Sunday, May 30, 2010

The Smarter Preschooler: Unlocking Your Child's Intellectual Potential Book Review


We made the decision to send our daughter to preschool this fall.  At home, I try to encourage her interest in anything and everything.  I want my daughter to have a thirst for learning.  When I was sent the book The Smarter Preschooler: Unlocking Your Children's Intellectual Potential by Renee Mosiman M.A. and Mike Mosiman, I couldn't wait to start reading.  As parents, we are always striving to help our children get on the right path even before they start school.

Ever seen Nursery University on television?  Ironically, it is on as I am writing this.  Shelling out 10s of thousands of dollars for preschool is not unusual in NYC. We planned on shelling that out for college, not preschool. Do we really need elite preschools and tutors to give our children an edge? 

The answer if your wondering, based on research, seems to be no.  They have us, their parents, to educate them. We are their role models.

Th authors behind The Smarter Preschooler  have done copious amounts of research and given the practical applications of this research for parents. It is us as parents who help influence our children's intellectual, emotional, and social development long-term. 

It is a very down-to-earth book full of ideas of things that we do as parents daily to teach our kids.  First and foremost, it is about how we as parents can get our kids on the right path to being lifelong learners by fostering our children's curiosity when they are with us.

Here are some things I learned:
*Children are more socially adjusted later if parents are involved in choosing their companions as preschoolers.
*What children can learn from computer software may be beneficial but its benefits are limited at times and may have a negative impact.
*The relationship between a child and his or her mom makes the most difference in their literacy skills.
*Quality time is any time where you are engaging with your child.
*Read with your child at least 30 minutes a day (not necessarily consecutively).
*If your child has a larger vocabulary than they will have better reading comprehension in grades 1-6.
*Talking about past events will improve your child's memory skills.
*If your child begins to learn a second language after the age of seven, their ability to sound like a native speaker decreases.  When they reach 15 they most likely will not sound like a native speaker.
*There are 4 types of play: pretend, practice, construction, and game play.
*When at home, your child learns from cooking, gardening, laundry, mail, and chores.
*Listening to music has short-term benefits while music training may have long term benefits in preschool and elementary age children.
*Have set snack and meal times (and eat at the table) to help teach self-control with food and to decrease nibbling.
*There are positive and negative aspects to sending your child to preschool.

This book is a must-have for any parent with preschoolers. The authors used everyday language so the book did not read like a textbook and it was an enjoyable and quick read. They also offer lots of realistic and easy to do activities and examples of toys to use with your child.

To purchase the book, visit their website or Amazon.  Follow The Smarter Preschooler on Facebook or twitter.

*I was provided a copy of this book in order to write a fair and accurate review. No other compensation was or will be received.

8 comments:

Erin said...

This sounds like an excellent book. My three year old has been going to school two days a week this year and I was trying to find a three day a week program. Maybe I'll just buy this book and leave it at two.

Thanks!

Liz Mays said...

What a great review! I particularly enjoyed the points you listed at the end. There is a TON of info in that book!

parenting ad absurdum said...

Thanks for the great information. I'm so glad other people read these books and tell me what they say ;).

Lourie said...

Where was this book when eldest was 3-4? It's never too late tho. I have one left. Great review.

Emily said...

This sounds like a great book and, With a preschooler and a toddler in my house, it's something I definitely want to read. Thank you!

Stopping by from SITS!

Unknown said...

I loved reading what you learned. We are doing a lot it. I hadn't thought much about the music area. Stopping from SITS!

Joanne said...

I read to my children since they were infants, and now at college age, they are lifelong readers, loving it, sharing the same books with me. It's a great bonding experience too!

TheSmellyArmpit said...

This is great info! I always have mommy guilt about whether or not I'm giving my little boy enough time or the right kind of learning stuff or whatever. (ok mommy guilt is always upon me LOL) Anyway, just bought a book for craft activities for the summer and it's been great!

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