Mimi and the Grands

T is for Turkey – Book Study Unit

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

This week I planned a multiple intelligence study unit for the book, T is for Turkey by Tanya Lee Stone. Not only is this a fun alphabet book with adorable pictures, it contains lots of good information about the Thanksgiving holiday. (I learned some new information too.)

As I planned this study unit, I kept the needs of my grandsons in mind.

Tigger, 6, already had some knowledge of Thanksgiving, so I wanted to build on this. He would most likely be able to read or decode several words on each page, so I would probably have him read several of the pages with me on the second or third read throughs. Tigger would also benefit from recognizing rhyming words in the story. Additionally, I wanted him to memorize the date in the story.
Kona, 4, knows short vowels and most consonants, so I would focus on having him repeat initial sounds of the keyword on each page. He’s at an age when he should be learning some basic facts about Thanksgiving. Since he loves cooking and dramatic play, I definitely wanted to include those type of activities. Crafts should be designed that would develop his fine motor skills.
Tahoe, 2, will really enjoy the pictures in the book, so I’ll spend a lot of time discussing what he sees in the pictures. He will probably enjoy dramatic play and other physical activities. His crafts will focus on shapes and gluing.

I always over plan, and I may list more than one activity for each intelligence so I have choices. If you use this study unit, it is best to do at least one activity from each intelligence, but don’t feel that you need to use every activity I described. This was planned as a four day unit. Each day I read the book to them and provided two other activities from this list.

Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

Read the book T is for Thanksgiving daily..
Discuss the rhyming words on each page.
Discuss the sound each alphabet letter makes at the beginning of the keyword on each page.
Make a list of foods served at the first Thanksgiving as shown in the pictures or mentioned in the story.

Logical/Mathematical Intelligence (Number Smart)

Have two youngest grands count the number of letters in the alphabet as you turn each page.
Create math problems based on the story or pictures. For example, “If two Wampanoags and three colonists sit at the same table, how many people will that be?”
Have oldest grand write or trace the year 1620 on some paper or on a rock in the yard. Teach him how to pronounce this year.
Show oldest grand how to subtract 1620 from the current year.

Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart)

Find Cape Cod on a map or globe. You can also trace the voyage on a globe starting at England, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, and ending at Massachusetts.
Make a poster of foods eaten at the first Thanksgiving by drawing pictures or cutting them out of magazines.
Turkey Crafts-I planned two different crafts for the grands:

The first craft was chosen for Tigger and Kona. For the body and wattle of the turkey I had them fold different size (and color) pieces of construction paper and drew a “half heart” along the fold for them to cut. They also used scraps of construction paper for the head, eyes, beak, legs, and feet. These were all glued to a larger piece of construction paper. The feathers were created the day before using paper towels, markers, and small drops of water from an eye dropper or straw.(Ooooh, Science!) To make each feather, they drew a dark line with a marker on a piece of paper towel. I actually had the grands draw over the line three times with the marker to make sure there was plenty of of ink on the paper towel. Then I had them carefully place small drops of water from a straw all along the line. (An eye dropper would be easier, but we didn’t have one. To use the straw method, I added 1/4 inch of water to a cup. For each drop, one of the grands dipped the straw into the cup to capture some water. He placed a finger on top of the straw before lifting the straw out of the cup to keep the liquid inside the straw. Next he put the straw on the marker line and lifted his finger from the top of the straw to release the water. We practiced this first before using the straw method on the marker lines. Make sure to stay on the line when releasing the water, otherwise you won’t get the desired effect. Repeat this method until water is placed all along the line.) The “capillary” action of the water on the paper towel will spread the ink to make a “feathery” look. I let the paper towels dry thoroughly before cutting them into feather shapes and having the grands glue them on the turkey picture. (See pictures below for more clarification.)

The second craft had less steps and was planned for Tahoe. I cut construction paper circles for the body and head of the turkey. I also cut out eyes, a beak, and legs from scrap paper. He glued these onto another piece of construction paper. Then I used some leaf foam stickers we already had around the house to become the “feathers” for the turkey. I had to begin peeling the paper on the back for him, and he peeled the rest. Then I showed him the spot to place the leaf on the turkey. (See the last picture below for Tahoe’s finished product.)

: Kona draws lines on paper towels with markers.

: By adding small drops of water along each line, the ink on the marker spread out.

: The ink from the markers is spread by the water, giving a “feathery” effect.

: When the paper towels were dry, I cut them into feather shapes.

: Here is Tahoe’s finished turkey. Besides making the “feathers”, he cut out the heart shapes and the legs.

: Tahoe’s turkey craft required him to use a glue stick and unpeel the paper from the backs of the foam stickers.

