1.Your child should be getting a good night’s sleep. 

According to “NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children”, a book by science journalists Ashley Merryman and Po Bronson, a loss of one hour of sleep can cause the loss of two years-worth of education and cognitive growth. Specific to teens, the difference between A and B students may be 10 points, however a distinction between the two grades can also be divided based on the amount of sleep a teen has. The sleep difference between A and B students is a meager amount of 15 minutes, with the A students getting 15 minutes more of sleep. This pattern continues down the chain of letter grades as well, making it clear that even 15 minutes of sleep can impact students. Both of these studies have been discussed and talk about more in detail in “NurtureShock”. The studies both show that sleep has a great effect on academics and proves to be a catalyst for becoming smarter.

2.Your child should be exercising regularly.  

Even though many may not correlate physical activity with intelligence, studies show that vocabulary comprehension speed increases by 20% when one engages in a good amount of physical activity. From a 2007 research study conducted by German researches, the data shows that humans acquire vocabulary words 20% faster when they maintain a fit lifestyle, with a good amount of physical activity. In addition to this study, another study from “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” explains their results of an experiment which tested a group of volunteers on a three-month exercise program to see the correlation between physical exercise and intelligence. The results show that their memory increased by 30% after completing the program. Scientifically, the amount of blood-flow to the brain (part that is focused on learning and retention of material) increased by 30% after the volunteers participated in the program. Both of these studies show that exercise is an efficient and effective to increase intelligence and should be implemented along with other tips to maximize proficiency in studies. 

3.Your child should be self-disciplined and persevering. 

It is also extremely important for your child to be self-driven, and this quality is the most important when it comes to being successful, even after completion of school. This means that kids should not have to depend on their parents or teachers about their grades or schoolwork, but rather the initiative should come from the student. It has been seen that students who are more self-driven are more likely to get higher grades. The concept of being self-driven can include behaviors such as being attentive and participating in class, distributing a good amount of time to homework, and being accountable and responsible for one’s own schoolwork. It is also equally as important for students to be persistent. Challenges are inevitable and perseverance is a necessary quality to have when it comes to overcoming these roadblocks. This quality is yet another trait that is known to bring people success, in a variety of instances.  

 4.Your child should have a limit on technology and also use technology to work their brains. 

Technology, a growing part of society today, is, and will continue to be, important, however limitations must be set for children, for the sake of their health and productivity. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that screen time should be reduced to 2 hours per day for entertainment purposes. If children long to be on technology more than 2 hours, they should use additional screen time to code or program. This is suggested because these activities work the brain and teach children how to overcome problems with the right attitude, which can benefit children at school as well. Excessive usage of technology has the potential to disrupt regular sleep patterns, injure the brain, and more, so even though technology is fascinating and evolving in unique ways today, technology limitations for children must be set and use of technology should be rerouted to more productive activities using technology.  

 5. Your child should have a positive and happy attitude! 

What’s the biggest advantage and head-start to getting success? A positive attitude. It is as simple as that, or so it seems. Students today, future employees tomorrow, happiness will come in handy in both these instances, and can be applied in all instances. It is stated that happier people are more likely to be successful at their job compared to those who express negative emotions. This same example can be cross applied to the example of school as well, meaning kids who show more positivity about school are more likely to be successful compared to kids who are unhappy. Simply put, children who are happy have more potential to be successful than those who are not.