High IQs For Rich Kids, Low IQs For Poor Kids

Apparently, that's still how it is. On average, rich kids score way better than poor kids on IQ tests.

And apparently, the big majority of people still think that this is because of genetics. That's of course a very convenient explanation, because then you really can't do much about it. If it's genetics, then it's fate, right?

In comes professor Richard Nisbett. He recently published a book on the subject and has lots of evidence that shows: the correlation between IQ and income has very little to do with genetics, and very much with early childhood influences and belief systems.

For one thing - professor Nisbett showed that if you do nothing else but teach high-school kids that they can improve their IQ and intelligence, that will motivate them to study more, which will in turn really improve their IQ. This works specially well for girls, who seem to believe that they are at a genetic disadvantage when it comes to mathematics.

Now, that shouldn't be too difficult to implement, if you think about it. Telling kids: Hey, you might not have scored the way you wanted to at an IQ test, but the good thing is, you can do something about it.

But apparently, it's too much to ask from public schools.

That's why at Supercool School, our goal is not just to provide access to education, but to make learning fun. Supercool School is about a very different mindset when it comes to learning. It's about adventures of the mind. It's about exploring possibilities. That is very different from what public schools do right now: determining limitations.

Shalom,

Ramin

Comments

[Justin]

Having money means you have the opportunity to be influenced by many more experiences that a person without means does not. Which is an indicator of environmental stimuli rather than genetics.

In the technology age that we live in, it is even easier for those that are less fortunate to get an education and make something of themselves.
Take the example of William Kamkwamba’s, the young lad from Africa who built a windmill that supplies electricity to his village. (http://www.williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/)

William is an example of someone that would not let the fact that he was poor, from stopping him from learning.

In my opinion, we place too much importance on IQ testing anyway. How many times have I come across a person with a high IQ who has done so little with what they have been given.