Musical Intelligence (Music Smart)

Play Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” while doing craft activities or when reading the book aloud.
Transform “Old McDonald Had a Farm” into “Plymouth Pilgrims Had a Feast” and add verses to go along with information from the book such as…

“Plymouth Pilgrims had a feast,

A-E-I-O-U,

and at this feast they ate some corn,

A-E-I-O-U,

with a kernel here, and a kernel there,

kernel here, kernel there, lots of kernels everywhere,

Plymouth Pilgrims had a feast,

A-E-I-O-U.”

Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart)

Guessing Game- After reading the book several times, have the youngest grand say an alphabet letter and have the older grands say the keyword from the story to match the letter.
Cooking- We made a corn pudding recipe I found online. I adjusted the directions slightly by having the grands add all ingredients except the butter in a mixing bowl (so they didn’t have to work with a hot buttered casserole dish). I also had them add two eggs, which other reviewers of the recipe had recommended. After they mixed all the other ingredients, I poured the concoction into the hot buttered casserole dish, stirred again, and placed the dish in the oven. Tahoe set the timer for 30 minutes, but I kept the pudding in the oven about ten more minutes because it didn’t look done after 30 minutes. The two youngest grands had this for their mid-morning snack when it came out of the oven. Here is the link for the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Corn-Pudding/

: Tahoe pours in the corn muffin mix.

: Each grand was able to pour in a can of the corn.

: My grandsons love to cook with me.

Naturalist Intelligence (Nature Smart)

Visit a farm stand or actual farm to see what foods are being harvested at this time of year.
Plant seeds for beans, squash, or any vegetable that will grow this time of year in your geographic location.
Walk around the neighborhood or park. Notice the rocks that you see on your walk. Do you think any if them are large enough to be Plymouth Rock? If you see a special rock, give it a name.

Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Smart)

Ask each grand to name their favorite page in the story.
Ask each grand what they are thankful for at this time of the year.
Give each grand the opportunity to explore this book or other Thanksgiving themed books by themselves.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart)

Dramatic Play-Reenact the first Thanksgiving meal. Don’t forget to use the phrase “Good Morrow ” as you greet each other.
Gathering Logs-Place several packaged paper towel rolls at one end of a room or hallway. Have a grand start at the other end of the room or hallway and run to collect one log. Then return to the starting line to stack the “log”. Repeat back and forth until all the “logs” have been collected. (Sorry the pictures below are blurry, but my camera is not very good at focusing on running toddlers).

: Kona stacked up paper towel rolls to represent a pile of logs.

: Kona carries his “logs” one at a time.

: Tahoe picks up a “log” from a stack of paper towel rolls that Kona built.

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Five Little Pumpkins Mini Multiple Intelligence Lesson

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

The grands and I are enjoying the story “Five Little Pumpkins” so much I decided to create a mini lesson using multiple intelligence strategies. These projects are not only fun, but contain academic concepts which are relevant to the needs of my grandsons, ages 2-6. Besides reading the story to the grands daily, I used two activities each day, so it was a four day unit. It is best to do at least one activity from each intelligence. However, I often plan more than one activity for each intelligence to give myself choices, so I don’t necessarily use them all.

Note: I have updated this post in October 2016. I revisited this lesson with my grandsons and added a few more activities. In 2016, the grands were ages Tahoe (4), Kona (6), and Tigger (8).

Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

Read the book or poem “Five Little Pumpkins” . If you need a copy of it, here is the website I used:

http://aboutthesethings.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/five-little-pumpkins/

Discuss and/or list the rhyming words.

Logical/Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart)

Walk around neighborhood and count the number of pumpkins you see.
Create math problems with the pumpkins such as, “If only three pumpkins fell off, how many pumpkins would be left on the gate?”
Make Pumpkin Spice Mini Muffins (Gluten Free recipe): Work on measurement skills by baking some pumpkin muffins. Since one of the grands is on a gluten free diet, I found this recipe which all of them could eat. We also used almond milk in the recipe. They had so much fun making these muffins which we made on two different occasions this fall: http://smashedpeasandcarrots.com/gluten-free-pumpin-donut-muffin-recipe/

: Tahoe is getting so much better at measuring.

: Tigger melted the butter for the topping.

: Kona helped to put the batter in the muffin trays.

: He measured the sugar and cinnamon that was used for the topping.

: Tigger loved adding the toppings to the baked muffins.

: Ta Da! Pumpkin Spice Mini Muffins for Everyone!

Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart)

Carve a pumpkin to make a face from the story.
Make a diorama of the story. To make the one I have shown below, I used a shoebox lid, scissors, five individual sections from an egg carton, five equal sized sections that I cut from a paper towel roll, five green pipe cleaner pieces (about four inches each), orange paint, brown paint, blue construction paper, yellow construction paper, glue stick, and a black marker. My grandsons painted the egg carton sections orange and the paper towel sections brown. (I didn’t have the correct colors so we did some color mixing-another lesson for them.) Once those were dry, the grandsons drew pumpkin faces on each orange egg carton section with the black marker. Cut the blue construction paper to fit the inside of the shoebox lid. You can also make pictures on the blue construction paper, like fences, trees, and other pumpkins. (My grandson outlined his hand to draw a tree.) Glue the blue construction paper to the inside of the shoe box lid. Cut out a yellow “moon” from yellow construction paper and glue onto the blue construction paper. Place the paper towel sections next to each other on the bottom of the shoebox lid and place the “pumpkins” on top of them. Make a hole on the top of each “pumpkin” and fit the pipe cleaner inside to look like a stem (and to help keep the egg carton on top of the paper towel section). You could hot glue all the pieces into place on the shoebox lid, but I wanted my grandsons to play with the diorama and be able to move the pieces around, so I didn’t glue them down.

