As a parent, I know what it is like to look at your child and see the smartest kid in the world and worry that despite those brains, the school experience is going down hill fast. The notion of the “smart kid” was turned on it’s head in the early ‘80s by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. He identified eight areas in which people can be “smart”. The implications of his theory of multiple intelligences impacted the education community because they called for a restructuring of formal education. Parents, we did not benefit from this research but your children should.

In a nutshell, here are the categories:

Linguistic intelligence ("word smart") ~ The traditional learner who can read or hear information and retain it.
Spatial intelligence ("picture smart") ~ The learner who learns best with diagrams, charts, maps.
Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart") ~ The learner who needs movement, acts out information.
Musical intelligence ("music smart") ~ The learner who remembers when put to song, understands rhythms.
Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart") ~ The learner who thrives in group environments with discussion.
Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart") ~ The learner who needs quiet, can wrestle with thoughts well alone.
Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart") ~ The learner who understands his environment. The one starting the
school recycle program at age five.

For more information:
http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm ~ Take the test and see which intelligence dominates.
http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htm ~ Learn more about the theory.