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TELEVISION

Scientific Secrets for Raising Kids Who Thrive

From Tummy Time to Tae Kwon Do

Series: Great Courses

3.7

(13)

Episodes

Rating

TVPG

Year

2014

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

Parenting is immensely rewarding and yet frequently challenging. Unlike books filled with conflicting guidance or purely anecdotal advice from other parents, this course provides you with a trustworthy, evidence-based perspective to parenting children from their first week home and beyond. Professor Vishton delivers insights from his own experience as a father, as well as his first-hand research.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. Self-Control

30m

Start by considering physical activities that can contribute to mental development; for instance, the value of getting kids involved in activities that promote self-awareness and self-control such as tae kwon do or yoga. Learn principles of science that should be kept in mind when sifting through the flood of available advice and information about parenting.

2. Seeing, Hearing, Thinking, Learning Infants

30m

Can infants do math? Is there a window of early brain development that - if missed - can doom a child to a life of mediocrity? Explore the wealth of evidence suggesting that even very young infants are seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling beings, and gain tips for creating enriching experiences for your baby.

3. Sleep

30m

Here, get tips for making sure your baby - and you - get all the sleep you need. Learn simple ways to comfort a newborn, methods for training your baby to self-soothe, and measures to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Discover sleep's relationship to cognitive development and the importance of a consistent bedtime.

4. Healthy Eating Habits for Life

30m

How do you get your child to eat vegetables? Gain tips for dealing with finicky eaters, and encounter several studies that have revealed your body can tell you what it needs. Exposure to a nutritious food - even if your child doesn't enjoy it now - increases his or her future desire for it.

5. Baby Talk, Sign Language, and Speech

30m

Teaching your baby sign language can help her communicate long before she speaks her first word. Learn simple signs you can teach your baby, plus other tips for promoting language development, including why you should begin having "conversations" with your baby right from birth and reasons you should use "Motherese" when you do.

6. Shaping Behavior

30m

As you turn to the science of molding the behaviors of children, discover why reward and punishment - while intuitive strategies - can produce less than optimal results. Learn what the research says on why hitting doesn't work as a behavioral deterrent and produces major side-effects down the road.

7. Which Style of Parenting Is Best?

30m

Over time, parents develop a style of interacting with their children that drives moment-to-moment decisions and the children's overall development. Here, the professor presents research conducted on parenting styles and what it suggests about how your own style can affect your child's behavior, social and cognitive development, and even long-term happiness.

8. The Joy of Reading and the Place of Phonics

30m

Get evidence-based tips for teaching your child to read and develop a love of reading, including moving past phonics quickly and reading aloud to your children even after they're capable of reading on their own. Consider whether to use pop-up picture books and how educational television can benefit children in the "prereading" phase.

9. IQ Hazards and Boosting Intelligence

30m

Despite their numerous flaws, IQ tests can influence the trajectory of a child's life. Discover why you should remain skeptical of such assessments while learning how you can give your child an early leg up so she achieves high scores. Also get ideas promoting learning and achievement regardless of test results.

10. Enhancing Your Child's Memory

30m

How is ability to remember several numbers in a row a good predictor of school success? Get an introduction to the principles of human memory function and tips for teaching kids how to make better use of the working memory capacity they naturally possess, including the use of rehearsal, visual imagery, and mnemonic devices.

Extended Details

SeriesGreat Courses

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Peter M. VishtonWriter

Peter M. VishtonActor