PORTLAND, Ore. - If you're a parent, you've probably wondered how you can make your child smarter.

Though parents spend thousands of dollars hoping to give their kids an edge, the best tools are free.

Brandie Kajino’s son, Tony, reads recipes and measures ingredients, helping her in the kitchen for just about every meal. The mother is hoping it is helping boost the 7-year-old's brain power, and his teachers say the boy is learning quickly and testing ahead of his peers.

“I’m just totally amazed,” she said. “The first grade, I mean, he couldn’t read four months ago and now he’s reading books.”

So how did she do it? The mother buys workbooks for Tony, which he uses outside the classroom. And she used some learning tools when he was younger, such as “Baby Einstein” products. The science behind those products is that stimulating your child’s brain makes it stronger, just like the muscles in your body.

But many experts say that doesn’t really work.

“We've come to learn that that traditional model of exercising the brain is not terribly effective for most kids,” said Robert Butler, a professor and neuropsychologist at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. “But it's not gonna hurt.”

He said that to maximize your child’s development, all you need to do is what parents have done for thousands of years.

“Talk to your child a lot, ask him questions and read to him,” he said.

What about when your child is in utero? Does reading or playing music make a difference? The science is fuzzy. Doctors say nutrition is much more important.

The bottom line is that despite what the magazines tell you, you don't have to spend money on fancy materials to have a smart kid. It's all about bonding - turning everyday activities into a learning experience.

And that is exactly what Kajino and her son do, whether it's discussing his future career with mom or baking cookies, he's soaking it all in and growing into a really smart kid.