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Hi,

Do you send your children for tuition? These days, parents spent huge sum of money on tuition. In general, most children are sent for tuition on their weaker subjects. While some other children have tuition schedules line up everyday, including weekdays, regardless of their performance at school! It may sound ridiculous, but it is not uncommon to find such parents in the community.

Despite minimum academic supervision from me and my wife, our 7 year olds son still ranks top second in the class without tuition. I'm not writing to brag, but to point out that children probably learn better when not under pressure. Personally, I think too much tutoring would discourage independent thinking. As children are trained to depend on others instead of themselves to solve the problems. Think about it, would tutoring help your children in the long run? I believe the answer is no. It will only produce a "dependant thinkers" who only accept whatever they are taught and rarely question information or asking themselves if the information really make sense! Well, that's my two-cents worth. If you have any comments, please write to me. Ciao!

Have a great week ahead!

Best Regards,
Andrew Loh
Andrew Loh
Publisher & Editor, BrainyZine
andrew @ brainy-child.com

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The Effects of Pushing Academics Too Hard
By Peggy Tsatsoulis
Striking a balance between accepting a child's performance and pushing a child to reach a higher level can be very difficult. However, pushing too hard will impact your child negatively. Find out how to maintain a balance between setting high standards and putting undue pressure on their child here!

Second Borns - Lucky Position or Victims of Bad Timing?
By Michael Grose
Certainly second born and middle children are generally the victims of poor timing. They are born too late to get the perks and privileges of their eldest siblings and, if they have younger siblings, too early to benefit from the more relaxed style of parenting that they generally experience. Find out the different parenting experiences second born needs.

Q1: What causes a child to be gifted? Is it their environment or is it genetics?

A: This has been a long debated topic with much disagreement on either per se. Today, most of us agree that it is a combination of both, yet to what extent of each and whether each contributes equally or one is more dominant than the other. Therefore, with regards to the role of environment and genetics in the development of giftedness, the picture that emerges is rather complex. Find Dr. Sandhu's answer on Environment or Genetics contributes to Giftedness?

Q2: My son is 6 years old and was diagnosed as high functioning autistic when he was 5. He didn't start talking until he was 3, but he met all of his other milestones at the appropriate age.... Last year, in kindergarten, his reading and math scores were higher than his NT classmates. This was a surprise to us! Can giftedness come at a later age? Or is his diagnose of autism possibly masking his intelligence?

A: Read Dr. Sandhu's answer on IQ and High Functioning Autistic (HFA)

Q3: My son just turned 4 on October 06. He seems to be highly intelligent with a phenomenal memory. On the intellectual part, he readily grasps ideas and concepts. By age 2 he had about a 300 word vocabulary. Although he loves to play with other children, he will often spend an equal amount of time engaging an adult on just about any topic even while children are readily available. It's almost as if he gets bored around kids his own age. At 3 and 1/2, he took a test provided by the doctors office for 5 year olds and passed.....I'd like to find some other, maybe more in depth test to assess his IQ. Do you have any suggestions?

A: See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Visual Memory

Q4: My son Joseph is 3 and 1/2 and he learns very quickly. He is currently reading above a 1st grade level with words. He can count objects of up to 12-15 and can spell quite a few words like zoo, car cat, hat and moon. He also recognizes many words and knows shapes, all basic colors and all body parts....

A: See Dr. Sandhu's answer on Learning for a Preschooler

Can you boost your baby's brain power?
pregnancyandbaby.com Feb 14, 2006

Astonishingly, at the age of three, a child has nearly twice as many nerve connections as most adults. While the debate continues as to whether or not a child's brain continues to develop from age three to five as rapidly and efficiently as it does up to the age of three, researchers and physicians agree that stimulating or "feeding" a baby's brain has a significant impact on his brain's ability to function.

Key boost to baby brain
The Telegraph Feb 17, 2005

Seventy per cent of the human brain is developed inside the mother's womb. The remaining 30 per cent occurs in the first three years. If the child isn’t provided the right nutrients, the effect is detrimental.

In their formative years
Redwood Gazette Feb 15, 2006

Research shows that much of the brain development necessary for function later in life takes place at a very early age. By the time students enter Kindergarten, much of that development has already taken place.

Hug your child this heart day
Fredericksburg.com Feb 14, 2006

New research on brain development tells us that babies are born with millions of brain cells, but they are not yet connected the way they are in adults. These connections, or synapses, are formed through sensory experiences - touch, taste, smell, hearing, seeing. They are what make it possible for children to learn. High levels of the hormone serotonin, produced when children are loved, cuddled and cared for, enhance these connections.

New Guidelines Say Children Should Eat More Fish
PR NewsWire Feb 17, 2006

New dietary recommendations for children aged two and older issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and now endorsed as official policy by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reconfirm that fish, such as canned tuna, is a safe food that children need for optimal health during their formative years.

Mercury in fish: Be smart, eat safely
MaineToday.com Feb 14, 2006

Study after study has shown the fish tops a list of seafood containing the highest amounts of mercury, which can affect brain development in fetuses.

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