1. cover
story
Wake-up! Y
our seven-year-old daughter’s teachers at school are complaining
about her. The child has some difficulty following the lessons
Your
taught; her classwork is often incomplete. But she draws
beautiful diagrams; her project work is imaginative. At home, you know
that she likes science. She brings you an illustrated encyclopaedia with
pictures of fiery volcanoes, surging seas and interesting pot-bellied ants
child is
and asks you to read aloud to her. She cannot bear to see a mosquito
squashed. She cannot tolerate the fact that dirty water is going
untreated into the sea.
KNOWING YOUR An intelligence You feel that she has an
is the ability to intelligence innate in her
CHILD’S MULTIPLE solve problems, or that makes her appreciate
the world outside. What
INTELLIGENCES to create products, is this intelligence and is it
that are valued enough for her to get by
BY RANGASHREE SRINIVAS within one or more in academics? How should
cultural settings. this intelligence be tapped?
Are schools (and parents
Howard Gardner, too) progressive enough
Frames of Mind (1983) to treat each child as a
unique individual, and adapt
themselves accordingly to
satisfy her needs?
It is therefore
important that
both you as
a parent and
her teachers
understand
the multiple
intelligences (MI)
present in every child,
learn to identify the
dominant ones and tap
them appropriately.
Howard Gardner, the
father of the Multiple
Intelligence theory,
visited India recently
renewing an interest
in MI and how it

2. Word Number
Smart Smart
will impact the world in the years to The MI theory suggests that an In contrast, the MI theory recognizes at
come. In the 30 years since he first individual possesses intelligences in least eight different intelligences that
propounded the theory of MI, further several areas as against the traditional have to be considered while creating an
research has been done, not just by idea of a single intelligence. An ‘intelligence’ profile of a person.
him, but by several other scholars and intelligent person has been recognized
practitioners around the world. so far only by her linguistic (language) MI theory strives to provide educators
abilities or logical (mathematical) and parents with a tool to recognize
WHAt IS MI? abilities as these are considered and nurture the different abilities of the
Gardner developed this theory based to be important for academic child. It redefines the word ‘intelligent’
on his observations of hundreds of advancement. Thus, only the student or ‘smart’. It brings in new thinking
people from different walks of life, who achieves high scores in class is towards nurturing excellence, creativity
under everyday circumstances. His study considered intelligent. Another child and genius. It emphasises that all
also included stroke victims, prodigies, may just be ‘talented’ in the area of children can learn and that it is the
autistic individuals, and the so-called her achievement – ‘She is a good adults who need to know how to
‘idiot savants’. According to Gardner, dancer; let us send her for the inter- teach them.
school dance competition.’ ‘He is a
All human beings possess all eight good cricket player; but he needs to THE 8 INtELLIGENCES IN tHE MI
intelligences in varying amounts, concentrate now on improving his FRAmEwORK
with some, more dominant than grades’ and so on. Chitra Ravi (Founder and CEO, EZ
others. Vidya), who has worked under Gardner
Each person has a different Worse still, in some schools only the on Project Zero at Harvard University,
intellectual composition. academically well-performing students gives some pointers to parents to spot
We can improve education by are given the opportunity to participate intelligences in their children.
addressing the multiple intelligences in co-curricular activities when there
of our students. could be others more suited for this. 1.Linguistic intelligence is the
These intelligences are located in For instance, it is the class topper who capacity to use languages, to express
different areas of the brain and can gets to deliver the school’s morning oneself, and to understand other
either work independently assembly speech. It is the girl who people. Poets specialise in linguistic
or together. scores a 100% in math who gets to intelligence. But any kind of writer,
These intelligences may define the automatically represent her school in orator, speaker, lawyer, or a person for
human species. the inter-school quiz competition. whom language is an important 8
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3. Naturalist
Intelligence
Best suited to be an
animal health technician,
anthropologist, astronomer,
Intrapersonal botanist, environmental
Intelligence Best suited lawyer, farmer, forest
to be a career counsellor, ranger, gardener,
consultant, criminologist, geologist, landscaper,
healer, futurist or trend meteorologist, nature
predictor, personal photographer,
counsellor, philosopher, veterinarian, Verbal-
programme planner, water conservationist, Linguistic
entrepreneur, wetlands ecologist, Intelligence Best
psychologist, researcher, wildlife expert suited to be a writer,
small business, owner, poet, journalist, teacher,
spiritual counsellor, lawyer, librarian,
theologian, therapist, marketing consultant,
writer, wellness newscaster,
counsellor politician
Show them
Interpersonal the moon and Mathematical-
Logical Intelligence
Intelligence
Best suited they will Best suited to be an
accountant, mathematician,
to be an
administrator, reach for statistician, economist, detective,
computer analyst,
communications
manager, customer
service representative,
the stars! computer technician,
computer
human resources manager, programmer,
marketing specialist, Best suited careers database designer,
engineer, network
nurse, politician, for an intelligence analyst, physicist,
psychologist, religious scientist
leader, social worker, The MI profile of your child can
teacher, trainer guide him in choosing a suitable
career path.
Bodily-
Kinesthetic
Intelligence Best suited Musical
Visual- Intelligence
to be an actor, athlete, Spatial Intelligence
carpenter, computer games Best suited to
Best suited to be a be an audiologist,
designer, crafts person, dancer, 3D modelling & simulation,
sports composer,
architect, artist, film animator, conductor,
therapist, graphic artist, interior decorator,
forest ranger, disc jockey,
photographer, mechanic, navigator, music critic,
jeweller, pilot, sculptor, strategic planner,
mechanic, sound editor,
surveyor, urban planner, music teacher, music
personal webmaster
trainer, therapist, musician,
surgeon recording engineer,
singer, songwriter,
speech pathologist
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