by Dr. Phyllis Books, DC
For years, IQ tests have been disputed because some children appeared to have an advantage because of their culture or socio-economic status. Fluid intelligence is another way of measuring “native” or natural intelligences versus what your child learned in a classroom.
Children have unique gifts, and it is important to find out what these are and let them be expressed. In Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner described nine intelligences, which include:
• Spatial: thinking in three dimensions and easily imagining solutions to problems
• Linguistic: using language to learn and teach
• Logical-mathematical: solving problems using numbers and logical reasoning
• Bodily-kinesthetic: using and manipulating objects
• Musical: understanding and creating music, often hearing sounds you may not
• Interpersonal: intimately knowing him/herself and being self motivated
• Intrapersonal: “people smart” - good at interacting with and understanding others
• Naturalistic: learning through interacting with nature or the outdoors
• Existential: understanding “deep” questions such as where we came from and who we are
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) offers a very useful approach for determining your child’s learning style. They say we have three ways of taking in information: visually (seeing it), auditorily (by hearing it), or kinesthetically (feeling it). Teachers often teach in the style they learn in, which may or may not fit your child’s learning style.
To thoroughly learn something, it needs to be processed through all three channels. The most common way of learning is visually, and only eight percent of people take in information primarily auditorily.
Did you ever know anyone who didn’t take notes during class but did very well on the exams? My friend Richard was one of those auditory learners who took math classes as electives in college, didn’t take notes, and got A’s on the tests. Teachers often thought he wasn’t paying attention, would call him to the board to work out a problem, and he could do it just fine. Same with final exams. Just because a person isn’t taking notes or is doodling, doesn’t mean they aren’t taking in information.
Kinesthetic learners take in new information through their bodies. Sometimes they appear to be “noodling” in their chair. The teacher is likely to assume they aren’t paying attention or worse yet, need to be on drugs. If you set this kind of learner in a chair and commanded him to sit still, chances are he won’t learn very much. He actually needs to move to code the information into his body. He also needs to move during the exam. It’s almost like his whole body is the pencil and the information is processed through movement. Unfortunately, the typical classroom setting discourages movement, which frustrates kinesthetic learners.
So which type is your child? Though we don’t typically try to label children, understanding your child’s learning style and type of intelligence gives you one tool to help your child learn more efficiently and effectively.
Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful. Support@ReversingDyslexia.com (512) 560-7888, drphyllisbooks.com and reversingdyslexia.com.
For years, IQ tests have been disputed because some children appeared to have an advantage because of their culture or socio-economic status. Fluid intelligence is another way of measuring “native” or natural intelligences versus what your child learned in a classroom.
Children have unique gifts, and it is important to find out what these are and let them be expressed. In Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner described nine intelligences, which include:
• Spatial: thinking in three dimensions and easily imagining solutions to problems
• Linguistic: using language to learn and teach
• Logical-mathematical: solving problems using numbers and logical reasoning
• Bodily-kinesthetic: using and manipulating objects
• Musical: understanding and creating music, often hearing sounds you may not
• Interpersonal: intimately knowing him/herself and being self motivated
• Intrapersonal: “people smart” - good at interacting with and understanding others
• Naturalistic: learning through interacting with nature or the outdoors
• Existential: understanding “deep” questions such as where we came from and who we are
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) offers a very useful approach for determining your child’s learning style. They say we have three ways of taking in information: visually (seeing it), auditorily (by hearing it), or kinesthetically (feeling it). Teachers often teach in the style they learn in, which may or may not fit your child’s learning style.
To thoroughly learn something, it needs to be processed through all three channels. The most common way of learning is visually, and only eight percent of people take in information primarily auditorily.
Did you ever know anyone who didn’t take notes during class but did very well on the exams? My friend Richard was one of those auditory learners who took math classes as electives in college, didn’t take notes, and got A’s on the tests. Teachers often thought he wasn’t paying attention, would call him to the board to work out a problem, and he could do it just fine. Same with final exams. Just because a person isn’t taking notes or is doodling, doesn’t mean they aren’t taking in information.
Kinesthetic learners take in new information through their bodies. Sometimes they appear to be “noodling” in their chair. The teacher is likely to assume they aren’t paying attention or worse yet, need to be on drugs. If you set this kind of learner in a chair and commanded him to sit still, chances are he won’t learn very much. He actually needs to move to code the information into his body. He also needs to move during the exam. It’s almost like his whole body is the pencil and the information is processed through movement. Unfortunately, the typical classroom setting discourages movement, which frustrates kinesthetic learners.
So which type is your child? Though we don’t typically try to label children, understanding your child’s learning style and type of intelligence gives you one tool to help your child learn more efficiently and effectively.
Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful. Support@ReversingDyslexia.com (512) 560-7888, drphyllisbooks.com and reversingdyslexia.com.
