Raise a bilingual 21st century child
In my previous blog I railed against trying to create super-kids and the uselessness of hoping some simple early stimulation will enhance any of your child's long term capacities. But that doesn't mean that some interventions might not be useful, as long as you recognize that in order to be of benefit, they will need to be continued for a long time, often at least up until adolescence.
So here's my #1 suggestion for extra experiences and learning that will benefit your 21st century child: raise your child to be bilingual at an early age.
Some of the advantages of being bilingual are obvious: knowing a second language will be a huge advantage in competing for jobs in our flat world. Plus, a second language provides a more complex understanding of other countries and cultures.
Additionally, there is some evidence that learning a second language early in life confers other advantages: more of the brain's firepower is devoted to language, there may be a better ability to deal with distractions, it certainly makes it easier to learn a 3rd language, it improves attentional and spatial abilities in the elderly, it may benefit some aspects of memory, and there is improved creativity in using language.
The potential downside? Really, myths aside (such as, "bilingualism confuses kids", "bilingualism causes language delays"), there is none. Plus, you don't need to be a superstar to become bilingual. Pretty much any child without a language disability can do so with ease. And the sooner the process begins, the better.
Of course, raising a bilingual child is easy if English is not your primary language. You can and should just speak your native tongue at home from the start. Don't worry, between peers and school and the media, your child will learn accent-free English just fine.
But it's not so easy if you, like most of us hopeless Americans, are a monoglot (the wonderful term for a single language speaker that vaguely sounds like an insult). Here's what won't work: having a foreign nanny for a few years or teaching sign language at 9 months without continuing your child's immersion in that language.
You'll have to pick a language to which your child can continue to be exposed (hopefully for at least 5 hours/week), the earlier the better, for many years.
(All things being equal, I'd vote for usually choosing Spanish since so much of the U.S will be Latino by the time your child is an adult + so he can travel with ease all over Central and South America and Spain + he can order a chile relleno and know what is actually in it).
Admittedly this will take dedication on your part. Find non-English speaking families with kids who can play with your child. Learn the new language together. Watch the international TV programs in the chosen language. Most importantly, try to find a school for your child that teaches a second language from the start. If you can afford a private language school, do it.
If you can pull it off, of all the extra stimulation and experiences you may be considering for your child, becoming bilingual is, in my opinion, the most enriching one and the skill for which long term benefits are likely to be greatest.
In my next blog, I'll opine about my #2 best extra thing to do with your child.
Related Blog Entries:
Technorati Tags: 21st century child, pediatrics, bilingual, education
So here's my #1 suggestion for extra experiences and learning that will benefit your 21st century child: raise your child to be bilingual at an early age.
Some of the advantages of being bilingual are obvious: knowing a second language will be a huge advantage in competing for jobs in our flat world. Plus, a second language provides a more complex understanding of other countries and cultures.
Additionally, there is some evidence that learning a second language early in life confers other advantages: more of the brain's firepower is devoted to language, there may be a better ability to deal with distractions, it certainly makes it easier to learn a 3rd language, it improves attentional and spatial abilities in the elderly, it may benefit some aspects of memory, and there is improved creativity in using language.
The potential downside? Really, myths aside (such as, "bilingualism confuses kids", "bilingualism causes language delays"), there is none. Plus, you don't need to be a superstar to become bilingual. Pretty much any child without a language disability can do so with ease. And the sooner the process begins, the better.
Of course, raising a bilingual child is easy if English is not your primary language. You can and should just speak your native tongue at home from the start. Don't worry, between peers and school and the media, your child will learn accent-free English just fine.
But it's not so easy if you, like most of us hopeless Americans, are a monoglot (the wonderful term for a single language speaker that vaguely sounds like an insult). Here's what won't work: having a foreign nanny for a few years or teaching sign language at 9 months without continuing your child's immersion in that language.
You'll have to pick a language to which your child can continue to be exposed (hopefully for at least 5 hours/week), the earlier the better, for many years.
(All things being equal, I'd vote for usually choosing Spanish since so much of the U.S will be Latino by the time your child is an adult + so he can travel with ease all over Central and South America and Spain + he can order a chile relleno and know what is actually in it).
Admittedly this will take dedication on your part. Find non-English speaking families with kids who can play with your child. Learn the new language together. Watch the international TV programs in the chosen language. Most importantly, try to find a school for your child that teaches a second language from the start. If you can afford a private language school, do it.
If you can pull it off, of all the extra stimulation and experiences you may be considering for your child, becoming bilingual is, in my opinion, the most enriching one and the skill for which long term benefits are likely to be greatest.
In my next blog, I'll opine about my #2 best extra thing to do with your child.
Related Blog Entries:
Technorati Tags: 21st century child, pediatrics, bilingual, education
