A+ Parenting: The Surprisingly Fun Guide to Raising Surprisingly Smart Kids

Could board games and summer travel be some of the hidden keys to raising intelligent children? Moskowitz (The Education of Eva Moskowitz) is the founder/CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools, which some critics have called a test-prep factory. In this book, written with her husband, she shares surprising insights on how to raise smart kids. The focus of this volume is to help children find their own talents, and the authors advocate for challenging children and finding and emphasizing the positive, yet gently pushing toward new levels of achievement. They believe that experiencing life and appreciating art, music, and nature are just as valuable as building key skills. They recommend avoiding screen time but offer exceptions, such as watching their recommended award-winning documentaries and musicals; there’s also an exhaustive list of recommended books, audiobooks, and music. Dyslexia and other learning disabilities are addressed in detail. One limitation of the text, however, is that some ideas—travel, for example—won’t be economically feasible for all families.