A child is a bundle of infinite possibilities yet to be discovered. The way adults around deal with them largely determines their success in the future. The early years is perhaps the most critical of periods in life and deserves careful attention.
Extraordinary growth occurs in young children from conception till 5 years of age. Neuroscience studies have crystalised findings which prove that 85% of the child’s intellect, personality and life skills are acquired in the early years. While every child comes with his or her own genetic make-up, we can enhance environmental stimulation that increases the child’s overall development, propelling him or her towards greater success.
To be able to provide that flourishing environment, it is first and foremost critical to recognise that every child is unique. That is what makes the world interesting. We have our artists, our mathematicians, our musicians, writers etc. No child should be expected to fit into a particular, stringent mould. Each child must be allowed to grow at their pace and harnessed as an individual, especially in the early years.
It is therefore helpful to give a thought to Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligence or MI. The Theory of MI states that we all have seven basic intelligences that include: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Each person possesses all seven and each can be developed to an adequate extent.
In the early years, Multiple Intelligence Theory can be adopted to develop the child holistically to maximise their intellectual growth. So how can we practically implement Multiple Intelligence in the classroom and home?
Basically, the idea behind implementing Multiple Intelligence is to give each child varied learning opportunities. For example, if we are teaching the child recognition of the number 4, we should not only visually show the number 4 on the board, but also let the children make number 4 with clay (for kinesthetic learners), paint number 4 (for visual learners), hear a song about number 4 (for audio learners), dance to the formation of number 4 on the floor (spatial learners) , tell a story about number 4 (linguistic learners) etc. One learning objective should be achieved via variable methods that cover the seven Multiple Intelligences.
First Step Nursery Montessori is the first nursery in Dubai that has seriously implemented Multiple Intelligence into its curriculum. Students are assessed to determine their strengths with regards to the MI framework. Teachers are trained to design lesson plans based on these assessments to tap on each child as a unique individual and to develop skills across the multiple intelligences. Sometimes, different centres are set up in each classroom with different activities to achieve the same objective. For example, to teach the alphabet ‘a’, there may be a kinesthetic centre where children physically make craft connected to the letter ‘a’ and there may be an IT centre where children go to use the laptop to visually and audibly learn the letter ‘a’. A lot of thinking and time is invested in planning MI-centric lessons but the learning outcomes of these efforts are definitely clear, with each child not only learning the concepts intended but tremendously enjoying the process as well.
In conclusion, certainly, implementing the theory of Multiple Intelligence to devise lessons or activities for the children at home, does enhance learning in the early years. It helps in exposing the child to different intellectual stimulations that eventually build nerve connections in the child’s brain, which in turn develop the child’s mind for greater life-long success.
With thanks to Ruhie Jamshaid, Principal and Chief Educational Consultant at First Steps Nursery Montessori based in Jumeirah. Visit www.firststepsnm.co or follow on Facebook: First Steps NM.