Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation • Hacker News Board

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#11

Post by devindotcom » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:09 AM UTC

frankosaurus wrote: post #8

I've read many articles recently that make similar claims. Chapter 10 of NurtureShock talks about this. Anecdotally, the idea seems to be growing in popularity idea among my fellow parents. One way to capitalize on this would be to create a mobile app which functions like a pedometer, except it counts the number of words you speak to your child. Parents could talk to their kids during playtime, and the device would l…

As I read your comment I was afraid you were going to suggest an app that speaks to your child for you, but I was pleasantly surprised. I like the idea.

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#12

Post by utopkara » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:11 AM UTC

Probably any conversation is good, but conversation that carefully fuels curiosity is fun and it also induces a self-sustaining habit: http://www.jonathanmugan.com/CuriosityCycle/

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#13

Post by thenerdfiles » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:11 AM UTC

Uh.

"Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination." — L.W.

But in the end, when you've got a government solicited to diminish your powers, nothing beats a Classical education.

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#14

Post by eruditely » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:11 AM UTC

ausjke wrote: post #10

the real deep thinkers, are not necessary good at conversation I believe, actually there is a saying "the _real_ smart people don't speak much, and they usually look dumb" sorry I did not bother to read the article, the title stopped me from reading it.

>I did not bother to read the article

This is probably why you're not a 'real think er', and no I don't really agree with the article either.

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#15

Post by a3voices » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:12 AM UTC

I think it's also the same with pet dogs, at least with the intelligent breeds. If you have a border collie, talking to it a lot makes it smarter. At least it seems that way.

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#16

Post by sharkweek » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:12 AM UTC

My boss's son is one of the smartest 18 month old kids I have ever met. He communication levels are through the roof, and for words he might not be able to say, or things he might not be able to express, he knows rudimentary sign language to communicate, e.g., he has a hand signal for "I'm tired" or "I'm hungry" -- he almost never has to cry to show he needs something.

It's really quite impressive.

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#17

Post by dreamdu5t » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:15 AM UTC

Conversation or vocabulary? It seems to me they conflate the two simply because conversation time is correlated with higher vocabulary. Do the studies control for this?

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#18

Post by adventured » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:20 AM UTC

pg wrote: post #5

I don't know whether this is true, but it feels true, and I've been operating as if it were.

I've always believed smart (developed capability) is taught, and genius (typically narrow high level mental capability) is born. And that all people at birth, except the relative few born with mental handicaps, are capable of being smart.

A 100 to 115 IQ maxed out on potential and perspiration will get you very far in life.

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#19

Post by ShardPhoenix » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:20 AM UTC

clarkm wrote: post #6

pg wrote: post #5

I don't know whether this is true, but it feels true, and I've been operating as if it were.

You're right -- it feels true, which probably explains why it has so much staying power. Though the idea has been around for decades, it was really popularized by Hart and Risley in the 90s. However, it has been popping even more frequently over the past couple years. A few months ago, when a similar article ran in the New York Times, Steven Pinked opined: > The Blank Slate lives: Yet another story on parent-child co…

Just because genetics is important doesn't mean that talking doesn't help - and the difference is that talking is in the parents' control.

Re: Children aren't born smart. They're made smart by conversation

#20

Post by zizee » Wed, Oct 02, 2013, 3:25 AM UTC

clarkm wrote: post #6

pg wrote: post #5

I don't know whether this is true, but it feels true, and I've been operating as if it were.

You're right -- it feels true, which probably explains why it has so much staying power. Though the idea has been around for decades, it was really popularized by Hart and Risley in the 90s. However, it has been popping even more frequently over the past couple years. A few months ago, when a similar article ran in the New York Times, Steven Pinked opined: > The Blank Slate lives: Yet another story on parent-child co…

It's weird how people are happy to say genetics plays a hand in the limits of human abilities, but when it comes to talk about intelligence, there are so many people in denial.

Perhaps it is just that you can't sell as many self help books if a lot of our brain's wiring is preordained.