Montessori vs Multiple Intelligence - What’s best for my Child?

A lot of Teaching methods are made available to children nowadays, methods like Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, Cooperative and so on, I will be discussing two of the more popular approaches that I know of, (1)The Montessori Approach, and (2)Multiple Intelligences.

Montessori Method
- The Montessori method is an educational method for children, based on theories of child development originated by Italian educator Maria Montessori in the late 19th and early 20th century. It is applied primarily in preschool and elementary school settings, though some Montessori high schools exist.

The Montessori method stresses the importance of adapting the child’s learning environment to his or her developmental level, and of the role of physical activity in absorbing academic concepts and practical skills. It is also characterized by the use of autodidactic (self-correcting) equipment to introduce various concepts.

* note * Although there are many schools which use the name ‘Montessori’, the word itself is not recognized as a trademark, nor is it associated with a single specific organization.

Multiple Intelligences (MI)
- first developed by Howard Gardner, describing an array of different kinds of ‘intelligences’ exhibited by human beings. Gardner suggests that each individual manifests varying levels of these different intelligences, and thus each person has a unique ‘cognitive profile’.

The most common criticisms argue that Gardner’s theory is based on his own intuition rather than empirical data and that the intelligences are just other names for talents or personality types.

Categories of Intelligence According to Gardner:

1. Bodily-Kinesthetic
   People who are skilled at sports, dancing or any other activity that involves physical movement. Bodily-kinesthetic people learn best by physically doing something, rather than hearing or reading about it.
2. Extropersonal
   Interacting with other people is this intelligence’s main strength, extropersonal people, otherwise known as extroverts are generally characterized by their sensitivity to others’ moods, feelings and temperament which makes them easy to work and communicate with. Extropersonal people learn best by working with others.
3. Verbal-Linguistic
   Categorized as those who are good with words, whether it be written or spoken. They are good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing. Verbal-linguistic people learn best through reading, taking down notes and listening.
4. Logical-Mathematical
   This area has everything to do with numbers. People who are Logical-Mathematical are those who are good at reasoning, they can be mathematicians, computer programmers, analysts etc. A more accurate definition of this intelligence places emphasis less on traditional mathematical ability and more on reasoning capability, abstract pattern recognition, scientific thinking and investigation.
5. Naturalistic
   This area has to do with nature, nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings. Naturalistic people are said to have greater sensitivity to nature and their place within it, they have the ability to nurture and grow things, and greater ease in caring for, taming and interacting with animals. They learn best by being outside in a kinesthetic way.
6. Intrapersonal
   This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. People who are intrapersonal are typically introverts and prefer to work alone. They are usually highly self-aware and capable of understanding their own emotions, goals and motivations. They learn best when allowed to concentrate on a subject by themselves.
7. Spatial
   Area of intelligence that has something to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects. They are very artistic by nature, they are also characterized by having a strong visual memory and a good sense of direction.
8. Musical
   This area has to do with rhythm, music, and hearing. People with this intelligence normally have a good pitch, are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music. Those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture.

What’s Best For My Child Then?
How do you know what kind of approach is best for your child then? As a parent, and as a rule of thumb, the best way to know whether your child would really benefit from his or her education, is by talking directly to your child’s supervising teacher. Ask a few of questions, (1)ask about the style of teaching and the school’s approach, (2)ask why should you prefer this method over the other, (3)ask them their personal opinions about the methods they use and how effective they think it is, this way you’ll be able to have an idea whether or not they really know what they’re doing or simply feeding you answers from the book - which is the last thing you’d want from a teacher.

Simply put, what I’m suggesting is that in choosing the best school for your child, you should put more weight on your child’s teacher-to-be rather than the teaching methods that they use. We must never forget that these approaches, as helpful as they are, should serve simply as a guide to your child’s growth, whereas the bigger part of a child’s development heavily relies on teachers and educators including ourselves as their parents.

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