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Intrapersonal Intelligence
Getting to Know Yourself
The Intrapersonal Intelligence is one that helps your child know that most important of influences in her life—herself. This is the type of intelligence that allows a person to accurately look inward and see what they have to work with. Along with Interpersonal Intelligence, it helps people determine the best way to maneuver their way through life.
New City School, a unique private school in Saint Louis, MO that uses Howard Gardner's theories in all aspects of education, offers some guidelines on its Web site to help parents spot a highly developed Intrapersonal Intelligence in their child.
According to New City School, the child with Intrapersonal Intelligence knows and understands his own feelings and strengths. He knows when to ask for help and when to tackle a situation himself. He also has a good sense of what kinds of situations to become involved in, and which to avoid.
This child accepts responsibility for his own actions, and accepts his limits, but is still willing to take risks. He actively seeks feedback from others, and uses it and risk taking to expand his personal horizons. He will even try something in an area in which he knows he is weak, and persevere with a higher goal in mind rather than becoming frustrated at a lack of success.
According to Thomas Hoerr, Ph.D., director of New City School, for parents to understand their child's Intrapersonal Intelligence, they first have to exercise their own. Hoerr says every parent needs "an awareness and an orientation that there are all kinds of ways kids can be smart." Parents also need to look at their own intelligence profile and see what they themselves are strongest in and what things they like to avoid. "Would you rather be outside gardening?" he asks. "Or maybe you'd like to get in that run you thought you didn't have time for." Most pastimes are good indicators of where a person's strengths lie.
Once you understand your own Intelligences, you can help make sure your child has exposure to those that might not be your strong point, but might be a strength for her. To do this, you might need to call on friends or relatives who are gifted in a particular area. "Parents have carpools. There's no reason you couldn't have an intelligence carpool," Hoerr suggests. This will help give your child the opportunities and experiences she needs to develop.
According to Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D., in his book In Their Own Way (Putnam, 2000), the best way to help your self-motivating Intrapersonally intelligent child grow is to let her set goals, choose her own activities and pace herself through her projects. She needs "the chance to pursue independent study, self-paced instruction and individualized projects and games." Also important, says Armstrong, is a quiet place at home where your child can be alone to work on her hobbies and interests, or just to spend time "in quiet introspection."
Kinds of Multiple Intelligences
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