Vazquez, Sergio

Period 3
Weekly Vocabulary Response

Lesson 18: Words Relating to Being Wise and Sharp-minded

1. Acute 2. Judicious 3. Astute 4. Perspicacious 5. Discerning 6. Prudent 7. Erudite

8. Sagacious 9. Incisive 10. Savvy 11. Ingenious 12. Shrewd

First-generation Kids

A recent study published in the Journal of Human Resources found that firstborn children

are more erudite7 than their younger siblings. Sagacious8 researchers from several universities

studied over 5,000 kids enrolled in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth over a period of

time. These kids were assessed in their thinking skills, vocabulary, and reading comprehension

throughout the years. The savvy10 researchers also studied the level of interaction moms had with

their kids to see if this had any effect on how incisive9 their kids grew up to be. After years of

prudent6 experimentation, researchers found that first-generation kids were actually more astute3

than their brothers and sisters. These older siblings are more acute1 because they have been

raised for a more academic and intellectual lifestyle. The more kids parents had, the less

attention they received which caused their judicious2 thinking skills to be less than that of their

siblings. In other words, older siblings are more shrewd12 because they participated in more

educational activities with their parents. Many of these activities included being read to and help

with homework which have been proven to help in brain development and make kids more

discerning5.
 For this same reason, researchers also assert that the older perspicacious4 siblings also

have a greater chance of succeeding and thriving when they grow up because they had a good

upbringing. The interaction parents have with their kids becomes a crucial pivotal point early on

and also serves as a deciding factor in the kind of life the child will go on to live. Despite these

results, research also finds that while older siblings are more ingenious11, younger siblings tend

to be more social and the favorite child in the family.

Source:

1)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/firstborn-children-smarter_us_589e1209e4b03df370d63

1ee

2) http://www.scarymommy.com/study-firstborn-children-more-intelligent/