Is your Child Nature Smart !?!

Naturalistic Intelligence is the eighth intelligence in the Multiple Intelligence theory. This essay brings forth the qualities your child may possess and make you believe his or her Nature Smartness! Teachers and parents can also groom the child to his best after they find this kind of characteristics in the kid.

 

General Descriptions and Indicators for Being Nature Smart

 

For parents and teachers interested in more detail on how "nature smarts" might be recognized in children, we have tried to process, project and conceptualize the ideas about multiple intelligence and come up with apt descriptors. Many of the aspects listed below are from conversations we have had with parents of children who appear to exhibit acute awareness of patterns in nature at an early age.

 

Description

 

Naturalist intelligence deals with sensing patterns in and making connections to elements in nature. Using this same intelligence, people possessing enhanced levels of this intelligence may also be very interested in other species, or in the environment and the earth. Children possessing this type of intelligence may have a strong affinity to the outside world or to animals, and this interest often begins at an early age. They may enjoy subjects, shows and stories that deal with animals or natural phenomena. Or they may show unusual interest in subjects like biology, zoology, botany, geology, meteorology, paleontology, or astronomy. People possessing nature smarts are keenly aware of their surroundings and changes in their environment, even if these changes are at minute or subtle levels. Often this is due to their highly-developed levels of sensory perception. Their heightened senses may help them notice similarities, differences and changes in their surroundings more rapidly than others. People with naturalistic intelligence may be able to categorize or catalogue things easily too. Frequently, they may notice things others might not be aware of. As children these people often like to collect, classify, or read about things from nature -- rocks, fossils, butterflies, feathers, shells, and the like.

If your child:

• Notices patterns and things from nature easily,
• Has keen senses and observes and remembers things from his/her environment and surroundings,
• Likes animals and likes to know and remember things about them,
• Really appreciates being outside and doing things like camping, hiking or climbing, even just like sitting quietly and noticing the subtle differences in the world of nature, or
• Makes keen observations about natural changes, interconnections and patterns,

then this child may be nature smart.

Primary examples of notable people having naturalistic intelligence are John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Charles Darwin. Examples of cultural groups possessing and valuing this form of intelligence are many Native American Tribes and Aboriginal Peoples.

Possible Traits Exhibited by Children with Naturalistic Intelligence  

Children having naturalistic intelligence may exhibit some of the following characteristics:

They may:

1. Have keen sensory skills - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
2. Readily use heightened sensory skills to notice and categorize things from the natural world.
3. Like to be outside, or like outside activities like gardening, nature walks or field trips geared toward observing nature or natural phenomena.
4. Notice patterns easily from their surroundings -- likes, differences, similarities, anomalies.
5. Are interested and care about animals or plants.
6. Notice things in the environment others often miss.
7. Create, keep or have collections, scrapbooks, logs, or journals about natural objects -- these may include written observations, drawings, pictures and photographs or specimens.
8. Are very interested, from an early age, in television shows, videos, books, or objects from or about nature, science or animals.
9. Show heightened awareness and concern of the environment and/or for endangered species.
10. Easily learn characteristics, names, categorizations and data about objects or species found in the natural world.

Multiple Intelligence Theory and Child Development

The concept of intelligence, a very old one, has been employed in the most varied ways over the centuries. During the past century, there has been considerable movement on the "intelligence front," and this trend shows no sign of abating.

 

Lay Conceptions

Until this century, the word "intelligence" has been used primarily by ordinary individuals in an effort to describe their own mental powers as well as those of other persons. Consistent with ordinary language usage, "intelligence" has been deployed in anything but a precise manner. Forgetting about homonyms which denote the gathering of information, individuals living in the West were called "intelligent" if they were quick or eloquent or scientifically astute or wise. In other cultures, the individual who was obedient, or well behaved, or quiet, or equipped with magical powers, may well have been referred to by terms which have been translated as "intelligent."

For the most part, the word "intelligent" was used in a beneficent way; however, its imprecision can be readily displayed by a recognition that it has been applied to nearly all of the American presidents in this century, even though it is doubtful that any two of the presidents exhibited similar kinds of minds. Perhaps ironically, Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter, two of Americas least successful presidents, both of whom were engineers, probably came closest to the lay idea of "intelligence." It may be worth noting that they have become distinguished by their behaviors as ex-presidents.

