I love to read! I’ll read just about anything. Books, newspapers, magazines, junk mail. I read about how many oranges they squeezed into my bottle of OJ. I read graffiti, the sides of buses, fine print, advertisements, subtitles, and comics.
My best friend loves to dance. My dad likes to talk to people. My mum likes to paint and draw. My brother likes computer programming. What do you like to do?
The more I read the smarter I get. The more my best friend moves, the more my dad relates to people, the more my mum uses colour and shape in her art, the more my brother thinks logically, the smarter they get. Wouldn’t you like to get a little smarter?
Relationships, movement, time alone to think, maths, colour and shape, words, and music are the seven different types of intelligence in the human brain. Research shows us that we use all seven intelligences when learning something new. Each brain cycles through the seven in a different order with two that are its favourites.
No one else in the whole world thinks and learns exactly like you!
It can be hard to teach individuals in the way that best suits them. We don’t often realise that we learn in ways other than lectures, reading and writing. So instead of getting bored in class, mucking up, or feeling stupid and useless, Bella chicks can take the initiative and start helping ourselves!
THE BIG 7
The seven intelligences and suggestions on how to activate your learning style.
Relationship – Ask questions of the teacher. Get into a small group and discuss what you are learning.
Movement – Walk around, move your feet. Sit on a fitball. Play with a fidget (e.g. an eraser or your pen). If possible, physically do what you are learning.
Deep thinking – Be still and quiet and allow time to think things over (this may take days – that is ok!).
Maths – Find patterns in what your teacher is saying. Ask questions. Think through things in a logical order figuring out how it fits together.
Colour and shape – Visualise what the person is speaking about. Draw pictures. Join words with lines, squiggles, circles. Use coloured pens. Write in different fonts.
Words – Take notes (even if you never read them). Imagine typing or writing the words in your head as the teacher speaks.
Music – Listen to music. Hum or whistle. Tap your pen in rhythm. Make jingles about what you are learning.
FIND YOUR FAVES
Every time we think, new connections called neurons grow on and between our billions of brain cells. The more connections between our brain cells, the faster our brains work. The more we connect new learning with things we already know, the faster we are able to understand and remember something new.
While you have been reading, did you find yourself doing any of the things mentioned? Were you humming or tapping? Or visualising your brain building connections? This could help you discover your top two intelligences. If you are not sure, try experimenting with all of them until you find what works best for you.
For example, Jessica Watson (Young Australian of the Year 2011), who sailed solo around the world at age 16, may have Movement and Deep Thinking as her top two. While sailing, her body was continually rocking (moving) and she was alone with little human interaction. She had to come up with creative solutions for survival using deep thinking and movement.
Cody Simpson is clearly gifted with Musical Intelligence. YouTube clips show him singing his heart out as a child. Before he was an international celebrity, he used music to express his unique thinking.
These two examples show us that we can have great success no matter how our brains are wired.
YOU ARE INTELLIGENT!
The most important thing to remember is that you are intelligent – every girl is. It doesn’t matter who you are or how well you are doing at school. You are uniquely gifted to think in a particular way. Thinking in your way will help you come up with ideas and creative solutions that others may not have. Your uniqueness is incredibly valuable!
Here at Bella we’d love to hear from you! Please email us and let us know if trying these different ideas has helped you grow smarter!
If you are interested in reading more about the seven intelligences check out the book “The Gift in You” by Dr Caroline Leaf ©2009 Thomas Nelson Publishers. Google it and read part of it online for free.
GRETCHEN MITCHELL
This article was originally published in bella magazine