: Kona covers the individual egg carton sections with orange paint.

: Now Kona paints cut up paper towel roll pieces which will become part of the gate.

: These are the supplies we used for the diorama.

: All the grands helped make the diorama. Tigger drew pumpkin faces and the scary background. Tahoe glued the background to the shoebox lid.

Musical Intelligence (Music Smart

Play Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons-Autumn” as you read the story aloud.
Have your child help you create a simple melody to go with this poem.

Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart)

Dramatic play-Reenact the story of the five pumpkins with siblings or adults.
Most of the other activities in this lesson plan can be done with their siblings.

Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart)

Fine motor activity: For this activity I used brown construction paper and a marker to created a “gate” that I glued to the back of a sturdy game board box we had around the house. Then using tongs or a large spoon, I had the grandsons place five orange pom poms (pumpkins) on top of the box (gate). Once the pom poms were placed on the top of the box, the grands were asked to become the “wind” in the story and blow the pumpkins off the gate.

: The objective of this activity is to use kitchen utensils, not fingers, to get the orange pom poms (representing the pumpkins) on top of the box (the gate from the story.)

: Once the “pumpkins” are on top of the “gate”, the grands pretended they were the wind, and blew the pumpkins off!

: Tahoe loved this activity and it kept him busy while I was cooking dinner.

: This was easier for Kona. His favorite part was blowing the pom poms (pumpkins) off the box (gate) afterwards.

Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Smart)

Give each pumpkin a name.
Discuss: Which is your favorite pumpkin in the story?
Let child play with diorama to create new stories for the pumpkins.

Naturalist Intelligence (Nature Smart)

Visit a pumpkin farm.
Walk around neighborhood to see where your neighbors have pumpkins. Are any of them on a gate?
If you have a real pumpkin for the holidays, you can feel and count the number of bumps on the outside and the number of seeds inside of it.

I hope the children in your care enjoy these activities as much as my grandsons did. Wishing all my readers a fun and safe Halloween!

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Book Study Unit Education

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Teaching Short Vowels-The M. I. Way (Conclusion)

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

In the first part of this series, I gave lesson ideas for teaching short vowels to my grandsons using Linguistic, Spatial, and Interpersonal strategies. In this post, I will explain my lesson plans for the other five intelligences: Bodily-kinesthetic, Naturalist, Logical/mathematical, Intrapersonal, and Musical.

As a reminder, I planned the units of study with an eye to modifying the various activities according to the readiness of each grandson:

Six year old Tigger had learned the short vowels in kindergarten, but I wanted to give him a good review before he started first grade in September. With Tigger, I would concentrate on short vowel sounds that were found in the middle of words (medial sounds) and review blending them with initial and ending consonants.
Kona, 4, already recognized all the uppercase and lowercase alphabet letters and had started to pick up quite a few consonant sounds. I decided he might be ready to learn about short vowels at the beginning of words. Possibly I will try medial short vowel sounds, blending sounds, and word families later on in the year.
Tahoe, 2, would not be ready to learn short vowel sounds, but I knew I could modify the lessons so his main focus would be on letter recognition and vocabulary development in the lessons.

I highly recommend using at least one activity from each intelligence, but don’t feel like you need to do all of the activities I’ve listed. I always over plan so I have list of choices, and then decide which activities best fit the needs of my grandsons. I taught the short vowel unit of study over a six week time period, but I am still doing a few activities each week with them as a review.

Bodily-Kinesthetic (Body Smart)

My grandsons are very bodily-kinesthetic so I like to have many of these activities planned for them.

Driving to the Vowel Sound–(Tigger and Kona) I used the picture cards I created from magazines and old workbooks that Tigger had completed. Then I taped a different short vowel letter to the top of the boys’ toy cars. The idea is to have the grands “drive” their short vowel “car” to the pictures that begin with the short vowel sound.

I utilized the grands’ love of toy cars to make this matching game.

I taped the vowel letters on the grands’ toy cars.

Kona easily matched the “toy cars” with the picture cards I made.

