Boost a child’s brain power in just 30 minutes

JUST half an hour spent with mum every day can make a child cleverer, experts say.

Children whose mothers read to them or help with their homework between the ages of three and seven tend to have more advanced cognitive abilities – and the impact lasts into adulthood.

And mothers who spend time doing fun activities such as walking or painting also have children with better social skills.

Experts from University College London and Essex University looked at data from 8,000 children and their mothers to find out what influences early development.

Marco Francesconi, economics professor at Essex University, said: ‘While children who spend more time doing educational activities go on to do better in university and in the workplace, children who spend time doing recreational activities are less aggressive and integrate better into groups.’

He said parents only need to spend half an hour to an hour with young children every day to help boost their cognitive and social skills. He added that mothers from poorer backgrounds could help their offspring catch up with affluent children simply by spending more time with them.

‘Just half an hour is enough to make a real difference,’ he said in the Economic Journal. ‘Parents can make a very positive difference just by making a small change.’