The Multiple Intelligences Model of Learning
By: Jeanne Murphy
Educators all know that without a solid foundation, students flounder. The subject or curriculum area does not matter – a child who cannot recognize letters and letter sounds in the second grade will not read successfully. A child who does not recognize numbers and understand what they represent will not succeed not only in math, but related content areas, as well.
Foundations are the basis for success in school, beginning in the primary grades and building to intermediate and upper grades. Moving from academics in isolation to child development, self-esteem, and success in life, students must experience success in the classroom to be motivated and engaged in school. Absent a foundation in math and language arts, the opportunity to succeed is limited, and children lose interest in school and the classroom.
Every year, research is published ranking American students in global academic preparedness. In mathematics, Americans are shamefully ill-prepared to compete in a global economy. This failing needs to be addressed, and changed, and the answer is in building a solid foundation very early. Once children love to learn, they will seek challenges and process information using this foundation, and the rest progresses with relative ease.
Rich, varied cultural backgrounds are a common reason children do not succeed in school. Traditional education in the United States is based on two learning styles: linguistic and logical-mathematical. According to Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory of Learning, a minimum of seven learning styles exist. Which style is dominant in a given family is often based on traditions of culture, and all are equally effective in learning, so long as teachers present information and concepts with consideration for the different intelligences. In fact, Dr. Gardner and his followers have added to the seven, and likely will continue to do so. As educators, the burden is on us to meet the student, teaching in a complementary method to reach his or her dominant learning style. But, how?
Two strategies will balance the current educational delivery system used in this country. One is to introduce information and concepts to students through learning styles other than linguistic and logical-mathematical, and the second is to link the knowledge taught through varied learning styles to the traditional styles to ensure students succeed on standardized tests. Those tests remain the standard by which all students are measured, but we can ensure our students acquire and assimilate information more readily and express that information to score well on tests.
Spatial intelligence includes visualizing an object from different angles; kinesthetic intelligence includes interacting with the environment bodily. Imagine learning math by moving objects, physically adding objects to other objects to learn addition, for instance. This includes both spatial and kinesthetic intelligences, and holds the attention of many more kindergarten and first grade students than a page in a workbook would. Add clapping hands or stomping feet to practice counting, and the musical-rhythmic intelligence is included. Add a partner, with students alternating rolling a single number cube to decide how many objects to add, and the activity also incorporates interpersonal intelligence, or a social learning component. Delivering lessons to students experientially is rewarding because they embrace it, and are motivated and participate, engaging in learning.
The final component of teaching to reach all students is to ensure they can express their knowledge in the traditional style of standardized tests. To do this, after the lessons, students should articulate and write the information they have gained. This can be done in team format, so long as teams are small and each student must therefore participate.
Team format cultivates cooperative learning, and students gain and retain confidence in their knowledge, avoiding fear of failure they may have acquired on tests in the past. Questions on these assessments should be clear, with answers submitted in more than one way, when possible. For example, students could provide a factual response, and then the rationale for their answer, encouraging the team to discuss their conclusion.
Effective educators ensure their students succeed. Embracing the Multiple Intelligences Model of Learning, and incorporating that model in lesson planning and delivery, engages students of many varied dominant learning styles. Teaching those students to express their knowledge in the two traditional learning styles ensures recognition of their knowledge.
Styles of learning, or intelligence, are extremely varied, and traditional education is uniform in style: linguistic, and logical-mathematical. Students whose dominant learning style is any other than those two are at a disadvantage in the traditional, or uniform, school. That disadvantage is easy to correct by incorporating many varied learning styles into each lesson.
Interacting with the environment and classmates has the additional advantage of motivating students to participate. Student participation translates to better test scores and lifelong learners.
Jeanne Murphy is executive director of Camelot Learning, www.camelotlearning.com.
