Multiple Intelligence

I'm always fascinated by how the brain works, especially what actually happens when we're learning something and how one person's brain activity differs from another person's while learning the same thing.

Being a writer/publisher of kids' learning materials, how I wish I have the right formula that would suit every kid's brain! I believe kids learn at different pace, depending on lots of factors: family culture, their surroundings, and to a certain extent, genetic... etc.

I just read an article on the theory of multiple intelligence by a Harvard Professor, Howard Gardner. He lists 8 different types of intelligence, which to me is an opportunity for us parents to see if our kids have enough exposure to all of them...

1. Linguistic intelligence
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence
3. Musical intelligence
4. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
5. Spatial intelligence
6. Interpersonal intelligence
7. Intrapersonal intelligence
8. Naturalist intelligence

I just wanna list them down now so I won't forget.

I have Rayyan and Rayhana as my "guinea pigs" in experimenting on stuff that I need to do for work and the above list of intelligences sure does help in shaping our kids to be a more complete person, as well as becoming a framework for all my publications in years to come. Previously, everything was centered around the various learning theories and not so much on multiple intelligence theories, which I feel are essential to make learning theories applicable. Lets face it, if the kids aren't ready to learn, how can you make learning work?

I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind is curious. I want them to understand it so that they will be positioned to make it a better place. Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves. The performance of understanding that try matters are the ones we carry out as human beings in an imperfect world which we can affect for good or for ill. (Howard Gardner 1999: 180-181)

For more, click here.

You can Google Howard Gardner and get more details of his theories...