Pantomimes- (All the grands) Pantomime is basically telling a story through movement. To help my grandsons learn how to pantomime, I usually did these with the boys. As they became more confident, the older ones attempted their own pantomime:

short a: eating an apple, moving like an alligator
short e: hatching from an egg, walking like an elephant
short i: moving like an inchworm
short o: putting shoes on an octopus,
short u: swimming under water, tossing something up in the air

For more movement ideas, look at these links:

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2008/04/teaching-short-vowels/

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/25870/physical-fitness

Find the Treasure- (All the grands)-This activity combines bodily-kinesthetic and spatial intelligences. I had a new building set for the grands, but instead of just giving this gift to them, I used it as a way to review the short vowels. I divided the set into five parts, placed each set of pieces in a baggie, and then hid them. Next I made a treasure map (spatial intelligence) using short vowels in the “clues” and the grands had to run around the house and backyard (bodily-kinesthetic) to find their “treasure”. Tigger had to read the words with short vowels on the map and I helped with the words he didn’t yet know. Kona had to tell me which short vowel sound he heard, and Tahoe guessed the name of the letter. Here are some ideas for clues that contain short vowel sounds:

under the table
on the bed
up the playset ladder
on the desk
where eggs are kept
next to the apple tree
in the toybox

The inspiration for this activity I found at this link:

http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/2014/10/20/jake-neverland-pirates-treasure-hunt/

Hiding Short Vowels– (Tigger and Kona) I use the picture cards I made from magazines and old workbooks for many activities, including this one. I gave each grandson a card for each short vowel and asked them to hide them and remember where they place them. They could be hidden anywhere in the house. When that was completed, each grandson was given a letter (written on an upcycled bottle cap). They were told to find the picture that started with the short vowel sound made by the letter they were given. Since these boys are very competitive, they raced through the house to find their hidden card. I repeated this with each short vowel sound until all the picture cards were found. It was a good workout for them, and they wanted to play the game again.

Bath time Short vowels- (All the grands)- I have not done this idea yet, but when I do, I will use short vowel letters (or words with short vowels in the medial position for Tigger) instead of sight words. Basically you put the letter of each vowel sound on circles made from craft foam. Each child has a net and as you call our the vowel sound, the child has to scoop up the correct foam piece. Here is where I found this idea:

http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/bath-time-sight-words/

Relay Race-(Tigger and Kona) Again I will use the picture cards I created and the bottle caps with vowel letters written on them. To play, I will put two picture cards for each vowel at one end of the yard. At the other end I will give each grandson one bottle cap with a vowel letter they have to match with a picture card. They will race to the end of the yard to find the correct card and return to me. Then I will give them the second vowel letter to find and they will again race to retrieve the correct picture. I will do this until all the pictures have been matched correctly.

Naturalist intelligence (Nature Smart)

Field trips–(All the grands)-This is a great time of year to visit apple orchards and practice the short vowel sounds. We recently went to a local apple orchard that also is attached to a Nature Conservancy wilderness area. All the grandsons had a blast collecting sticks and acorns to make the letters of the short vowels. We discussed the vowel sounds as we explored the area including: apple trees, red ants, sticks, pumpkins, insects, etc. Field trips to zoos, beaches, botanical gardens, and parks are wonderful places to explore living things with short vowel sounds in their names.

Nature Letters– (All the grands) Even in their backyard or local park, the grands love to make the letters of the short vowels out of leaves, twigs, in sand, dirt, mud, gravel, or any other items they find in the natural environment. Here are some ideas from another website:

http://www.sugaraunts.com/2014/09/decodable-reading-with-nature-letter.html#.VEvFfVeI2f4

Scavenger Hunt-(All the grands) I made a list of plants, animals, and other items that could be found in the grands’ backyard or neighborhood for each short vowel. I gave the grands some picture cards to help them with a few ideas, but sometimes you come across other words to discuss during the hunt. Included in my list were words that started with the short vowel sound, or words with the short vowel sound in the medial position. Here are some ideas I had of living things to look for in our local environment: liquid amber tree, bird egg, cat, dog, twig, ants, apple tree, sun, walnut tree, lizard, mud, sand, insects, bugs, rocks, elm tree, evergreen tree, animals, apple tree, under rocks, and olive tree.

Kona explores words that begin with the short a sound with an outdoor scavenger hunt. Pictures help him in his search.

Logical/Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart)

Counting activities:

There are so many ideas for counting, but here are a few:

seeds in apples
number of apples in a bag or on a tree
eggs left in egg carton before and after making scrambled eggs
legs on insects
sides on an octagon or arms on octopus
spokes on an umbrella
number of ingredients in a favorite recipe

Measuring:

Since “inches” starts with a short vowel sound, use an inch ruler or measuring tape to measure other items with short vowels including: apples, eggs, stop signs (which are octagons), umbrellas, etc. Here is a neat idea about making playdough inchworms to measure:

http://www.teachpreschool.org/2011/11/playdough-inchworms/

Egg carton math: (All the grands) There are lots of ways a simple egg carton can be used for math activities. Here is one that my grandsons have done. Using an empty egg carton, I created an addition activity for Tigger and Kona. I used two different colors of any small item (buttons, pom poms, plant gems, etc.) and placed some of each color in the separate egg carton areas. Then they counted all the items to see how many items were in the egg carton altogether. Since Kona and Tigger can write their numbers, I also had them write their answers on paper. (Instead of addition problems for Tahoe, he counted the items in the egg carton.) Besides doing the math activity, discuss the short vowel sounds found in egg carton, buttons, pom poms, and plant gems.

