kids seek it out as opposed to being fed it. IQ is largely genetic and barring mistreatment and neglect, will develop as it's meant too. I have two high IQ kids and it doesn't make life easier for them... they just have different challenges. It doesn't make them better... they still have messy rooms and forget their school lunch on the counter. They still bicker with their sibling and do stupid things that embarrass me lol. They learn fast but I tell you, a kid with average IQ, a good work ethic and a love for learning is real competition.

[MomtoDandJ]

I think puzzles and games are great for 3 and 4 yo kids.  I'm not sure what kind of IQ training you are talking about, though. I just take the position that the more activities and games you give your child, the more well-rounded their thought processes will be.

[ssh]

Originally Posted by BarbaraH84 

What do you think, in which age we should start to train IQ abillities like verbal analogies or spatial reasoning?

I read a good age is 3 to 4 to begin with that.

Thanks for your view/position for that topic. :-)

Neurological research has shown that a responsive nurturing parenting style, along with breastfeeding help your child reach his or her potential. Otherwise IQ isn't something you can influence. Spatial reasoning is developed by doing things that involve using spatial skills. With LOs playing with balls is great, also blocks are really good. My DD had rubber blocks and small balls at 5 months. And we let her take things apart, unless it was dangerous. Building things and taking things apart is good for developing problem solving, especially open ended building like sand structures. Unstructured building or creating involves a type of 'seeking' behavior that is the same neurologically as scientific thinking. Pretend play is great for developing an imagination. Research has shown that physical play, like wrestling with a parent, stimulates growth in parts of the brain linked to higher reasoning functions. Going on walks in the forest, planting a garden, going to zoos or aquariums can stimulate curiosity.

So to recap, children learn by playing.  As someone else said that's how they're wired. Also a nurturing responsive parenting style helps your child reach their potential.

[ChristaN]

While you likely cannot train higher intelligence as hakeber says, you can train higher IQ scores by practicing the types of tests on an IQ test, but I can't see why one would want to do that.  Getting a false number only sets the person up to be misplaced educationally and led to believe something to be true about himself that isn't so -- much like leading a person to believe that he is autistic when he is not.

Originally Posted by hakeber 

IQ is ameasurement of innate intelligence.  You can't train an IQ higher or lower.  You can engage in logic games from very young with things like shape sorters and other puzzles, and work into logic and language games as soon as a kid shows interest to foster any innate brainy abilities, but you can't actually increase someone's IQ.