Multiple Intelligence

          Michael has never been very good at school.  He passes most of his subjects, and occasionally fails an exam or two.   His parents were quite worried for him that they asked the guidance office of his school to check if there was anything wrong with him.  He was just not interested in doing his school work.   Instead of doing his homework or studying after school, he spent much time going through his model car collection.  He knew all the various brands and makes of cars.  In fact, he can go on and on when he talked about cars.  He is most excited when he attends motor shows, and engages exhibitors in high level conversations about cars.   

            Lisa is now attending her third school.  She was asked to withdraw from two earlier ones because she walked around class and distracted her teachers and classmates.  Obviously, she is not doing well in school, and has been, at least in some occasions, branded as a trouble maker.  If there is anything that Lisa loves to do, it is to dance.  When she first saw the room of her dance classes, her face lit up and she moved in the room as if this was the place that was always meant for her.  She loves to dance, and hopes to become a professional dancer one day. 

            Admittedly on the extreme side, these are two examples of how children are very differently gifted.  The talents of these children are easily overlooked when we put them in the context of a traditional school that may require abilities and areas of study that these children are neither good at nor interested. 

            In reaction to the whole idea of intelligence being focused mainly on school learning, and measuring competence solely on the basis of academic achievement, Howard Gardner developed the idea that intelligence is really quite broad.  When he first introduced this multiplicity of intelligence, he initially proposed 7 areas that fit his rather stringent criteria.  Over the last 10 years or so, an additional two are also being suggested. 

            Here is a list of the various intelligences, as proposed by Gardner: 

·         Logical-Mathematical – the ability to understand causal relationships among different but related components, often seen in reasoning and mathematical operations; 

·         Verbal-Linguistic – the capacity to express oneself using language, manifested through the appreciation and creation of literary works; 

·         Visual-Spatial – the understanding of  the dimensions and limits of a given space, as seen in the way an architect or interior designer utilizes it for specific living and working areas and the way an artist would transform a blank piece of canvass into a coherent picture;

·         Musical – the talent for following and creating a synchronous beat and integrating it with a melody and harmony;

·         Bodily Kinesthetic – the understanding of one’s body and its movements, as demonstrated by dancers and athletes;

·         Intrapersonal – the clarity of one’s knowledge of oneself, one’s strengths and weaknesses and one’s inner workings; 

·         Interpersonal – the knowledge of other people fundamental in good social interactions, and in building and maintaining relationships;  

·         Existential – the ability to ponder and build mastery in grappling with life’s great questions, as seen among the great philosophers and teachers of old; and

·         Naturalist – the competence in understanding and interacting with various living things, and in deciphering the signs of the natural world. 

From this list, one can see that school-related learning usually develops only the first two.  Children who are talented in the other areas defined by Gardner will naturally have hobbies and interests related to the other intelligences.  Michael and Lisa show talents in some of these areas.  Now, who is to say that they are not intelligent just because they do not do well in school?