8 Intelligences to Support Children's Success

In this whole time, level of intelligence becomes the most important part in the development of human being. If somebody has smart parent, his children will inherit the same character. At the contrary, if the parents swim in shallow water, possibly the children won’t have the chance to dive deeper. These traditional assumptions regard that the potency of intelligence is limited only when child is born. Then here comes the modern view upon intelligence that is based on human brain capacity. It means that children will learn from experience if parents facilitate them in where it will hugely affect the intelligence and potency.

There is transformation of understanding about children intelligence. Traditional assumption about intelligence is that when a child is blessed with certain level of intelligence, it is then regarded as fixed measure. It somehow indicates that a smart kid is a gift from God and cannot be worked on.

Dr. Howard Gardner, a psychologist from Harvard University, USA reveals his theory that intelligence is not fixed upon certain measurement and only limited when kids are born. Every person develops intelligence with various ways which are known as Multiple Intelligences. Mozart, a genius musician is a composer and symphonist who is an example of one with musical intelligence, while Einstein is one of the world scientists who has logics and mathematics intelligence. Is Einstein more intelligent that Mozart? Seen from the theory of multiple intelligences, Einstein and Mozart are equally intelligent, but they are different fields. Thus, your children have the chance to develop their intelligence in various fields.

Gardner finds 8 intelligences, which are language intelligence, logics/mathematics intelligence, visual-spatial intelligence, musical intelligence, motion intelligence, nature intelligence, social intelligence, and self intelligence. Every person is likely to have them, but has dissimilar development.

For years, teachers have been developing strategic instruction to create an interesting learning activity. Schools adopt Multiple Intelligences through reports of academic test approach that cover areas of intelligences in art, music, education, physics, social relation, self understanding, and nature interest. As parents, you probably wonder about educational psychology theories and how to help the kids learn? The answer is out there! You can help your children grow smarter by exploring them with various activities.

There are some ideas to develop kids’ intelligence that you can apply at home:

Language/Linguistics: Telling stories, developing vocabularies by playing words
Logics/Mathematics: Inviting children to count, playing with numbers, using simple concepts of addition and subtraction
Visual/Spatial: Drawing something for your baby, sharing pictures and visuals, letting the baby to play with colors
Music/Rhythm: Singing a song, playing music, introducing kids with various sounds and music
Body Movement/Kinesthetic: Touching and describing body parts, inviting children to play with toys and blocks
Naturalist: Taking children to go out looking at trees and plants, caring for pets, visiting zoos and parks
Interpersonal: Letting your baby to interact with other baby, doing “role play”
Intrapersonal: Letting your baby to have alone time or in silence

Some researchers test some lab rats that live in different environment. Rat A grows in an environment full of toys, while rat B does not. Guess which rat is smarter? It is rat A. Rat A manages to get out of labyrinth faster than rat B. experts also find change in its brain structure. The brain develops fully and weighs more in rat A. Recently, this research is tested to primates which have nerves plasticity concept nearly similar to human. In conclusion, a human grows with better brain development if he is facilitated with various experiences.

Children intelligence does not come merely from the balanced nutrition fulfillment but stimulation for kids is still as well needed. Talkative, critical and like-to-tell-stories kids, when they get the right learning, they will have verbal linguistics intelligence. Those are kids who are able to interact and convince people around them.

It’s a pity if parents too much force their wishes to their children that the kids couldn’t develop their ability optimally. Never let yourself as parent late to recognize your child’s potential since it can disturb his/her intelligence in the future. Age 3 and 5 are the golden period for babies’ brain development. At the age 10, children’s brain ability has been built well.

Enriching the House and Environment

To let your kids developing their potential of intelligence, you need to modify the environment with various activities and facilities. The most important thing in the learning process of your kids is your existence. There are some ideas that you can do with the kids:

Language/Linguistics

Love the Books. One activity that the children really like is reading. For kids at the age of preschool, start by introducing them fairy tales, simple poems, kids readings. At the age of school, introduce them to kids magazines, novels, comics and encyclopedia.
Television. Believe it or not, TV can demonstrate many things through educational programs or DVDs. Or the kids can learn reading through the dialog text from TV.
Write a Lot. Support writing activities by preparing papers, pens, pencils and crayons.

Logics/Mathematics

Provide mathematics instruments. Let the kids exploring with compass, rulers, scales, measuring glass.
Use tools. Tools are related to logics and body movement intelligence. Every tool needs logical understanding to use it. Push kids to learn using various tools.
Computer. Your kids must have liked to press buttons or play games. Kids at school age can already be taught to make database, surf websites or learn Microsoft that can build their logical setting and structure.

Visual/Spatial

Provide handicraft supplies. It’s really fun when your kids made it to create things from papers, crayons, scissors and glue.
Provide painting supplies. Start teaching your kids how to paint by using fingers then move on by using watercolors, acrylics and oil paints.
Use software. You can also teach your kids to paint and make illustration with computers.

Music/Rhythm

Music player. Study shows that kids who listen to Mozart’s for 10 minutes will achieve better in spatial activities. Research shows some certain types of music can increase kids’ intelligence.
Instruments. Research proves that playing music is not only increasing children’s musical intelligence but also can develop brain parts.
Karaoke. Facilitate your kids with various songs they can sing along with.

Body Movement/Kinesthetic

Wardrobe. Develop kids’ imagination by playing as actors who wear costume and makeup.
Sport equipments. Sport equipments and games help to develop eyes-hands coordination and develop kids’ motorist movement. Physical activities also take role in the development of cerebellum, part of brain that controls some motorist functions and memories, concentration, perception, spatial and language.
Light motorist movement activities. Develop kids’ light motorist movement with some activities like sewing, knitting, drawing or other activities which use the skill of hands and feet.

Naturalist

Fish pond. Try putting your kids’ hands to inside fish pond or aquarium. Careful not to let them put their hands or toys to mouth.
Pets. Having pets is the best way for children to interact with animals. Kids will learn habits, characteristics and different personalities of animals.
Garden. Garden of flowers or plants can be a wonderful adventure. You could also teach the kids how to grow plants in pots.
Observation tools. Observing through telescope or using measuring glass or microscope to analyze.

Intrapersonal

Appreciate kids’ privacy. Sometimes your kids need some time alone without interaction or disturbance from outside. They just want to listen to their mind. Is there any place for your kids to sit and muse at home? Probably in bedroom or at the garden.
Hobby station. Support your kids to do their hobbies. You can register them to classes of photography, journalist, vocal, music, or drawing to develop their interpersonal intelligence.
Studying area. It’s an area where kids can enjoy their spare time by writing diary or placing their private stuff.

Knowing those tips above, there is probably many of you have already done that. It means that your kids live in a conducive learning environment. If your concern misses in some places, you could balance it by investing next time to develop education and children’s brain. Remember that the most important element to increase children’s intelligence is what you and your kids do together and not just what they get and have.