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Multiple Intelligences and Your Child

Research supports the idea that children benefit from reflecting on their own learning processes. Having a conversation with your child about her strengths can help her choose appropriate ways to solve problems for herself and can provide you with insights to help her develop to her fullest potential.

Explain to your child that everybody's "smart" in different ways. Knowing your own strengths helps you know the easiest ways for you to learn. Explain that the questions are meant to get her thinking about the different ways in which she's smart, and about how she learns most easily.

Here are some suggested questions to jump-start a discussion with your child about multiple intelligences:

Word Smart

Do you like to read books or listen to stories?
Do you like word games like Scrabble^® and Password^®?
Do you like to tell jokes and appreciate rhymes, puns, and tongue twisters?

Number Smart

Does math excite you?
Do you wonder about how things work?
Do you enjoy strategy games, logic puzzles, and brain teasers?

Picture Smart

Do you enjoy doing art projects?
Are you good at doing mazes and jigsaw puzzles?
Can you imagine pictures in your mind?
Do you like to draw or doodle?

Body Smart

Do you like sports?
Do you prefer to learn by doing rather than just by watching?
Do you like working with your hands? (building models, sewing, etc.)

Music Smart

Do you remember songs easily?
Do you like to play musical instruments, tap out rhythms, or sing?
Do you like to listen to music?

People Smart

Would you prefer to invite friends over (rather than playing by yourself)?
Do you have several different best friends?
Do you prefer talking about problems with someone or working them out yourself?

Self Smart

Do you like spending time alone?
Do you like thinking about what you want to do in the future?
Do you like to fit in with a group or are you happy to be a little different?

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Lawrence Hall of Science    © Sunday, 21-Mar-2010 03:01:30 PDT The Regents of the University of California    Contact Parent Portal    Updated Thursday, 28-May-2009 11:49:33 PDT