: The use of manipulatives is a great way to help students understand their math concepts. Kona loved this egg carton activity and soon was creating and solving his own addition problems.

: Use manipulatives to help children understand their math. I used egg carton addition activity.

I found some more fun math activities using egg cartons here:

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/09/egg-carton-math-by-teach-preschool.html

Octagon Search- (All the grands)-Although all the grands have seen octagons many times, I gave them a picture of one and had them find octagons around the house or neighborhood (for example a “Stop” sign is an octagon).

Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Smart)

Independent reading- (All the grands)-Besides the books I get from the library each week specifically for the vowel sound we are studying, there are plenty of books already in the boys’ library that they can enjoy whenever they want. Their parents have made sure they have plenty of picture dictionary books, which Tahoe especially enjoys at his age. He loves to point to the pictures and say the words he knows. The other boys enjoy retelling the story by looking at the pictures, and Tigger likes to find the words he knows (which are usually words with short vowels in the medial position).
Exploration Bins-(All the grands) Using a box or plastic bin, place items that begin with the short vowel sound inside and cover with rice, beans, or macaroni. For example, place plastic eggs, small toy elephant figures, and little Elmo dolls in a bin for the “e” short vowel. The child uses their hands to find the items in the bin. Afterwards, discuss with the child each item and the connection to the short vowel. Ask them which one was their favorite and why they chose that item. For more information on this idea, check out this website:

http://www.themeasuredmom.com/letter-e-dig-find-box

Short Vowel App-(Tigger and Kona) I downloaded this new app from one of my favorite websites and introduced it to Tigger. He enjoyed it and can use it by himself now. I will be using this with Kona also.

http://thisreadingmama.com/short-vowels-word-study-app/

Musical Intelligence (Music Smart)

Finger plays and songs-(All the grands) Wow! There are so many resources to locate songs and finger plays. If you just type in the words “short vowel songs” into a search engine, there will be dozens of songs and fingerplays from which to choose. I have found other songs by typing in the short vowel word (such as “apple”, “octopus” or “umbrella”) when I want to find a song about a particular word. Here are the ones I found recently:

short a: http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/johnny-appleseed.html or http://www.alphabet-soup.net/dir2/applesong.html

short e: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems99.html

short i: http://ccplonline.org/kids/songs4tots/insectsallaround.html

short o: http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/songs/o/orangeoctopus.htm

short u: http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/the-umbrella-song-rainy-day-songs/

Create your own fingerplays -(All the grands) Just take a familiar fingerplay song and use short vowel words in place of the other nouns. When the grands were babies, I would sing this song to them although I used the noun “Einsteins” in it. Obviously, that word didn’t work when I taught short vowels, so I came up with other words beginning with each short vowel. For example:

“One little, two little, three little otters,

Four little, five little, six little otters,

Seven little, eight little, nine little otters,

Ten little otter pups!”

To take this a step further, I will try to have the grands suggest short vowel words to replace “otter” in this example.

Create your own songs-(All the grands) I like to create my own songs, so I used the tune to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and adapted it for each short vowel sound. Here are the lyrics for the short “a” sound:

“The short vowel “a” goes ah, ah, ah,

ah, ah, ah,

apples, ants, and alligators,

start with ah, ah, ah.”

I followed the same pattern with the other short vowels. I changed the fourth line in each song as follows:
The short vowel e: “Elmo, eggs, and elephants”
The short vowel i: “igloo, inch, and iguanas”
The short vowel o: “otter, on, and octopus”
The short vowel u: “under, up, and umbrella”

Using multiple intelligence strategies, such as the ones I have put in this unit of study, I have found my grandsons to be very engaged in learning. And because they are doing these activities with their “Mimi”, we are having some very special bonding time. By making sure I use at least one activity from each intelligence, I am increasing the probability that the grands will retain the main points of the lessons.

As for the progress of my grandsons, Tahoe is beginning to recognize some alphabet letters, although his favorite letter of the alphabet right now is “O”. His receptive and expressive vocabulary is rapidly increasing. Kona is doing so well with the short vowel sounds, I have begun working with him on blending one short vowel with one consonant. I am also working with him on the consonant sounds he hasn’t yet mastered, using strategies similar to the ones I used for the short vowels. Tigger is seven weeks into first grade, and he is not having any problems with his reading homework. (I interpret that as a good sign.) I can tell when he reads with me that he is able to sound out words with his short vowels very well. Time for me to plan another unit of study using multiple intelligences.

I hope these ideas have motivated you to think about multiple intelligences when you are planning an activity for the children in your care.

