Learning

12 Pages 3119 Words

t doesn’t mean a child who does not score well is not getting the information or is incapable of getting it (Traub1). Gardner’s goal is to turn what we normally think of as intelligence into a mere aspect of a much wider range of aptitudes (Traub 1). Most of us believe that doing well in school requires a certain amount of intelligence. School work usually focuses on only two avenues of intelligence. Traditional teaching focuses on verbal and mathematical skills. A person who is weak in both of these will probably do poorly in school. Gardner suggests that their is eight different aptitudes or “intelligence’s” (Gardner 3). Each individual has the “eight intelligence’s” in various amounts. Our strengths and weaknesses in the “intelligence’s” influence how we learn (Gardner 5). They may even affect how successful we are in life. “Verbal- linguistic” is the first of Gardner’s proposed “intelligence’s” (Gardner). A linguistic learner thinks in words. This person uses language to express and understand meaning (Gardner 24) Linguistic learners are sensitive to the meaning of words, their order, and their inflection (Gardner 24) This type of person uses writing to express themselves, often through poetry, stories, and letters. “Verbal linguistic” (Gardner 24) learners are usually very skilled readers. Speaking is another strength that they possess. Oral communication is used often for persuasion and memorization (Gardner 133). They are often eloquent speakers and have wonderfully developed auditory skills. This type of intelligence tends to pick up foreign languages with ease. Identifying a “verbal linguistic” (Gardner 24) learner in your classroom is not difficult. Because of their talents at expressing themselves their class work will stand out. They tend to do well at expressing themselves through writing. The will often speak their mind and can easily explain an event that happened through words, b...