Which talent?

The theory of multiple intelligences, which enlarged ideas about child potential and gave rise to a different approach to teaching, is 20 years old this year - and the concept continues to inspire educators today.

Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University, published his book Frames of Mind in 1983, and its revolutionary ideas became a hit with teachers and parents in the US and beyond.

Prof. Gardner proposed that people are endowed with seven separate, equally valid, forms of intelligence, as opposed to the one single intellectual capacity which is measured by traditional IQ tests. In individuals all seven intelligences coexist but are unevenly distributed and can change over time.

Athletes and dancers, for example, might be particularly good at exploiting their "bodily-kinesthetic" intelligence, while lawyers, public speakers and writers might be stronger in the "linguistic" department.

Prof. Gardner's idea that intelligence is multifaceted challenged the traditional view of intelligence being made up solely of linguistic and logical-mathematical capacities - which predominate in school tests.

The challenge for educators, Prof. Gardner argued, was to figure out how to capitalise on those intelligences in the classroom.

Basically, Multiple Intelligences theory emphasises that individuals should be encouraged to use their preferred intelligences in learning. Teachers might, for example, use one intellectual strength to bolster another or to form a bridge for students to learn subject matter with less appeal for them.

Instructional activities should appeal to different forms of intelligence and the assessment of learning should measure them all, the theory suggests.

And the message to parents is: don't judge your child by academic results alone - he or she may possess other intelligences waiting for you to discover.

The different intellectual capacities suggested by Prof. Gardner are:

¤ Linguistic: skill in the use of words for expressive and practical purposes; skill in reading; ability and interest in writing stories, letters, poems and so on; skill in oral communication.

¤ Musical: sensitivity to rhythm, pitch, tune or melody, and the timbre or distinctive tone of a musical piece; skill in playing an instrument; a good voice for singing in tune and along with other people; actively enjoys listening to music.

¤ Logical-mathematical: skill in organisation, problem solving and logical reasoning; curiosity and investigation; ability to work with numbers; ability to perceive logical patterns and relationships, complex processes and abstractions.

¤ Spatial: use of mental imagery for artistic, creative, and other visual activities; ability to create artistic designs, drawings, painting or other craft, or to make, build or assemble things.

¤ Bodily-kinesthetic: ability to move the whole body for physical activities such as balancing, coordination and sports; using the body in expressive, rhythmic and imitative ways, such as in dancing and acting; ability to use the hands with dexterity and skill for detailed activities and small work.

¤ Interpersonal: sensitivity to and understanding of other people's moods, feelings and point of view; able to maintain good relationships with other people especially friends and siblings; able to take a leadership role through problem solving and influence.

¤ Intrapersonal: awareness of one's own ideas, abilities; personal decision-making skill; awareness of goals and self correction and monitoring in light of a goal; ability to regulate one's feelings, moods and emotional responses; ability to regulate one's mental activities and behaviour.

More recently, Prof. Gardner also examined further possible types of intelligence, such as 'naturalist' (those who have an interest in nature and the environment and like to identify and sort different species, animals, shells and rocks) and 'spiritual' (an intelligence concerned with a fascination with the 'big' questions in life, such as 'why are we here?' and 'where did we come from?').

The benefit of being aware of your child's multiple intelligence profile is that it encourages you to look for strengths and celebrate them. For example, a child who may not have great natural ability in traditional areas, such as maths or languages, may be musical or physically adept, and recognising these talents will increase this child's self-esteem.

Likewise, the intrapersonal qualities of a quiet, timid child, when seen from a 'multiple intelligence' perspective, become valuable assets to learning; the rather negative labels of 'daydreamy' and 'withdrawn' can be transformed into positive learning strategies when recognised as 'visual imaging' and 'reflection'.

In this way, every child can be seen to be gifted, with particular strengths in learning in some areas.