Should we measure intelligence?
Children learn in their own way. I strongly support this theory.
As an integration assistant, I focus on individuality. I encourage perseverance in my students with difficulties and motivate them to give their best.
SELF-LEARNING
Like Howard Gardner, who promotes eight types of intelligence in his Theory of Multiple Intelligences, I believe that intelligence is unique to each person. Unfortunately, our learning standards often expect a particular intelligence that some children simply don’t have.
Sure, we create individual learning programs for struggling students, and of course you need to teach them the fundamentals of writing and arithmetic. I also agree to measure their progress to create new strategies for them to learn. At the same time, I think we should look for their gifts and remind these children, as often as we can, that they have them.
SCHEDULE OF INTELLIGENCE TESTS
Since 1869, we have measured intelligence by Hereditary Genius, Mental Age, Intelligence Scale and Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
SUCCESSFUL LEARNINGS WITH STRUGGLES
How sad for the world if future John F. Kennedys, Richard Bransons, and Albert Einsteins lose their resolve before they can succeed? These men collectively experienced learning difficulties such as autism and ADHD and would likely have scored poorly if given an intelligence test; fortunately they were exceptionally determined people. This validates the concern that our fixation on measuring intelligence may have a detrimental effect on our children and their motivation.
TYPES OF LEARNING AND TESTS
Teaching children’s learning styles is being implemented in Australian classrooms. Fortunately, we realize that children can be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. However, for some purposes we still use a single approach to measuring intelligence. Unfortunately, this has the potential to kill the spirits of struggling students who have less information than our testing methods deem acceptable.
FIND YOUR TALENTS
To realize the talents of struggling students, we must first stop expecting an unrealistic outcome. However, it is important to recognize what they can do, which is often very impressive. I can remember several times when the children I was teaching taught me a thing or two. They are generous, funny, and have a nurturing ability that other kids can relate to. It is essential that we question their abilities, but it is imperative that we remember that each child is unique in what they can do.
CHILDREN TEACHING CHILDREN
Children are the ideal teachers for children, as Mildura West Primary School demonstrated during its days as children teaching children, a whole school project that underpinned the contribution of schoolchildren to caring for the environment. We certainly recognize that children have the power to influence others, and struggling students are no exception. I may dream too much, but I believe that by encouraging the unique talents of struggling students and nurturing their determination to try, they will give it back to struggling students. Eventually, a new kind of intelligence will manifest.
The world of teaching is full of useful techniques, strategies and measures: cognitive behavioral training and MAPS, to name a few. These methods have proven to be successful in developing learning objectives and tactics. However, each child has his or her own experiences, psychological make-up, and competence; however, the ‘all terrain’ intelligence test – Intelligence Quotient (IQ) – has become entrenched in our society. How important is it anyway?
It takes a village to raise a child: parents, teachers, relatives, and friends all have the power to make a difference. Together, we can make the ultimate difference, measuring what is really important, the essence of our children to discover that it is multifaceted. And yet, we continue to determine intelligence based on the Wechsler Scales: verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. This makes children who do not fit this model feel like failures.