Education Multiple Intelligences Short Vowels

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Teaching Short Vowels-The M. I. Way

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

Now that I’ve finished my series giving a brief overview of Multiple Intelligences (M. I.), I want to share how I use these strategies when planning a unit of lessons for my grandsons. The first unit of study I am presenting to you will cover short vowels. I have so much information to share, I’ve decided to divide this information into two different posts. This post will cover three intelligences: Linguistic, Spatial, and Interpersonal. The lesson ideas for the other five intelligences will be presented in another post.

Since my grandsons are 2, 4, and 6 years old, I planned the units of study with an eye to modifying the various activities according to the readiness of each child:

Six year old Tigger had learned the short vowels in kindergarten, but I wanted to give him a good review before he started first grade in September. With Tigger, I would concentrate on short vowel sounds that were found in the middle of words (medial sounds) and review blending them with initial and ending consonants.
Kona, 4, already recognized all the uppercase and lowercase alphabet letters and had started to pick up quite a few consonant sounds. I decided he might be ready to learn about short vowels at the beginning of words. Possibly I would try medial short vowel sounds, blending sounds, and word families later on in the year.
Tahoe, 2, would not be ready to learn short vowel sounds, but I knew I could modify the lessons so his main focus would be on letter recognition and vocabulary development in the lessons.

Even though I am a retired teacher, I had only taught 4th and 5th graders, so I had never actually needed to teach short vowels before. Obviously, I would need to do some research and get advice from people who had taught short vowels successfully. And fortunately, there are many educators, homeschoolers, and afterschoolers who share their engaging lessons on their websites and blogs. I have been inspired by their ideas so much, and I happily share their links.

Crafts that visually match the letter with the short vowel sound are fun ways to help the grands learn. Their mom displays their crafts in their room, so they see these every day.

Usually I do at least one activity for each intelligence, although I may list many more activities in the lesson plan to give me choices depending on the needs of the grandsons. I planned to use two-three intelligences each day (about 30-45 minutes per day), depending on the length of the activity. When I planned this unit, I thought it would take about six weeks to complete with my grandsons. I would teach one short vowel a week, and then have a week to review all of them. Well, that was ambitious! While I did focus on one short vowel each week, I didn’t have time to do all the activities I thought would benefit my grands. So I extended our review week into as many as were needed, because I felt Kona needed a really strong foundation in short vowels before I proceeded to teach him how to blend sounds. Thank goodness I had the luxury of time when teaching my grandsons that I didn’t have as a classroom teacher. Additionally, I kept finding fantastic ideas on websites and blogs, so I kept adding activities to my unit plan. If you use this short vowel plan, it is best to do at least one activity in each intelligence, but please don’t feel you need to do all the activities I share in the post.

Before I begin, let me reiterate that many of these activities can be classified under more than one intelligence, (which makes sense since each of us has a blend of the eight intelligences). In my unit plans, I have organized the activities according to the intelligence that I feel is the most dominant.

Linguistic (Word Smart)

Read books-(All three grands) This is usually where I start my lessons each day. Before reading each book, we look at the pictures, make predictions, and discuss the vowel sound of the week. During the reading of the book, we discuss words with the vowel sound, and afterwards check on our original predictions. I found this wonderful website for lists of books that go with each letter of the alphabet:

http://www.themeasuredmom.com/books-to-teach-letter-a/

I perused this website each week and then ordered three books from the library for whichever short vowel I would be teaching. Here are my grandsons’ favorite books that I read to them for each short vowel:

short vowel a-The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
short vowel e- Eggday by Joyce Dunbar
short vowel i-Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
short vowel o-An Octopus Followed Me Home by Dan Yaccarino
short vowel u- The Umbrella Day by Nancy Evans Cooney.

Audio books-(All the grands) Since I drive the grands around a lot, I like to keep an audiobook for them in the car. I have found audiobooks for many of the books I used in the library as well.

Discussions–(All the grands) As I went about my day with the grands, I would point out words to the grandsons that started with short vowels and have them repeat the word and isolate the vowel sounds. For example, as I gave each grand a bowl of applesauce for a snack, we would discuss the short a sound in applesauce and have the boys repeat the word first and then say the vowel sound.

Bottle caps, letter stamps, or dry erase boards–(Modified for each grandson) I cut out pictures of things with the short vowel sound from magazines or completed workbooks and pasted them on paper. The grandsons could use the bottle caps (that I created), the dry erase board to write the letters themselves, or letter stamps (purchased) to indicate which vowel sound matched each picture.

I saved milk bottle caps and wrote the vowels on them. They can be used to match up with pictures cut up and pasted from Tigger’s completed workbooks.

Personal reading –(Tigger)We used the Progressive Phonics books that matched the vowel sound we were discussing that week. He read them with me, but later on he will be able to read them by himself.

http://www.progressivephonics.com/

Make lists- (All the grands) At the end of the week, make a list of all the words that we discussed during the week with the vowel sound. Tigger and Kona could illustrate the list as well.

