472031_63563649It seems like every parent wants to make their preschool child smarter these days.  Many are spending a fortune on all kinds of ‘smart’ products, such as Baby Einstein and fancy computer learning software.
These are great, but for centuries people have been making their young children smart without a lot of fuss and without breaking the bank.  Consider these 5 proven ways to make your preschool-aged child smarter in no time!

Talk to Them

Yeah, this one seems kind of silly, huh?  Well, you’d be surprised how many parents don’t spend all that much time talking to their preschool or daycare aged children each day.  Now, they’re not bad parents, they’re just busy.  And who isn’t?  What with one or more jobs, errands, chores, hobbies, friends, family, and about 100 other things it’s a wonder anything gets done at times.
Talking to children is the best way to help them develop their communication skills, foster bonds that ensure good behavior, and create in them a sense of self-worth and independence.  When you do talk to your young preschool age child always make eye contact, and as much as you can.
Eye contact reinforces in them that you’re the authority, but it’s also just a great communication tool to have.  When you can make sustained eye contact you know someone is listening and also understanding much more of what you’re saying than if they were staring off into the clouds.

Healthy Eating

It should come as no surprise that preschool children who are eating better are going to be smarter as well.  The Journal of Epidemiological Community Health did a studying showing young children eating processed and boxed-foods that are high in fats and sugars typically have slightly lower IQs, by about 2 points.
Young children than are eating healthier foods have the opposite effect.  A New York University study showed children getting fish oil which contains omega-3 fatty acids typically have IQs slightly higher than others, by nearly 4 points.
And whatever you do, don’t skimp on breakfast.  Young children eating breakfast are able to focus more on tasks throughout the day, the exact tasks that are trying to make them smarter.

Play Make-Believe

One of the best ways you can make your preschool child smarter is to play make-believe.  What’s that?  Well it’s simply making up stories when you play.
Consider when you play with Lego blocks.  You can have characters, places, and recurring themes.  You’ll notice that your child will use those names as time progresses, and even when their playing alone they’ll continue making stories.  What a way to boost creativity as well as intelligence, huh?

“Smarten Up” Your Environment

The more educationally enriching you make your home the better it will be for your child, and the smarter they’ll become.  Learning occurs everyday and in all kinds of places – your home should be one of the most important.  If you can put educational things around your home, such as fun toys or counting games it’ll be great.
But you don’t need to spend any money, either.  How about having your child count while they go up stairs?  You don’t have to do it all the time but you’re sure working on numbers.  What about having colored magnets of different shapes on the fridge?  Have your child name them off as they’re in the kitchen with you, and gradually move up to letters and then have them spell out words.

Read to Them

Reading to preschool and kindergarten age children is a great way to instill a love of reading and storytelling in them.  Children of all ages love hearing a good story and there’s no one better to tell them than you.  Make bedtime stories a regular part of your and your child’s nightly routine.  It’s a great way to bond and make your child smarter.
Don’t think you always have to be confined by the words on the page, either.  Use the pictures in the storybooks to make up your own stories as you go along.  You and your child should get quite a few laughs and thrills out of this, and soon you’ll find your child making up their own stories as they read by themselves.