In his 1983 book, Frames of Mind, Harvard Professor Howard Gardner identifies 8 separate intelligences that are directly linked to a person's ability to problem solve- verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, intrapersonal, visual-spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, and interpersonal. As individuals, we tend to excel at some more than others. And that's a good thing. Unfortunately, in a traditional education, the vast majority of learning focuses solely on the first two. (Ever heard of the three r's? Who ok'd that egregious use of poor spelling anyway?) However, as parents, it is our job to tune into the intelligences that our children use well and provide them with opportunities to expand on them. Over at Parent Toolkit (which is full of great resources), you can find some super helpful tips on increasing their learning by tapping into these strengths (and identifying your own via this edutopia quiz!)
