Smart Babies Documentary Analysis
Reflection Paper on the documentary “Smart Babies”The film focused on the popular issue concerning parents and children these days that is,creating a genius or producing smart kids. The hot housing technique advocated by Mr. Domanof the Better Baby Institute in Philadelphia is particularly considered and analyzed in the video.The hot housing program involves continuous exposure of a child to materials that theysay will provide mastery of a subject. Basically, they focus on Maths, Reading, PhysicalDevelopment and Music. These materials mostly include flash cards, pictures and classicalmusic CD’s. On how they do it, it seems like everyone else begins with the flash cards. For instance, the parents would like the child to master or memorize all
the presidents of the UnitedStates of America, she would regularly show the pictures of the presidents and say their names.It should be done on a regular basis everyday even if the child may not seem to be paying muchattention. This can be done even with babies. Their argument is based on three claims. First,they argue that the more you stimulate the brain, the larger it grows and the more knowledge itcan accommodate. They also claim that there are critical periods to learning and that if you donot take advantage of this period (birth -6 years), the child is less likely to learn more skills.Lastly, they believe that providing an enriched environment increases synaptic connections in the brain which they believe is an indication of high intelligence.These claims however, were somewhat refuted when children who went through hothousing as a toddler were again asked to identify the pictures they used to memorize when theywere still young. Most kids failed to do so. Aside from that, the Better Baby Institute could notname a child genius who is a product of their hot housing technique.
the presidents of the UnitedStates of America, she would regularly show the pictures of the presidents and say their names.It should be done on a regular basis everyday even if the child may not seem to be paying muchattention. This can be done even with babies. Their argument is based on three claims. First,they argue that the more you stimulate the brain, the larger it grows and the more knowledge itcan accommodate. They also claim that there are critical periods to learning and that if you donot take advantage of this period (birth -6 years), the child is less likely to learn more skills.Lastly, they believe that providing an enriched environment increases synaptic connections in the brain which they believe is an indication of high intelligence.These claims however, were somewhat refuted when children who went through hothousing as a toddler were again asked to identify the pictures they used to memorize when theywere still young. Most kids failed to do so. Aside from that, the Better Baby Institute could notname a child genius who is a product of their hot housing technique.