FACTS: Things parents need to know about multiple intelligence

MANILA, Philippines - In the 1970s, Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University, started questioning the traditional definition of intelligence.

By studying talented children and adults who had brain damage, he discovered that the traditional ideals of intelligence do not embrace other skills and abilities.

With this discovery, he structured a theory of multiple intelligence, which has created a new understanding of intelligence. The theory gives emphasis to the significance of understanding how broad and extensive intelligence is. Moreover, it has forced us to look deeper into how intelligence should really be perceived.

With more readily available and wide-ranged activities to explore, parents can now make their child brain smart, body smart and people smart. Here are some facts about Multiple Intelligence as defined by Gardner and some experts to guide the parents in developing their child’s multiple intelligences:

• Your child can be smart in more ways than one to have an edge.  Gardner, described seven (later expanded to eight) different kinds of intelligences: linguistic (word smart); logical-mathematical (number/reasoning smart); musical (music smart); spatial (picture smart); bodily-kinesthetic (body smart); interpersonal (people smart); intrapersonal (self smart) and naturalist (nature smart).
• Dr. Thomas Armstrong, a multiple intelligence expert says that it is possible for all children to have all of different kinds of multiple intelligences, such as being brain smart, body smart and people smart. They can be developed through the quality of motivation that the child gets at home, in school, and from the environment.
• Dr. Kathy Koch’s book, How Am I Smart? A Parent’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences?suggests that children need to know they are smart and understand how they are smart so they can be smart. It is important to value and recognize the intelligence of a person from childhood until he grows up.  Nonetheless, if the abilities and skills are undervalued and under recognized, multiple intelligence would not be developed.
• Multiple Intelligence is not a theory of education or of teaching. Multiple Intelligence Theory considers and values the individual divergence in intellectual operation. The theory does not describe or prescribe how to organize curriculum, design instruction, or assess learners.
• Despite not being a theory of education, some teacher training programs still incorporate Multiple Intelligence Theory into their curricula. This is done by not only looking at the grades, but looking at the whole child, identifying his strengths and weaknesses and then designing specific trainings and activities that will help that child learn best, says Patti Weber, the Mercer Island School District’s director of curriculum and professional development.

The concept of multiple intelligence introduces a broader perspective and better appreciation for all the different talents, abilities and preferences.With that being said, multiple intelligence recognizes that a child cannot just be smart in one way but in more ways such as being brain smart, body smart and people smart. To understand the theory better, below is a video of Gardner discussing the Multiple Intelligence Theory as published in Edutopia.org.

YouTube (Edutopia)