Word Puzzles–(All the grands) I purchased these word puzzles a while back and used them with this unit of study. Tahoe, 2, recognizes the “o” letter the best and loves to find all of them and place them in the puzzles. Kona, 4, will place all the vowels in the puzzles, and has just begun to blend sounds with some of the pictures. Tigger, 6, has been using all the word puzzles to practice his blending of sounds as well.

All the boys love these word puzzles. Tahoe loves to find all the “o” letters and place them in the puzzles, while these puzzles help Tigger with his blending skills.

Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart)

Letter crafts-(All the grands)-The grands really enjoy crafts and I always start their craft session with a picture that can be created from the vowel sound. Some of the grands’ creations are pictured near the beginning of this post. While I found lots of ideas on different websites, I had to be careful that the craft ideas I chose were depicting something with the short vowel sound. For example, I wouldn’t make a craft of an eagle for “e” since “eagle” doesn’t begin with the short vowel sound. There are step by step directions for some letter crafts on this fantastic website:

http://crystalandcomp.com/2013/08/u-is-for-underwater-a-letter-of-the-week-preschool-craft/

Other crafts-(All the grands)-Ideas for other crafts to go with each short vowel are endless. (For example, the amount of craft ideas for “apples” could keep the grands busy for a year!) This is the website I usually visit first for craft ideas:

http://www.themeasuredmom.com/letter-o-crafts-preschool-kindergarten/

I also found a terrific project on stamping “pumpkins” that I adapted to use with short vowels at this website:

http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/sight-word-pumpkin-patch/

Kona says the short vowel sound before stamping a “pumpkin” on the letter.

Videos-(All the grands) Another way to use the spatial intelligence is through videos. I found so many wonderful videos that teach the short vowel sounds. Here is our favorite site:

http://www.sightandsoundreading.com/teaching-the-short-aa-letter-sound/

Playdough mats- (All the grands)-While I created these playdough mats myself, you can find printable mats on many websites including the one I used for my inspiration:

http://thisreadingmama.com/alphabet-playdough-mats/

: Playdough mats are a great activity to help learn the short vowel sounds using the spatial (as well as bodily kinesthetic) intelligence. These are ones I created with construction paper.

: Add playdough to finish.

: Playdough mats are great spatial activities. Kona completed the inchworm.

Interpersonal (People Smart)

Dramatic play (All the grands)-In dramatic play participants may pantomime and speak. There is often a created story line. Encourage and participate in dramatic play using words that start with the short vowel sounds. Props can be used, although “pantomiming” the props is easier and adds to the creativity. Here are some ideas to try:

short a: astronauts taking a space walk from the Space Lab

short e: collecting eggs; washing elephants

short i: building an igloo; using different ingredients to make a salad (or soup, cake, smoothie, casserole etc.)

short o: pretending to be an octopus trying on new clothes

short u: exploring an underwater habitat

Kona really enjoys our cooking sessions together. Here he is adding cinnamon to his mini apple turnovers.

Cooking -(All the grands) Since this activity requires adult supervision due to my grandsons’ ages, I have categorized this in the interpersonal section. When my grandsons are more independent readers, I will categorize cooking under linguistic since they will be reading and following the directions in recipes. My grandsons love to cook, so I always include some type of culinary activity with each short vowel:

short a: Make applesauce or mini apple turnovers. (Actually, we made both but on different days.). To make the applesauce, I peeled and cut two Granny Smith apples and placed them in a two quart microwaveable casserole dish. My grandsons added a little water, honey, lemon juice, and a few dashes of cinnamon. After microwaving for three minutes, my grandsons helped me mash the cooked apple pieces. They had to wait for the applesauce to cool before eating.

I found the mini apple turnover recipe at this link:

http://brownchrista9.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/simple-apple-activities-that-would-make-johnny-appleseed-proud/

Short e: scrambled eggs-Use your own recipe or try this one:

http://www.kidsacookin.ksu.edu/Site.aspx?page=Recipe&Recipe_id=4488

short i: Italian bread salad. I discovered this recipe, but haven’t tried it yet.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mid-summer-italian-bread-salad/

short o: olive and cream cheese spread-Mix 3-4 ounces cream cheese with a small drained can of chopped olives, and a tsp. of mayonnaise. Spread on crackers, bread, or in celery.

short u: upside down cake- I will be trying this recipe:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easy-pineapple-upside-down-cake/c4d3321d-fad9-41cb-8f29-8d91a4279b07

Shell game (All the grands) Even the youngest grandson enjoyed playing this simple activity. I found this short vowel game on this website:

http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/vowel-sounds-practice-game/

Shell game with short vowels:Rocky and Kona loved this game, however instead of a pom pom, they substituted one of their cars.

Well, those are some activities for three of the multiple intelligences. My grandsons have enjoyed these activities so much, and my hope is that by engaging all their intelligences, I am helping my grandsons become lifelong learners.

