Reading-Intelligence and How to Get It-by Richard E. Nisbett
Many individuals feel that IQ is largely based on a heredity and is affected little by one's environment. After reading the Richard E. Nisbett' Intelligence and How to Get It, the environment can play a large role by providing excellent conditions for the development of intelligence.
Parents can enhance intelligence by reading to their children, asking questions while reading to engage the reader, visit museums, encourage your child at least 3 times more than reprimand, communicate with your child more than always giving directives and teach your child to be respectful, responsible and develop a high degree of character and integrity. Moveover, value academic achievement by developing a positive relationship with your child's teacher and school and challenge your child to reach excellence through education. Lastly, make sure your child visits a doctor once a year, the dentist twice a year, eat a balance diet, get enough sleep and seek mentors to improve parenting skill.
Schools can enhance intelligence by providing high quality teachers and principals in every classroom and school. In addition, the school promotes excellence by providing professional development and using data to guide and focus all decisions related to student achievement. Futhermore, schools can enhance student achievement through instructional techniques such as computer software, cooperative learning, partnership with parents, integrating problem solving techniques to improve decision making and reasoning skill and creating systems that promotes prevention and intervention that greatly decrease failure in the classroom.
If a person study the Ashkenazi Jews, a person may discover that this group "values intelligence, intellectual life, and achievement". According to the book, in many African American households, the value is usually athlete prowess, entertainment talent and street smarts over academic achievement. According to Nisbett, students in the countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan and Singapore values hard work and persistence, interdependence and collectivism while the western society mostly believe that intelligence is innate and focus on independent and individualistic traditions.
This book gives us strategies to greatly enhance our intellectual prowess. We must take advantage of these strategies in order to compete effectively in a global society. Americans cannot continue to rest on its history but develop and implement a plan that will enhance the learning experience for all people.