 

The Scientific Turn

In a sequence of events that is by now familiar, Alfred Binet responded to requests from Parisian ministers at the turn of the century by creating the first intelligence test. It then became possible to estimate an individual's "intelligence" by noting his or her performance on a deliberately heterogeneous set of items, ranging from sensory discrimination to vocabulary knowledge. Used first clinically for "at risk" Parisian elementary schoolchildren, the intelligence test became "normed" on Californian middle-class children and was administered quite widely, thanks in large part to the efforts of Lewis Terman at Stanford University. By the 1920's and 1930's, intelligence tests (and their product, an individual's IQ) had become deeply ensconced not only in American society but also in many other parts of the world.

 

Pluralization of Intelligence

While intelligence was initially perceived as a unitary (if overarching) concept, which could be captured by a single number, a debate soon arose about whether the concept could legitimately be broken into components. Such researchers as L.L. Thurstone and J.P. Guilford argued that intelligence was better conceived of as a set of possibly independent factors. In recent years, buoyed by findings from fields as disparate as artificial intelligence, developmental psychology, and neurology, a number of investigators have put forth the view that the mind consists of several independent modules or "intelligences."

The "theory of multiple intelligences,"  argue that human beings have evolved to be able to carry out at least seven separate forms of analysis:

1. Linguistic intelligence (as a poet)
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence (as in a scientist);
3. Musical intelligence (as in a composer);
4. Spatial intelligence (as in a sculptor or airplane pilot);
5. Bodily kinesthetic intelligence (as in an athlete or dancer);
6. Interpersonal intelligence (as in a salesman or teacher);
7. Intrapersonal intelligence (exhibited by individuals with accurate views of themselves).

These ideas have attracted some attention on the part of educators seeking a more comprehensive and individualized educational system. 

Even though our efforts to understand intelligence have been advancing, we still know very little about how to nurture intelligence, be it conceptualized in unitary or pluralistic fashion, in individual-centered, contextualized, or distributed form. Yet surely our efforts to understand intelligence as scientists can best be crowned by a demonstration that intelligence can be nurtured in particular educational settings, using strategic pedagogical or facilitating techniques. Here lies one important challenge for the future.

 

Humanizing Intelligence.

Understanding the nature of the human mind in all of its complexity is no mean feat, and a complete understanding may well exceed human investigative capacities. But understanding intelligence-and even knowing how better to develop it-does not suffice in itself. Any human capacity can be used for ill as well as for good; and it is part of our responsibility as human beings living on a single troubled planet to try to use our competences, our intelligences, in morally responsible ways. This assignment cannot fall exclusively on the shoulders of researchers; nor can we simply afford to pass this responsibility on to others.

The human being is also more than his or her intellectual powers. Perhaps more crucial than intelligence in the human firmament are motivation, personality, emotions, and will. If we are ever to obtain a comprehensive and fully integrated picture of human beings, we need to meld our insights about cognition with comparable insights in respect to these other aspects of the human being. Perhaps, indeed, a different view of human nature will result from this activity of synthesis.

Obviously so grand an undertaking requires the highest degree of "distributed collaboration" among researchers, educators, and the general citizenry. Although the task is formidable, the advances made in understanding over the past decade give one some reason for optimism.

 

 

Education In The Vision Of Swami Vivekananda (Today is his birth anniversary)

Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1902), a great thinker and reformer of India, embraces education, which for him signifies ‘man-making’, as the very mission of his life. In this paper, which purports to expound and analyze Vivekananda’s views on education, an endeavor has been made to focus on the basic theme of his philosophy, viz. the spiritual unity of the universe. Whether it concerns the goal or aim of education, or its method of approach or its component parts, all his thoughts, we shall observe, stem from this dormant theme of his philosophy which has its moorings in Vedanta.

Vivekananda realizes that mankind is passing through a crisis. The tremendous emphasis on the scientific and mechanical ways of life is fast reducing man to the status of a machine. Moral and religious values are being undermined. The fundamental principles of civilization are being ignored. Conflicts of ideals, manners and habits are pervading the atmosphere. Disregard for everything old is the fashion of the day. Vivekananda seeks the solutions of all these social and global evils through education. With this end in view, he feels the dire need of awakening man to his spiritual self wherein, he thinks, lies the very purpose of education.

