Which Learning Style Is Best for My Child?
By Linda A Johnson | Submitted On February 26, 2014
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The theory of multiple intelligences
Educational researcher and developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, in 1983 introduced a revolutionary idea with his groundbreaking study, "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences," in which he theorizes that not all students learn best in the same way. Gardner's studies showed there are some students that learn best by using visual aids, and others that learn best by
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Below is an overview of the variety of learning types and how children can be supported with these different styles in the classroom.
Auditory learners - Children who learn best by auditory means they can hear the information given to them. They thrive best when they are able to review lessons they have recorded. An example would be to learn math facts in the form of a silly song. Children who are auditory learners are good at recognizing rhymes and hearing patterns in language.
Kinetic learners - The word "kinetic" means motion. Children who are kinetic learners learn best with a hands-on approach; they learn best if they can handle things while they learn. For example, while they learn the alphabet, they learn best when they can handle the letters in the form of cardboard cutouts or let them shape them out of clay. Also, as already mentioned, they need manipulatives such as beads or blocks when learning concepts in
Howard Gardner used to define intelligence as “the ability to solve problems or to create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings” (Gardner 33). The modern day human being would most likely include the words “smart” and “dumb” in their definition of intelligence. Gardner questioned the belief of only one intelligence so he created his own theory that involved seven different discoveries. He didn’t want to call these discoveries “skills” or “talents” or gifts” because those all suggested a drawback so he decided on the word “intelligence,” creating his theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner 33). Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences including, linguistic, logical/mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, intrapersonal and interpersonal, has many implications for modern education and culture.
Howard Gardner’s theory contains eight main multiple intelligence. As the years have progressed there have taken one out and is left with the main seven. These seven are: Linguistic, Mathematical, Spatial, bodily, Musical, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. These are found in everyone; however, each person will excel in one or two. Once teachers can determine what intelligence the students will exceed on and teach to their strengths the student will learn much more.
Charles Spearman's model of intelligence and Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence theory are two of the most widely used theories of intelligence. In order to understand how similar the two theories are we must first understand their differences. These two men differed in opinion on how IQ and intelligence should be measured, and they differed in opinion on what made a person "smart". In order to examine these things they first had to understand the human brain and how it works. They had to examine the human study habits and rituals, along with the human test taking habits.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” (Benjamin Franklin). These words describe the idea behind a student trying to effectively learn from his or her professor. In 1983, Howard Gardener, an American developmental psychologist, introduced the idea of multiple intelligence. According to Gardener, what was believed before to be “soft skills” were in fact different ways to express our intelligence. People can have one or more types of intelligence all together. I, Rodrigo, an Engineering student, possess both logical-mathematical, intra-personal, and spatial intelligence. I am very good with numbers, and I am often called “smart” or “intelligent” by my
Gardner came up with the development of multiple intelligence demonstrating that intelligence of humans is not an accurate account of an individual’s abilities. Howard Gardner’s theory shows how the conventional aspects of intelligence are vague. He discovered eight ideas of intelligence, which were body-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, musical, interpersonal, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, intra personal and natural intelligences. There is potential a ninth intelligence added known as existentialist. Howard Gardner did not feel that individuals do not have intellectual capabilities or one certain strong area; however he or she does have other intelligence, which could make them stronger in more than one area at one time. The eight intelligences represents different categories that elaborates different parts of a person’s life, showing what areas a person is strong in and how to apply his or her intelligen...
...ists approach in defining human intelligence. I believe that intelligence is the ability to utilize our entire brain, which will most definitely include Gardner's theory but more. Since we only use a small percentage of our brain, I imagine our brains have a lot more forms of intelligence than the ones Gardner proposes as well as more stages of child development than the ones Piaget proposes. As I mentioned before, intelligence is an open-ended word that may never have an agreed upon definition, but we all have our own definition.
In Vygotsky's theory of zone of proximal development, students are led to accomplish a task at a higher cognitive level that they would not be able to do without what Bruner called scaffold's. Scaffolds are anything that allow a student to function at a higher cognitive level. The most effective ones are: teachers, peers, and speech. For example, teaching young children rhythm in terms of quarter or eighth notes requires giving them a task harder than they are able. I would help them learn those rhythms with using words or names, taping on drums. In order to get familiar with rhythms, my kindergarten students will each say their own name in rhythm they will invent??? on drums. Using names they know and having the teacher model it before they do it is the scaffold in that
Howard Gardner is the “John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine, and Senior Director of Harvard Project Zero” (Gardner bio, Multiple Intelligences and Education, MI Theory, and Project Zero). As director of Project Zero, it provided and environment that Gardner could begin the exploration of human cognition (Multiple Intelligences and Education). Project Zero colleagues have been designing assessment and the use of multiple intelligences (MI) to realize more personalized curriculum, instruction, and teaching methods; and the quality of crossing traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought in education (Gardner bio). MI theories offer tools to educators that will allow more people to master learning in an effective way and to help people “achieve their potential at the workplace, in occupations, and in the service of the wider world” (Gardner papers).
He believed that intelligence is not limited to mathematical and linguistic ability, but is rather diverse and differs from person to person. He theorised that there was more than one type of intelligence, initially stating the number as seven. Gardner’s seven intelligences were: Musical, Visual–Spatial, Linguistic, Logical–Mathematical, Bodily–Kinaesthetic,
Novin, A., Arjomand, L. and Jourdan, L. Teaching & Learning, Fall 2003, Volume 18, Number 1, pp. 24-31. Available from : http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/ehd/journal/Fall2003/novin.pdf [ Accessed 2nd December
During elementary school, children are not only developing their physical bodies, but there minds as well. They a...
In 1983, Howard Gardner a Harvard professor proposed the theory that individual can have multiple ways of learning and processing information. The multiple intelligences consist of 9 different ways and these include: verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, existential, musical, naturalistic, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Every individual has a different amount of each intelligence but each intelligence is at a varying level. With the help of a multiple intelligences assessment, I found that my top three multiple intelligences are Intrapersonal, logical, and interpersonal. Within his research Gardner says that “Intrapersonal intelligence refers to people’s ability to recognize and assess those same characteristics
Linda, M. & Linda, P. (2011). Theories and approaches to learning in the early years.
I acknowledge that children develop at their own pace; therefore, I will provide each pupil with the correct level of learning materials and make adjustments to fit individual exclusive needs. Since students have individual learning needs, as...
Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard, introduced his theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. Multiple intelligence’s is a theory about the brain that says human beings are born with single intelligence that cannot be changed, and is measurable by a psychologist. Gardner believes that there are eight different intelligences in humans. The eight are verbal linguistic, visual spatial, bodily kinesthetic, mathematical logic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and naturalist. Understanding these intelligence’s will help us to design our classroom and curriculum in a way that will appeal to all of our students. We might also be able to curve discipline problems by reaching a student in a different way. One that will make more sense to them and more enjoyable. We can include all of the intelligences in lessons to accommodate all of the students’ different learning styles at once. By reaching each students intelligence we can assume that a student will perform better which, could mean students retaining more important information. A students learning style can also help lead them into a more appropriate career direction. As a teacher you can also learn your own personal learning style or intelligence to help improve the way you learn and teach.