Number of words: 252

Once it becomes obvious that human intelligence functioning is highly malleable and sensitive to experience, then the only reason for using IQ test would seem to be because modern society believes that a universal standard evaluation is scientific and that talents can in this way be more objectively identified. With this established, the individual can be given the choice of education most suited to his abilities. Or as an opposing view uses it the IQ test is useful to register my social economic equalities and is therefore a useful tool in the hands of politicians. Parelius mentions researchers who focus on the early experiences of children, and especially on the interaction between children and their mothers for explanations of why some children fare better than others. Major differences in levels of competence begin to emerge when the children are between the ages of 10 months and 1.5 years. The most talented children had mothers who provided many toys and much freedom of movement. Those mothers did not necessarily spend more time interacting with their children; many of them worked; however they structured the child’s environment so as to stimulate and encourage curiosity and acted as consultants, when they did not interact with the child, building in language skills, adding ideas to what the child was doing and teaching that adults are good resources of informations. However it is too early still to determine whether these improvements are permanent or not.

Excerpted from page 92 of ‘Examinations: An Informative Update’ by M Mascarenhas.