The Goal or Objective of Education
Vivekananda points out that the defect of the present-day education is that it has no definite goal to pursue. A sculptor has a clear idea about what he wants to shape out of the marble block; similarly, a painter knows what he is going to paint. But a teacher, he says, has no clear idea about the goal of his teaching. Swamiji attempts to establish, through his words and deeds, that the end of all education is man making. He prepares the scheme of this man-making education in the light of his over-all philosophy of Vedanta. According to Vedanta, the essence of man lies in his soul, which he possesses in addition to his body and mind. In true with this philosophy, Swamiji defines education as ‘the manifestation of the perfection already in man.’ The aim of education is to manifest in our lives the perfection, which is the very nature of our inner self. This perfection is the realization of the infinite power which resides in everything and every-where-existence, consciousness and bliss (satchidananda). After understanding the essential nature of this perfection, we should identify it with our inner self. For achieving this, one will have to eliminate one’s ego, ignorance and all other false identification, which stand in the way. Meditation, fortified by moral purity and passion for truth, helps man to leave behind the body, the senses, the ego and all other non-self elements, which are perishable. He thus realizes his immortal divine self, which is of the nature of infinite existence, infinite knowledge and infinite bliss.

At this stage, man becomes aware of his self as identical with all other selves of the universe, i.e. different selves as manifestations of the same self. Hence education, in Vivekananda’s sense, enables one to comprehend one’s self within as the self everywhere. The essential unity of the entire universe is realized through education. Accordingly, man making for Swamiji stands for rousing mans to the awareness of his true self. However, education thus signified does not point towards the development of the soul in isolation from body and mind. We have to remember that basis of Swamiji’s philosophy is Advaita which preaches unity in diversity. Therefor, man making for him means a harmonious development of the body, mind and soul.

In his scheme of education, Swamiji lays great stress on physical health because a sound mind resides in a sound body. He often quotes the Upanishadic dictum ‘nayamatma balahinena labhyah’; i.e. the self cannot be realized by the physically weak. However, along with physical culture, he harps on the need of paying special attention to the culture of the mind. According to Swamiji, the mind of the students has to be controlled and trained through meditation, concentration and practice of ethical purity. All success in any line of work, he emphasizes, is the result of the power of concentration. By way of illustration, he mentions that the chemist in the laboratory concentrates all the powers of his mind and brings them into one focus-the elements to be analyzed-and finds out their secrets. Concentration, which necessarily implies detachment from other things, constitutes a part of Brahmacharya, which is one of the guiding mottos of his scheme of education. Brahmacharya, in a nutshell, stands for the practice of self-control for securing harmony of the impulses. By his philosophy of education, Swamiji thus brings it home that education is not a mere accumulation of information but a comprehensive training for life. To quote him: ‘Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there undigested, all your life.’ Education for him means that process by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, and intellect is sharpened, as a result of which one can stand on one’s own feet.

Method or Procedure
Having analyzed the goal or objective of education, the next question that naturally arises is about the method of imparting education. Here again, we note the Vedantic foundation of Swamiji’s theory. According to him, knowledge is inherent in every man’s soul. What we mean when we say that a man ‘knows’ is only what he ‘discovers’ by taking the cover off his own soul. Consequently, he draws our attention to the fact that the task of the teacher is only to help the child to manifest its knowledge by removing the obstacles in its way. In his words: ‘Thus Vedanta says that within man is all knowledge even in a boy it is so and it requires only an awakening and that much is the work of a teacher.’ To drive his point home, he refers to the growth of a plant. Just as in the case of a plant, one cannot do anything more than supplying it with water, air and manure while it grows from within its own nature, so is the case with a human child. Vivekananda’s method of education resembles the heuristic method of the modern educationists. In this system, the teacher invokes the spirit of inquiry in the pupil who is supposed to find out things for himself under the bias-free guidance of the teacher.

Swamiji lays a lot of emphasis on the environment at home and school for the proper growth of the child. The parents as well as the teachers should inspire the child by the way they live their lives. Swamiji recommends the old institution of gurukula (living with the preceptor) and similar systems for the purpose. In such systems, the students can have the ideal character of the teacher constantly before them, which serves as the role model to follow.

Although Swamiji is of the opinion that mother tongue is the right medium for social or mass education, he prescribes the learning of English and Sanskrit also. While English is necessary for mastering Western science and technology, Sanskrit leads one into the depths of our vast store of classics. The implication is that if language does not remain the privilege of a small class of people, social unity will march forward unhampered.

