Multiple Intelligence Theory simply states that each person, or child, has his own forte. For instance in a class, some students who do not excel much in numbers nor in sciences can do a lot better in arts and in music. What is the relevance of this on today’s learning?

“Everybody is a genius.”

According to Howard Gardner, there are 8 multiple intelligences: the logical, visual, intrapersonal, kinesthetic, interpersonal, naturalistic and linguistic. In fact, due to the rise of technology, spatial reasoning is now considered as an intelligence as well. Learners belong to different groups of expertise. Each one of them is special.

In their own way, children manifests intelligence especially now that modern day learners developed new core skills. So it isn’t fair to judge their abilities using a single way of teaching and testing. Traditional teaching methods, which some still use up to this day, are made up of plain discussions, writing notes and taking written exams . This can be a limiting factor and hinder a young learner’s growth on his own field. That’s why students can’t be forced to learn the same amount of knowledge using the same way of teaching.

“But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Same goes when you judge a child by its ability to do things he isn’t capable of doing. Variation of teaching methods is essential to use today not only to excite their minds but to cater as much students as possible. This won’t only make learning fun but will also open the gates of learning to all of them.

As educators, our job is to ensure that every learner will learn and not every learner will get a grade. For the sake of students’ growth, we must be aware that not everyone who does not participate in class is a slow-learner. You just don’t know that the silent child at the last row who doesn’t talk much is a great listener and could be a musician.

Intelligence today should not be measured as to how students stand out based on a single set of standards. But as to how they stand out when they discover the talent within.