6 keys to raising brilliant children, according to developmental psychologists

• Sarah Kramer, Tech Insider

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Most parents want their kid to be brilliant, but no one has quite landed on a formula to raise an intelligent and successful adult. (Spoiler alert: These tips might help, but there are no guarantees, whatever your formula.)

The authors of a new book,"Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children," have put together a framework based on their own experiences with children and evidence gathered from years of research in child development.

Co-authors Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff, both developmental psychologists, are interested in how to get kids to succeed not just academically, but as human beings.

The things memorized facts can't teach you, according to the authors, are exactly what children really need to move forward in a world that's continually being restructured by information, advancement, and technology.

"We need to change the whole definition of what success in school, and out of school, means," Hirsh-Pasek told NPR, where we first heard of their book.

She and Golinkoff created a six-point "21st-century report card:" skills kids should be developing in order to be successful later on. Beyond the three Rs, parents and schools should also be focusing on what they call the six Cs:

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1) Collaboration needs to be encouraged very early on

"Collaboration is everything," Hirsh-Pasek told NPR.

Learning to understand and work with the needs of others, she said, is the first step toward success. "Everything we do, in the classroom or at home, has to be built on that foundation."

As the authors write in their book, "no one can fiddle a symphony."

2) Emphasize communication skills — that includes speaking, writing, reading and listening

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Communication, Hirsh-Pasek said, includes "speaking, writing, reading and that all-but-lost art of listening."

These skills are critical for learning and developing an understanding of anything at all.

3) If your kids nail communication, they should be able to pick up content ranging from science to math to arts more easily

Once communication is nailed, Hirsh-Pasek says that you can use those language skills to learn content. That includes science, math, arts, and so much more.

But many students will struggle with these subjects if they haven't first learned how to collaborate and communicate effectively. 

4) Get them thinking critically about what they're learning

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Critical thinking, the authors say, kicks in when it's time to understand the implications of content: to solve problems and analyze what you're learning.

"You learn Columbus discovered America, then you learn that there are alternative narratives — the Native Americans already lived here," Golinkoff told NPR. "This is kind of when critical thinking starts."

5) Encourage creative innovation, where kids test the boundaries of ideas and logic

This is a higher-order skill, and one that needs to be solidly built on the other Cs. Once a child understands critical thinking, they can test the boundaries of ideas, logic, and invention.

"Creative innovation requires knowing something," Hirsh-Pasek explained. "You can't just be a monkey throwing paint on a canvas."

6) Build up their confidence so they'll feel comfortable taking risks

"You have to have the confidence to take safe risks," Hirsh-Pasek told NPR, something that's increasingly difficult in environments like modern schools, which have what some researchers have identified as a "surplus safety" problem. 

Safety is good, but children need to build enough confidence to explore, to assess risks, and to challenge themselves.

Golinkoff agreed: "If we don't rear children who are comfortable taking risks, we won't have successes."