To develop the best language skills, children need to hear at least 30,000 words a day from birth to age three from their parents and caregivers—not TV or videos, reveals a recent Power of Talk study. Think you’ll have trouble fitting all that in? Believe it or not, it’s really just the equivalent of 18 and a half readings of Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat. But, don’t stop there! Parents of children who scored between the 90th to 99th percentile on language assessment tests spoke substantially more to their kids than did parents of children who were not as advanced.
[photo: Anissa Thompson]
It worked for hundreds of Cornell University students in a recent experiment. Those who chewed gum prior to and during test-taking scored, on average, 30 points better than those who didn’t chew. Shocked? So were the students! Upon announcing the findings, “you could literally hear a gasp from the class,” says Edward McLaughlin, Ph.D., who conducted the study. So, was it a special ingredient in the gum? Nope—past studies show that the simple act of chewing gum eases anxiety, increases your focus and makes it easier to recall information.
False! Research shows we use virtually every part of our brain. If you got it wrong, don’t feel bad—a study out of Indiana University School of Medicine reveals that even doctors believe long-held medical urban myths, including… 
If you can’t recall little details—like the words to a song, an item you need from the store or what you ate for lunch yesterday—it means your brain is actually working better, not worse, say Stanford University researchers. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), they found that forgetting unimportant details makes room in your brain for more important memories—like key dates, instructions from your boss and your wedding day.
Are there some tasks that you do so automatically you often forget whether or not you’ve actually done it that day—for instance, taking a daily medication, feeding the dog or turning off the oven? You’ll be able to remember more easily when you pat your head, spin around, jump in the air, knock three times on the counter or do another out-of-the-ordinary act as you do the task, according to a new study out of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Doing an unusual physical movement shakes us out of our auto-pilot mode, helping us pay more attention to what we’re doing, explains lead study author Mark McDaniel, Ph.D.
Stumped for a fact and Google isn’t helping you find it? You can ask the reference librarians at the New York Public Library (
Is stress or fatigue making it hard to focus and recall details? The amino acid l-theanine in green tea clears the fog and resharpens your brain. “It stimulates the 
When researchers from the University of Oxford gave a battery of cognitive tests to over 2,000 older adults, they found that those who habitually consumed these three foodstuffs throughout their life had better scores than those who skipped them. The link? They all contain powerful flavonoids that slow brain aging and ward off dementia, the researchers report in the Journal of Nutrition.
So can a drum set, violin, voice lessons or anything else that encourages them to be musical. A recent Harris Poll reveals that students involved in music—regardless of whether it’s a school group or a garage band—are more likely to go to college and post-graduate school. They’re also about 10% more likely to earn $150,000 or more 
Think kids who are gifted readers are simply born with genes that make them that way? A new study of 314 twins in kindegarten and first grade reveals that environmental factors—such as how much kids are read to, 
Are you the type of person who thinks you’ll become forgetful as you get older or that your memory will be just as good years from now as it is today? Careful: Your 
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