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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1963)
You Can Raise r Your Child's IQ A study shows that there are, "risers" and "downers" in intellectual abilities and parents determine which is which WOULD YOU like to raise your child's intelligence quotient? It's quite possible to do just that. Your child's ability to think, like his ability to use his muscles, can change quite drastically . Whether his IQ goes up or down depends to a large extent on the way you treat him. During the past 30 years scientists at the Fels Research Institute for the Study of Human Development have been carefully watching and measuring the physical and psychological growth of more than 400 normal children. The purpose of the study was to find scientific answers to Borne questions every parent asks about his own child: How is-his personality molded by early experience? What kind of upbringing can give the child the beat chance of becoming nn intelli gent man or woman? One of the important findings emerging from our study is the fact that n child's intelligence is not the fixed quality so many parents assume it is. On the contrary, IQ can increase as much as 50 points from a normal score to one typi cally associated with genius. Or it can fall from near-genius levels to mediocrity. We have found that the children who have large IQ increases the risers were all treated in a certain way by their parents and have a By LESTER W. SONTAG, M.D. Director, Fals Research Institute, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio similar kind of personality. The children who show loss of IQ the downers typically had a different kind of upbringing and a different kind of personality. The life histories of two subjects, John and Paul, show what a profound effect home life has on mental development and offer some object lessons which you may find useful in raising your child's IQ. One subject, Johnny, was conditioned to strive for self-reliance and mastery of his surround ings while the other subject, Paul, was condi tioned to remain passive and dependent. For Paul's mother, feeding was a job of get ting a certain amount of food into her baby's mouth and making sure he swallowed it. Any at tempt to feed himself was firmly discouraged. JOHNNY'S mother encouraged her baby to han dle his cup and spoon and didn't mind when his fingers made a mess. She noticed the gleam of triumph in Johnny's eyes when the dripping spoon of cereal he had been waving before his face finally reached his mouth. Once when Paul was in his playpen he tried to reach some beads at the top of the railing. His mother jumped up and handed him the beads: "You know you can't stand yet," she said. "Do you want to hurt yourself?" When Johnny was the same age, his mother noticed that he started trying to crawl up the stairs. Instead of rescuing him she told a guest, "Let's see if he makes it this time." When the guest regarded her questioningly, she said, "Go on, Johnny. I'm right here behind you." 'The child scrambled confidently up the rest of the stairs. In growing up, Paul seldom played with other children. He was reluctant to play alone unless he knew his parents or other adults were nearby. He had few childish enthusiasms, and his feel ings were easily hurt. He was given to sulking and temper tantrums. ON THEIR FIRST IQ TESTS given when they were three, Paul scored 145 to Johnny's 123. At four, Paul started a gradual decline in IQ while Johnny began to rise. At six, when they entered the first grade, Paul scored 134 to Johnny's 131. By 12 years of age, Paul had fallen to 113 while Johnny had soared to 152. - What did Johnny have that Paul lacked? The Fels researchers found at least a dozen person ality traits which are typical of risers like John ny. They all boil down to the need to solve one's own problems. The drive to independence is found in every normal baby. It starts almost from the moment of birth. It is the infant's way of coping with the primitive, undefined anxiety that comes from complete helplessness. ( Continued on page ID COVER: Kids love to ham it up, whether they're being funny, frantic, or iust wistful (iJIre this charmer caught by Phoebe Dunn.Children's IQs are discussed in story above. Family W&oJcly November 17, 19G2 LEONARD t. DAVIDOW President and PuNnnrr WALTER C. DREYFUS A Mortal? Publisher PATRICK E. OHOUtKE Kxerutire Vice Prmdmt and Advertising Director WILLIAM V. HUSSEY Atvrrtine Manager MORTON FRANK Director o PublMier Relations Advertising and businoss offkot 153 N. Michigan Avt., Chicago 1, III Editorial oHicO! 60 E. 56th St., Now York 22. N. Y. ERNEST V. HEYN Edilor-in-CMr EN KARTMAN fiiertitive i'dilor ROBERT FtTZOIUON Managing Editor PHILLIP DYKSTRA Art Director MELANIE DE PROFT Food Krfttor Rosalvn Abrovava. Ardon Eidoll. Hal I Jack Ryani Poor J. Opponhotmor, Hollywood. ". POCESSINO AND ROOKS, INC., 153 N. Michigan A..., Chicago 1, III. All rights resorvod. .
