Have we taken the idea of multiple intelligences and learning styles too far?
I would argue that we have taken them too far.
The thought of testing a child to determine his "learning style" and then having to train teachers in the multiple learning styles (71 schemes have so far have been proposed, Coffield et al. 2004), and then have the teachers modify their methods to fit the child's style seems, at best, excessive.
Especially when we look back in time, we figure that children seemed to learn just fine without this relatively new theory. In fact, they learned very well because since the 1960s, despite our research and progress, our literacy rates have been steadily declining.
In their extensive study, Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence, Pashler et al. (2009) conclude, "The contrast between the enormous popularity of the learning-styles approach within education and the lack of credible evidence for its utility is, in our opinion, striking and disturbing. If classification of students' learning styles has practical utility, it remains to be demonstrated."
They also say that the acceptance of multiple intelligences theory is not surprising given the push to adopt it by vendors who make a lot of money selling learning-style products.
Sometimes we overthink things, and sometimes we create problems where none existed before. My sense is that Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences applied to the teaching of children is one of these times.
The Ancient Chinese and Ancient Greeks recognized that different personality types were predetermined. Whether or not you were born with a predisposition to become methodical, analytical, sensitive, artistic, talkative, social, ambitious, or visionary was mapped out before you came into the world.
In some ways, this concept correlates with Howard Gardner's Frames of the Mind (1980), where he identifies what he later said were 8 1/2 intelligences. The intelligences Gardner describes are a complicated way of stating the obvious: some kids are more inclined one way than another, and some are better at some things than others.
Rather than focus on a complicated approach to learning through the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, shouldn’t we focus on training great teachers?
If you have ten students to whom you introduce a new concept, nine will understand it, and one will become confused. What do you do now? You find a new angle, and you explain the concept again.
A good teacher knows how to do this, no understanding of multiple intelligences necessary.
The idea of catering teaching methods to one child's learning preference because they are a "kinesthetic" learner or a "visual" learner is to invite ad absurdum into the equation. It can also limit the child's perception of how he learns.
Think about it: if we teach our children that they fit under a label that says they are a particular kind of learner, we teach them to think in narrow constructs about themselves.
The world doesn't bend to our arbitrary learning preferences, and it's short-sighted to raise children to think it does. When they get their first job, do you think their employer will ask them what their preferred learning style is before they train them in their duties?
On the contrary, we teach our children that the world works a certain way and that to get along in it requires that they learn necessary skills.
In other words, children do the bending, not the world. The sooner your child understands this, the easier life will be for him and everyone who knows him.
Worry less about your child's learning style and worry more about your ability to explain things in multiple ways when your homeschooling.
You need to be able to think creatively to teach well. Teaching by analogy is the best way to convey complex concepts.
Sometimes it's a matter of time before a new idea or skill clicks in your child's brain. These moments are called intellectual awakenings—they come when they come, we can't push them. We can't force our children to learn; they have to do this themselves.
As their teacher, what we can do is provide a rich learning environment, explain concepts well, and let time do its work. We can also educate ourselves about the sound principles of learning.
You don’t have to become proficient in multiple learning styles before you can teach your child.
You're a homeschooling mother (or father). You probably have more than one child to teach. Teach the lesson. If he doesn't get the concept, teach it again another way. Try different approaches a few times. If he still doesn't get it, step aside for a while and let the idea sink in.
Teaching isn't something that comes naturally to everyone, and, with all due respect, some people shouldn’t be teaching at all; with a bit of help, though, most people can learn to homeschool their children.
Don’t be confused by the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In the time we find ourselves in, when people are so dumbed-down, raising a child with any intelligence at all will be a feat accomplished!
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Elizabeth Y. Hanson is an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and a Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach with 20 years of experience working in children’s education.
Utilizing her unusual skill set, coupled with her unique combination of mentors, Elizabeth has developed a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child. She devotes her time to helping parents get it right.
☞ Disclaimer: This is not a politically-correct blog.
