September / October 2007
Raising Harvard
Photographs by Walter Smith
When it comes to getting into Harvard, it’s a hypercompetitive jungle out there. Do you really want to know what it will take for your child to make the grade? Then read on. But be warned: Raising a Harvard-ready child requires planning, determination, discipline—and a lot of money.
A Better Baby
(Ages 0-18 months)
To ensure that their children are preschool ready, affluent parents in major cities and tony suburbs are spending more than $3,000 a year on baby classes. In New York City, the most popular classes, such as Free to Be Under Three, Little Maestros, and Take Me to the Water, often
have months-long waiting lists.
The emphasis in baby education is on teaching children to speak—and not just in English—as early as possible. Mandarin lessons, in which babies are language-immersed in playdates led by native speakers, are essential. Baby sign language classes—for infants who can hear perfectly well—are also a must. “When babies are using signs, they’re stimulating the language portion of the brain,” says Susan Goodwyn, co-founder of the Vacaville, Calif.–based Baby Signs Institute. Goodwyn claims that
babies taught to sign
before the age of
one are, by age three,
11 months ahead of
nonsigning babies
in vocabulary
and
linguistic ability.
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