by Mattie Mutare

Created on: December 30, 2008

How to develop intelligent children: the way we are trying to do it and the results so far.

Every parent wants their child to grow up intelligent and wish they could influence this. In most cases this wish remains just that, a wish, and whether the child who is conceived, born and raised is intelligent or not remains a hit-or-miss affair. When I met my future wife, aged sixteen at the time and I was seventeen, we decided that we would take as many steps as necessary in attempting to influence the development of our future children. Now I am 43 and my wife 42 and we have two daughters aged 12 and 10 who are extremely intelligent. Here is what we did:-

(1) Pursued careers that allow us to directly participate in our children's learning.

When we finished high school, my wife took a teaching course and qualified to teach pupils from preschool to pre-University. I took an engineering degree, developed my electronics hobby into a second career in computer science and qualified to be an adjunct lecturer at a university.

(2) Found reliable literature on child development and imbibed the knowledge.

(3) Delayed marriage until we were fully mature and financially sound.

We dated for ten years before getting married when I was 28. By then we were both working, had a car and a fully-furnished house of our own with no mortgage on it.

(4) Delayed having children, though married, until we were emotionally stable.

We had fun for three years before having our first child when I was 31. By then we had smoothened out the rough and tumble of getting married.

(5) Made an early start on creating an extensive physical book library.

We bought a large number of assorted books for our future children to develop a reading culture early.

(6) Made an early start on creating a home computer/technical room.

We created a room with seven networked computers plus extensive gadgetry and toys to develop curiosity and technical enquiry with (immersive learning).

(7) Made an early start in communicating with the unborn child.

I started talking to the unborn child three months after my wife was confirmed pregnant. I would also play soft music from time to time. I could vouch that from the seventh month onwards the child seemed to kick in response when spoken to.

(8) Made thorough preparations for birthing.

We read lots of literature about birthing and the preparation of the birth canal to reduce the birthing trauma on the child. I attended their birth and the doctor involved me fully.

(9) Made an early start on

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