How to raise a genius - or at least a B-plus student - Parenting

Ebony, August, 2002 by Kimberly Davis

IT'S never too early or too late for a parent to become a teacher. In this age of teacher accountability, endless school testing, increased pressure and competition, and the proliferation of "educational" toys, too many people forget that success begins at home.

And if you think you've got the next great novelist or mathematical mind, then you've got to step up to the computer screen and spend time getting to know your child's educational needs and desires, as well as finding out how he or she learns.

And while there is no foolproof formula for raising a smart child, experts do offer strategies and tips for parents looking to take an active role in their child's educational life.

Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and co-author of Beating the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Males and Overcoming the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Young Women, says that in the interviews he and his co-authors conducted, the overwhelming factor in their children's academic achievement was that parents inspired and envisioned their children's success. They thought and talked about what would be required to have a successful child.

"It just makes such a difference when there's someone in that house working to relate to that child and inspire that child," Hrabowski says. "These parents [of the high achievers discussed] are really inspirational in their commitment to their children."

Understand how your child learns

Professor Barbara T. Bowman, one of the faculty founders of Chicago's Erikson Institute, an independent institution of higher education that prepares child development professionals for leadership, says that Black children must learn in two different cultures--the African-American culture in which they live and the mainstream culture on which school and education are based.

Black parents, she says, must help their child function and live in two different cultures. Bowman also says the relationship between children and their parents is critical. "It is the early responsiveness of the caregiver to the infant's behavior that creates a sense of well-being and optimism that affects the child's interest in learning," says Bowman, who served as president of the institute from 1994 to last year. "Children who like and want to please the adult learn better what the adult wants them to learn."

Listen to your child

The basic theme or truth is that the child should be placed at the center, what Hrabowski calls "child-focused love."

From the time you find out that you're going to have a baby, you do everything possible, he says, to ensure that your child has a long physically, emotionally, spiritually and academically healthy life. You should encourage curiosity by taking seriously the questions that your child asks.

The Sidneys, a Chicago family who live in the city's South Shore area, are committed to helping their son, Julian Crawford, grow in a way in which his intelligence continues to thrive. The 6-year-old Julian Crawford will be entering first grade and is in the gifted program at Andrew Carnegie Elementary School. His parents, Tommy and Felecia Morelon Sidney, knew early on that their child was very bright and set in motion a plan to make sure he had all that he needed to develop.

Julian Crawford's mother took early retirement from Ameritech to stay at home with him and work on his reading and communication skills. His grandmother Zelia Morelon, who taught school some years ago, started teaching her grandson the alphabet at a very early age and continues to work with him. Father Tommy, an electrician with strengths in math and science, plays games with his son, reads with him and coaches his T-ball team.

The Sidneys believe that if their son has family support and leads a balanced life, the academics are going to come more easily for him. That's why he also swims, takes karate lessons and spends time at the library.

"It's one word--time," says Morelon Sidney, who works part time for the public school system. "Our time is dedicated to working with Julian."

Pay attention to your child's homework

Don't just ask, "Have you done your homework?" Ask, "May I see your homework?" Also find out if your child had any problems with the day's assignments and provide extra help for him or her if needed. Make sure your child is challenged in his or her work.

Don't leave your child's education to others, specialists suggest. When you know that you're expecting a child, you should start preparing to ensure that your child gets a quality education. Find good schools with good teachers who get the support they need from the administration. Find out what books you need to read to understand your child's development.

And when your son or daughter does start school, get copies of the lesson plans and work at home to ensure that your child stays on track.

"Most parents are not prepared," says Claude A. Mayberry, a lifetime science educator and president of Science Weekly. "They become totally dependent upon a school to educate their child."