Lucky Seven

What parent doesn’t want a smarter child?

Right, nobody raising their hands out there in cyberspace. But the next set of questions is where a Great Divide of Parenting comes into full frame. Smarter in what way? Just who is defining smart? Does this mean my kid will do better on academic tests? What’s the value of being smart if we aren’t teaching values such as kindness or honesty?

Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner rides the ridge of that great divide. He is widely known as the creator of multiple-intelligence theory for children. Gardner has identified seven distinct types of intelligence (think learning styles). It is estimated by researchers that only three of Gardner’s seven types are actually evaluated on traditional IQ tests.

We’ll get to the seven intelligence types below. First, consider these insights from Gardner as he refers to his own children, in his book, Intelligence Reframed:

“I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind is curious,” writes Gardner. “I want them to understand it so that they will be positioned to make it a better place.”

That’s a different sort of intelligence, and no doubt hard to turn into a multiple-choice exam. There is no one right way to make the world a better place. So it follows that Gardner sees kids as possessing different types of intelligence to get that ambitious job done. Here are his categories, which, honestly, not all of Gardner’s colleagues readily accept. Yet the days of considering intelligence as a singular concept are long past, thanks in large part to Gardner’s breakthrough sorting.

Linguistic intelligence: Deals with words. This is the primary intelligence for storytellers, journalists and attorneys. It provides the foundation to effectively inform, persuade, argue, teach and entertain. Kids high in this intelligence will be proficient with word games and tongue twisters. They will enjoy the sounds of words and tend to be avid readers and clear writers.

Logical-mathematical intelligence: Not surprisingly, this is the mind’s ability to work with numbers and logic sequencing. Think scientists, accountants, software developers. Kids with this intelligence set will be good at understanding cause and effect, numerical patterns and rationale (which could come in handy in dealing with the parents too).

Spatial intelligence: It covers the ability to conceptualize in mental images and pictures. Typical careers are in photography and art. These kids are good at visual details and tend to draw graphics and 3-D images that seem beyond their years. A key facet is the child’s ability to transfer those mental pictures to a form the rest of us can see.