Fields of Study
Vivekananda, in his scheme of education, meticulously includes all those studies, which are necessary for the all-around development of the body, mind and soul of the individual. These studies can be brought under the broad heads of physical culture, aesthetics, classics, language, religion, science and technology. According to Swamiji, the culture values of the country should form an integral part of the curriculum of education. The culture of India has its roots in her spiritual values. The time-tested values are to be imbibed in the thoughts and lives of the students through the study of the classics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita, Vedas and Upanishads. This will keep the perennial flow of our spiritual values into the world culture.

Education, according to Swamiji, remains incomplete without the teaching of aesthetics or fine arts. He cites Japan as an example of how the combination of art and utility can make a nation great.

Swamiji reiterates that religion is the innermost core of education. However, by religion, he does not mean any particular kind of it but its essential character, which is the realization of the divinity already in man. He reminds us time and again that religion does not consist in dogmas or creeds or any set of rituals. To be religious for him means leading life in such a way that we manifest our higher nature, truth, goodness and beauty, in our thoughts, words and deeds. All impulses, thoughts and actions which lead one towards this goal are naturally ennobling and harmonizing, and are ethical and moral in the truest sense. It is in this context that Swamiji’s idea of religion, as the basis of education should be understood. We note that in his interpretation, religion and education share the identity of purpose.

Conclusion
The exposition and analysis of Vivekananda’s scheme of education brings to light its constructive, practical and comprehensive character. He realizes that it is only through education that the uplift of masses is possible. To refer to his own words: Traveling through many cities of Europe and observing in them the comforts and education of even the poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our own poor people and I used to shed tears. When made the difference? “Education” was the answer I got.’

He states it emphatically that if society is to be reformed, education has to reach everyone-high and low, because individuals are the very constituents of society. The sense of dignity rises in man when he becomes conscious of his inner spirit, and that is the very purpose of education. He strives to harmonize the traditional values of India with the new values brought through the progress of science and technology.

It is in the transformation of man through moral and spiritual education that he finds the solution for all social evils. Founding education on the firm ground of our own philosophy and culture, he shows the best of remedies for today’s social and global illness. Through his scheme of education, he tries to materialize the moral and spiritual welfare and upliftment of humanity, irrespective of caste, creed, nationality or time. However, Swami Vivekananda’s scheme of education, through which he wanted to build up a strong nation that will lead the world towards peace and harmony, is still a far cry. It is high time that we give serious thought to his philosophy of education and remembers his call to every-body-‘Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.’

Roleplay for Children- Grow, Nourish, Learn

"Let's play castle! I'll be the princess—you be the knight!"


"Mommy, can I help wash the dishes?"

"When I grow up, I want to be fireman."

Sound familiar? If you have a child, you probably hear these things all the time. Children are naturally drawn to role play—the magical art of imitation and make believe.

But role play is more than fun...it's a key component of learning. According to child development experts, role play helps children acquire all kinds of skills and knowledge, encouraging them to:

• Explore imagination
• Think in the abstract
• Acquire language skills
• Build social skills
• Problem solve
• Understand someone else's perspective
• Learn essential life skills from adults
• Discover leadership skills
• Safely explore the world beyond
• Acquire confidence and a sense of self

If that isn't amazing enough, consider this: because role play engages emotion, cognition, language, and sensory motor skills, scientists theorize it actually creates synaptic connections between parts of the brain. And the more synapses, the greater a child's intelligence!

There are different types of role play, and they help serve different purposes. Encourage them all...and nurture your child's natural gifts.

Imitating Mom and Dad
 For most kids, this is one of the first forms of role play. You vacuum; your child wants to, too. You go to the ATM;your child wants to push the machine's buttons.Imitative role play helps kids understand who their parents are and what grown-ups do. It also helps them acquire important life skills that will help them become independent adults.

Encourage your child to help you with chores and errands, like setting the table and selecting groceries. Choose toys that trigger imitative play, like "playing house," driving a battery-operated car, or taking care of a doll.

Playing Dress-Up
In the wink of an eye, most kids can turn a towel into a superhero cape...a royal robe...or a cloak of invisibility. Playing dress up instantly transports kids into the role of someone else—real or imaginary.

Most small fry love dressing up in grown-up clothes, and this is terrific (as long as you clearly communicate what clothing is and isn't available for play). In addition, providing your child with dress-up quality costumes is a great way to encourage these role play adventures. When shopping for Halloween costumes, get the most from them—choose characters your child will enjoy "being" all year long.

Acting Out Real-Life Situations
What child doesn't enjoy playing school, store, or doctor? One way kids learn about the people in their world is by recreating real-life people, places and situations. As they play, they reinforce what they've learned about appropriate behavior in different situation.

