IQ

I really like this opinion piece from Kristof in the Times. That a child's IQ is highly dependent on the environment in which they are raised makes a great deal of sense to me. Frankly though, it is sad that this article still needs to be published, as though this is not bloody obvious. It is also serves as reminder as to how difficult it will be to help to children in disadvantaged situations, as well as how critical this is.

And now that I get to closely watch and observe my own children growing up, the malleability of IQ really makes intuitive sense to me. Brienna and I basically surround Aralyn and Caeden will stimulating and enriching experiences, loads of love, praise and encouragement, and with as few limits as possible. Our children don't get parked in front of a TV, instead they get their mum and dad questioning and talking with them, reading books and twisting their tongues into knots with strange and long words. And that's when they aren't in day care having to learn a whole different language or out at the zoo looking at the elephants.

So regardless of how smart, or not, Aralyn and Caeden end up, they will at least have been given every opportunity to grown and learn. But not every kid gets the same environment, nor two loving parents, nor the same stability that allows our kids to relax, be happy and just have fun exploring and playing in their little world.

To a large extent, if children grow up in difficult circumstances there is no way the state can make for up this deficit. You simply cannot have a school make up for the years of enriching experiences that you get in families when they work well. Up to this point I think that conservatives, with their theoretical focus on families, have a point.

But articles like Kristof's point out a challenge for the US. For many children in impoverished inner cities or rural areas, not only are their families failing them, but society is as well. It is now clear that intensive, dedicated, early education programs and high quality education can make a huge difference in children's lives. Unfortunately however, in practice, children in these situations often end up in extremely poor performing schools. Obama wrote about much of this in his books and it would be wonderful if, despite all the current crises, at least some progress gets made in this area.