• How much is a child capable of learning before the age of six?

• What happens to a child's brain during the preschool years when the body is growing so rapidly?

• How can working parents make sure their children are getting enough mental stimulation?

• Should parents help a youngster learn to read before he or she starts the first grade?

• How can parents safely use computers and the Internet as early learning tools?

• Is a child's intelligence level actually fixed for life by inherited genes?

The late Joan Beck wrote the award-winning "You and Your Child" column for The Chicago Tribune for many years, in which she pioneered coverage of new research on brain development, the battle against birth defects, and the struggles of parents to balance family and careers-all the while, raising two children herself. Later, she became the first woman member of the Tribune's editorial board and her twice-weekly op-ed columns were syndicated in hundreds of newspapers nationwide. A member of the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame, Ms. Beck was also the author of four books: Best Beginnings, Effective Parenting, Is My Baby All Right? with Dr. Virginia Apgar, and How to Raise a Brighter Child, which has been translated into eight languages and published widely around the world.

Preface

0. Your Child's First and Best Teacher: You

1. Why You Can Raise a Brighter Child

2. How the Atmosphere in Your Home Can Foster Intelligence

3. How to Raise a Brighter Baby: The First Year of Life

4. The Insatiable Drive to Learn: Ages One to Three Years

5. How to Stimulate Intellectual Growth in Three- to Six-Year-Olds

6. Should You Teach Your Preschooler to Read?

7. How You Can Encourage Your Child to Be Creative

8. Montessori Ideas You Can Use at Home

9. Computers and Preschoolers

10. How to Safeguard Your Child's Brain

11. The Joys of Having a Bright Child

References

Bibliography