More likely than not, when kids explore this type of role play, they're not alone—they're playing with a pal or two. And that's even better! Cooperative role play teaches kids how to negotiate, take turns, work as part of a team, and play leader—all necessary to developing social skills.

Reenacting Stories
When children reenact stories, it helps them appreciate other people's perspectives and feelings. How did Cinderella feel about missing the ball? Was Harry Potter afraid before he opened the secret door? This encourages feelings of empathy.

In addition, repeating dialogue— whether written in a book or spoken in a movie—helps kids build language skills and vocabulary. There is some evidence to suggest it may even encourage children to enjoy reading.

Creating a Make-Believe Space
Whether it's a big empty box, a tent, or a tree house, designated "pretend" spaces encourage kids to create make-believe worlds. Indoors or out, playhouses never lose their universal appeal.

In these magical spaces, children feel free to be anyone—to leave the everyday world behind and let imagination soar.

Performing for an Audience
Does your child love performing in front of the family? Encourage it! Acting out skits, singing, playing an instrument, dancing, performing a comedy routine—all these activities help kids develop talent and self-esteem.

There are many benefits to "putting on a show"—writing a script requires creativity, working with a "troupe" calls on cooperative skills, and facing an audience builds public speaking skills.

And the sweet sound of applause that follows a successful production is a terrific confidence-builder. What child doesn't benefit from that?

Multiple Intelligence - Where Kids are understood better!

The theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. It suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited. Instead, the theory proposes eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults. These intelligences are:

• Linguistic intelligence ("word smart")
• Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart")
• Spatial intelligence ("picture smart")
• Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")
• Musical intelligence ("music smart")
• Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart")
• Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart")
• Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

 Our schools and culture focus most of their attention on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence. We esteem the highly articulate or logical people of our culture. However, that we should also place equal attention on individuals who show gifts in the other intelligences: the artists, architects, musicians, naturalists, designers, dancers, therapists, entrepreneurs, and others who enrich the world in which we live. Unfortunately, many children who have these gifts don’t receive much reinforcement for them in school. Many of these kids, in fact, end up being labeled "learning disabled," "ADD (attention deficit disorder," or simply underachievers, when their unique ways of thinking and learning aren’t addressed by a heavily linguistic or logical-mathematical classroom. The theory of multiple intelligences proposes a major transformation in the way our schools are run. It suggests that teachers be trained to present their lessons in a wide variety of ways using music, cooperative learning, art activities, role play, multimedia, field trips, inner reflection, and much more. The good news is that the theory of multiple intelligences has grabbed the attention of many educators around the country, and hundreds of schools are currently using its philosophy to redesign the way it educates children. The bad news is that there are thousands of schools still out there that teach in the same old dull way, through dry lectures, and boring worksheets and textbooks. The challenge is to get this information out to many more teachers, school administrators, and others who work with children, so that each child has the opportunity to learn in ways harmonious with their unique minds.

Stop Bed Wetting

If you need to stop your child from bed wetting, you are probably embarrassed and frustrated from the behavior, as well as tired of always having to clean up after your child. It is important that you are patient and do not show your frustration to your child. This is extremely important due to the fact that your child is also frustrated and embarrassed by their bed wetting habits, and are as eager to stop it as you are. The first step you need to take to stop bed wetting is change your mentality and lifestyle to deal with the problem. Using bed wetting alarms to inform you when you need to make certain your child is awakened is a good start. By breaking the deep sleep cycles, you can form the habits your child needs to wake themselves up and go to the bathroom without your assistance. In addition to this, you need to become extremely patient. If you yell at your child, they will become stressed and nervous, which will only make the problem worse. As your child starts to develop new sleeping habits, the next step to stop bed wetting is to practice retention exercises. As a child's bladder develops, they need to practice holding in their urine so they can last the entire night without having to go to the bathroom. This will result in the correct of bed wetting problems. However, this should be done very gradually, as children can be stressed by these exercises. Retention exercises should not be worked on during holidays and other high excitement times, as this is a recipe for failure. Finally, before you take any steps to stop bed wetting, you need to ensure that your child is healthy. Bed wetting over the age of five is not considered normal. Because of this, you should consult with a doctor first to make certain that there are no underlying health problems. Liver and kidney problems, as well as diseases like Lupus, can cause bed wetting in children, teenagers and adults. Only your doctor can properly diagnose whether or not the bed wetting is something other than an underdeveloped bladder or deep sleep cycles .