Monday, August 14, 2006

Some very interesting stuff on figuring out what your child is good at.

The Seven Intelligences

Language
Have small children make up stories. Use props to create a setting and then populate it with characters. Then pose a question to the child: How does the Bear entice the king into the dark, remote cave? The child then invents a story. not all children can or want to finish a story. when they do observe whether they do it imaginatively, whether they play with sounds or create figures of speech.

Math and Logic
Give children a chance to test a simple hypothesis. Show children that if you pour two different colored substances together, they produce a third color. Then observe whether they explore further on their own. Whether they try to produce other color combinations and to figure out how they have been achieved. Some board games are good if they include strategy where the child can to only play his own dice, but set yours any way he wants to. If the child is able to set the dice so that, consistently you lose and he wins, they are exhibiting both logical and mathematical skills.

Music
Play with bells. try to produce appealing combinations of sound on their own,or ask repeatedly for the opportunity to play an instrument.

Spatial Reasoning
Skill in building things with blocks.

Movement
use their body to solve problems

Interpersonal intelligence
observe other children with great care. how well does child get along with peers and adults. natural leader dispute settler, empathize with another child

Intrapersonal intelligence
decisive sense of preferences, self-discipline, persevere in face of frustrations
keep and re-read diaries.

From "The Creative Spirit" by Goleman, Kaufman and Ray

1 comment:

Two Mittens said...

I thought that book looked interesting!