5 things I did to make my kid smarter for $15

I recently reviewed several books to help parents navigate their child's education. Ever since, I've been passing around my copy of one book to my mom friends: Testing for Kindergarten.

It was a scary, eye-opening look into IQ testing for preschoolers. But with a silver lining - there are lots of things parents can do to increase the odds of a good test outcome if you are trying to get into a gifted program or a competitive school. Or, like me, just want to sneak more learning into everyday interactions.

Here are 5 things I started doing with Caroline after reading the book:

1. I started reading more interactively. Called dialogic reading, you basically ask questions as you read and then build on your child's answer with additional questions or information. I don't go nuts, and it can actually make the 53rd reading of Curious George fun. Plus, it can vastly improve your child's vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Cost = Free

2. I made a sensory toy - a bucket full of all kinds of beans. Not only is it fun to play with, it teaches math skills (we use measuring cups), spatial and fine motor skills. Plus I made a shaker toy for Henry. Cost = $3

3. I picked up a set of BrainQuest flash cards. This one was a total flop. I could not get Caroline to sit still long enough to get interested in them at all. However, other friends say their kids love them and the workbooks. Cost = about $10

4. I tried out lots of her recommended products from the library. I couldn't get into the videos - we have a hard enough time trying to limit TV - but we found lots of great new books: Richard Scarry, Pancakes for Breakfast, Chicka Chick Boom Boom, Madeline, etc. Cost = Free (not counting fines!)

5. I bought Chutes & Ladders at Goodwill. A great tool for learning numbers. Cost = $2

And I'm still planning to make that homemade memory game....