Make Your Child Smarter

Multiple Intelligences Activities in Children: The Basics

By Andrew Loh

Different children have different ways of learning and every one of them has different personality traits, own set of preferences, personal choices and tastes. Parents and teachers must recognize these basic facts and value their children's differences. Through proper observation and study, even you can learn what type of learner your child really is. Once you learn and understand the type of intelligence in your child, you can then develop a range of activities that fully realizes your children's abilities and talents.

Here are some ideas and suggestions that will help you streamline and empower your child to hone his or her skills and intelligence:

Is your child a verbal learner?

Intelligence Signs:

• Show a keen sense of sensitivity to intonations, sound chords and meaning of different words.

• Your child may show a tendency to enjoy and relish storytelling and creative writing.

• Relish reading stories, poetry, and show a latent talent for working on puzzles and a range of riddles.

Multiple Intelligence Activities:

• Read along with your child. Ask your child to recite poems and tell stories.

• Encourage dialogues with your children. Listen carefully to his or her problems. Reply to their questions and concerns.

• Bring home plenty of books for your child to read and understand.

• Encourage your child to tell you the summary of stories and anecdotes of stories just read by him or her.

• Ask your child to write his or her own stories and poems.

• Provide ample opportunities and chances to go to public libraries and local book houses.

• Get down playing board games and puzzles.

Is your child a logical learner?

Intelligence Signs:

• Does he or she show an interest in playing games related numbers, problems solving, pattern making and alphabets?

• Does he or she display an unusual tendency of providing reasoning and logical arguments to any given problem?

• Does he or she prefer orderliness while working and solving problems?

Multiple Intelligence Activities:

• Allow your child experiment with objects, toys and things.

• Ask your child to paint, draw figures, mix colors and play with colorful toys.

• Teach your child how to play with an abacus and an electronic calculator.

• Provide board games that enhance thinking and mental ability catalyzing activities.

• Ask your child to help you out in household chores. Let him or her work on a number of sundry activities.

• Chess and checkers are possibly the best games that enhance your child's mental abilities and reasoning capacities.

Is your child a visual learner?

Intelligence Signs:

• Does your child show an ability to create wonderful, visual patterns?

• Does he or she insist on you bring those toys and games that provide visual stimulation?

• Is your child a good painter or an artist?

Multiple Intelligence Activities:

• Allow your child to play with art items like crayons, paints, water colors and drawing boards.

• Provide an opportunity to play with puzzle boards and inventing games

• Let your child create his or her own play pen in the room

• Take your child to a museum or art gallery

• Bring home colorful posters, books with colorful pictures and photography manuals.

• Buy him a basic camera and related tools to shoot pictures.

Is your child a music learner?

Intelligence Signs:

• Does you child like playing with musical instruments?

• Does your child like to sing songs and poems?

• Does you child show an inclination towards liking voices, environmental sounds and natural melodies sung by birds?

Multiple Intelligence Activities:

• Allow your child to listen to different musical tunes and melodies

• Bring home a tape or CD recorder

• Ask him or her to play favorite tunes and music.

• Let your child attend music classes

• Let him or her learn playing a musical instrument

Is your child a physical learner?

Intelligence Signs:

• Is your child an athlete or a physical exercise buff?

• Does your child like playing field games, dramas, role playing and track events?

• Is your child interested in using his physical powers while solving problems?

Multiple Intelligence Activities:

• Allow your child to take part in gymnastics, dancing, sports and field events

• Walk along with him or accompany him for jogging.

• Play tennis and bowling with him or her

• Bring home a bike for him or her.

Is your child an extrovert?

Multiple Intelligence Signs:

• Is your child very social while talking to others?

• Does he or she show an ability to read on other feelings and expressions?

• Does your child show an inclination to be a leader in group activities?

• Is he or she an altruist?

Multiple Intelligence Activities:

• Play family and group games with your child

• Allow your child to participate in group activities and games

• Encourage your child to participate in group discussions and debates.

Is your child an introvert?

Multiple Intelligence Signs:

• Is your child in independent?

• Is he or she self motivated and self initiated?

• Is your child an aloof kid?

Multiple Intelligence Activities:

• Provide an ample amount of time for your child to play on his or her own

• Encourage your child to write memoir and keep a diary.

• Provide him or her tools and equipments that provide quiet and engaging activities. 

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