The first five years of life are essential in the development of a child’s intelligence. This is the moment when the architecture of the brain is built and neuronal connections are created and strengthened.
It is the interactions with his environment and those around him that will allow him, from a very young age, to develop his cognitive, relational, and motor skills and therefore his intelligence.
What kinds of intelligence are there in the world?
According to Howard Gardner, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, there are different forms of intelligence:
- Verbal intelligence is people who express their thoughts easily through words.
- We notice this intelligence in children who speak easily, who like to tell stories, and who play with words.
- Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to hold logical reasoning.
- In children, this ease is characterized by a child who questions, who wants reasons for everything, or who experiments logically.
- Children express it through the ability to make friends, integrate into a group, play in a team, and work with others.
- Musical intelligence is the ability to remember melodies, and rhythms and a sensitivity to the musicality of words and sentences.
- This intelligence is characterized in children by their ease in remembering a song, dancing to a rhythm, and humming.
- Visual intelligence is the ability to create mental images and have a spatial representation of the world.
- We recognize this form of intelligence in children who like to draw, do puzzles, and who are sensitive to colors and shapes.
- Naturalistic intelligence is the sensitivity and particular understanding of nature.
- The child expresses this form of intelligence through his sensitivity to the environment, he likes to be outside and observe the elements of nature.
- Bodily intelligence is the ability to express oneself through movement, to use one’s body with ease, and to be skillful with objects.
- In children, we notice it when they like to touch and manipulate objects when they enjoy physical activities and are comfortable with their bodies.
Each of us has all of these forms of intelligence which all develop at their own pace, but one of them will assert itself more particularly over time. It is from this dominant that each individual understands the world and manifests their difference.
It is useful to identify which one predominates in the child to facilitate learning and integrate new knowledge: some children will need to manipulate, others will need to be explained. It is better to offer different approaches to the child to identify the one they prefer and with which they are most comfortable.
What activities to develop my child’s forms of intelligence?
In order to support the development of the child’s intelligence, it is necessary to offer them a rich environment and provide them with diversified experiences .
From a very young age, you can give him objects or toys to manipulate and explore. When he is older, you can visually draw his attention to the world around him, describe the environment, help him identify the sounds he hears, and have him manipulate different materials and shapes.
According to Aark Learnings Children’s language skills are also decisive for their development and that of their intelligence.
Talking to the child, inviting them to express themselves, establishing a dialogue by giving them time to respond, using varied and rich language when addressed to him, allowing him to build his lexicon, integrate grammatical forms, and promote easier communication.
What type of game for what form of intelligence?
- Through construction games which are useful to help him construct his thoughts,
- Through imitation games (dolls, dinette, disguises, etc.) which make it possible to integrate the social and cultural codes of society,
- Through transfer activities that introduce you to the physical laws of nature,
- Through reading which enriches vocabulary and gives free rein to the imagination,
- Through contact with nature which develops the capacity for observation and concentration,
Conclusion
Carrying out motor and sporting activities leads the child to know his body with its capacities and its limits.
To develop his intelligence , the child needs to experiment, to manipulate, to live in an environment where language is rich and varied, needs to express himself and be listened to and to release his creativity in his actions, his play and his thoughts.
The support of an adult who encourages and values ??the child’s progress, helps them feel capable, and puts words to their experiences is also essential
