Public, private and home school learning environments all must answer one question: what is the best way to engage students to learn? The answer varies with each person, according to Dr. Kathy Koch. She covers eight different learning styles in her book “8 Great Smarts.” She presented an overview of those concepts at a recent conference that my daughter Sharon attended.
She excitedly told me that Dr. Kathy defines the eight smarts as word smart, idea smart, music smart, picture smart, nature smart, body smart, people smart and self-smart. To involve all the various forms of smart, the instructor should appeal to all the groups. However, most learning environments are geared to the word and idea smart: the children who can be still, pay attention, and listen. This very efficient method teaches the kids who can engage and take in information quickly. A wise teacher knows that the kid who is moving and talking may still be learning in a different way than those who attend quietly.
Recognizing learning differences engages more students in the learning experience.
Dr. Kathy explained eight types of smart as follows:
Word Smart: When this person gets excited about a new concept, they think and say many words exploring the idea. These students excel in the traditional classroom setting.
Idea Smart: They respond to new ideas by thinking about it and asking lots of questions. As teachers we may say, “okay, that’s enough” because you want them to get to the next thing, but sometimes, you need to allow these learners to ask the questions and find out what is still confusing.
Music Smart: thinks in music and rhythm. Since these kids always beat, drum and hum it’s best to have them sing a song to illustrate what they are learning. For example, help them use familiar tunes with new words to memorize lists or tapping math facts.
Picture Smart: thinks and visualizes pictures when they learn. Even during a serious talk, these students may start laughing because something said triggered a picture in their head that they found hilarious. To engage this child, find a way to have them illustrate what the topic looks like.
Nature Smart: sees patterns as they learn and express themselves in patterns. Ask the Nature Smart students, “we have been doing this unit, what patterns do you see thus far?”
Body Smart: When they are learning and excited, movement will happen. Have them come up with a dance to demonstrate what they are learning. “They are going to move anyway, so you may as well harness it,” Dr. Kathy advises.
People Smart: concepts energize their talking with and observing other people. During the lecture Dr. Kathy asked, “How many of you thought you may have a good idea and went to talk with others for feedback? You KNOW you have a good idea when you watch someone respond.” Sometimes folks who are people smart have 1,000 ideas, but they rely on others’ verbal and nonverbal feedback to test those ideas out. Group activities, pair-and-share discussion, interpersonal actions and conversations work for them.
Self Smart: when they are learning and experiencing, they withdraw and quietly ponder within themselves. Allow the Self-smart learner the space and time to ask the question, to be slower before engaging. Demanding engagement only frustrates the student and teacher. Even some self-smart can be curious. If they are allowed time to ask questions that might not be so straight line.
Sharon said when she discussed these learning styles with one of her experienced teachers at church, the teacher asked, “So what do you do with fifth graders that are chatty and busy know-it-alls?”
“If they know-it all, then let them take the front seat and say, ‘hey, we are going to do something about – topic. What do you know?’ Let them be in the drivers seat. Ask ‘What song does it remind you of? Or draw a picture to show this concept or story. What other Bible story does this remind you of?’”
Having ADHD herself, Sharon said, “I know that people can show that they are learning without sitting still. I learn by talking. We put a high value on sitting up and being quiet in society and education. That is what we tell them, but that is not what learning and smart looks like. If you can see and lasso what kids are learning and how, then we do our kids and ourselves a favor by identifying different kinds of intelligences. We can get discouraged when we think that learning has to look like standardized smart.”
Don’t assume students are intelligent if they aren’t “book smart” or their test scores are low. Learn to enjoy all that each learner has to offer and ways that he or she can learn. One brief column can hardly cover this topic. The book “8 Great Smarts” as well as “8 Great Smarts for Homeschoolers” are available at all the usual literary outlets.