Next week, I will publish a post explaining how I used the remaining five intelligences to teach my grandsons the short vowels.

Education Multiple Intelligences Short Vowels

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Favorite Books of the Summer

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

( A note of caution: if you just want to see the list of books I recommend, skip to end of this post. I’m afraid I might be a little wordy explaining why I’m writing this post in the first place. Sorry, but that’s my linguistic intelligence getting the better of me.)

Whenever I take a Multiple Intelligence survey, one of my strongest intelligences is always linguistic. I spoke early as a child, was always encouraged to write, and of course, I read dozens and dozens of books, especially in elementary school. So you would think I would continue to read lots of books as an adult.

I certainly had great role models. Both of my parents were voracious readers. One of my childhood homes was one block away from our school, a park, and a small county library. I think my parents purchased the house for its locale, certainly not for its dark wallpaper, termite issues, and abundance of ivy which seemed to attract vermin (although my parents quickly remedied these drawbacks). My mother walked all of us kiddos to the library every week. Children were limited to three books, but adults could check out many more. My mother would carry home a huge stack of books each week, and she would finish them all! (As far as I know, she only read at night after we were all fed and bathed, so she either read very fast or stayed up late reading.)

My dad went to the library also, but he additionally loved to buy used books. In every home he has had as an adult, one entire side of the garage has always been filled floor to ceiling with used books displayed on homemade bookshelves. (When he decides to move into an assisted living residence in the future, I have no idea where we will put all his books!)

But when I became an adult, even though I still had a passion to read lots of books, I just didn’t seem to make recreational reading a priority compared to all my other responsibilities. That is, until I joined a book club. Then I became motivated to get at least the book club selection finished each month, and sometimes I even read an additional book of my own choosing. Eventually I was so busy at work, I couldn’t even attend book club meetings. I always had a nightstand stacked with books, however, and found time to read several books each year, usually during summer break.

So as I got older and my retirement neared, I looked forward to having all this free time to read to my heart’s content. Wrong, wrong, wrong! I remember a familiar quote of Aristotle: “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Well, apparently so does retirement.

Don’t get me wrong. The people and activities that have filled my life since my retirement give me a tremendous amount of joy! But time for my recreational reading wasn’t fulfilling my expectations.

So I joined another book club a year ago. Problem solved. Now I make reading a priority (because who wants to admit to not finishing the book club selection when you gather with your club friends). Of course, another benefit of a book club is delving into books you wouldn’t normally have chosen. Now I don’t believe every book we chose is a literary masterpiece, but along the way I’ve been rewarded with some real gems that wouldn’t have received a second glance from me at the library or bookstore. And I think good books should be shared ( or at least their titles publicized). So that is why I’m taking a break from describing how I teach my grandsons with multiple intelligence strategies, and instead making a list of my favorite reads of this past summer.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks…This was one of those books that once you became involved with the characters, you couldn’t put down. Budo is the imaginary ( or is he real?) friend of eight year old Max, an autistic boy who doesn’t understand other people very well. Fortunately, Budo is very savvy and the book’s main focus revolves around Budo’s actions to save Max from a dangerous situation. Since Budo can’t communicate with “real” humans, he uses the help of the other imaginary friends he has met. Our book club members are all involved in education in some way, so our discussion hit very close to home as we thought about the “Max” students we have encountered in our careers. We also became very attached to Budo, and a few of the other imaginary friends in the story.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan…Wow! A bookstore that is open 24 hours a day seems like a dream come true, except this bookstore doesn’t get very much traffic. And when a customer does come in, they are asking for unusual books that are found in the top recesses at the back of the store. Main character Clay Jannon, a former web designer who takes on the job as a late night clerk in this puzzling establishment, is intrigued by the customers and their choices of books. As he investigates the real purpose of the bookstore, we meet some very eccentric, but lovable characters. This was another book that I couldn’t put down, and the rest of the book club found it as enchanting as I did.

The Rosie Project by Graeme C. Simsion…Genetics professor Don Tillman is looking for a wife. However, he has difficulty relating to most people (much like Sheldon Cooper in “The Big Bang Theory”) so he devises a way to find the perfect wife: through a survey that he has meticulously created. Along the way he meets Rosie Jarman, who involves Professor Tillman in a search for the identity of her biological father. Free-spirit Rosie doesn’t match any of the qualifications for his perfect wife, yet she helps Tillman discover a more enriching and full life. This book is very charming, and the author has written a sequel to be released soon.

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle…I suggested this book to the book club members because I had read about it on someone else’s blog. I have been a fan of Madeleine L’Engle ever since I read A Wrinkle in Time to my fourth grade classroom. So a “journal” type book written by L’Engle sounded intriguing. It was! This is a book that I want to keep, reread, ponder, and underline passages. It is full of family anecdotes, but more than that, it is a dialogue of her writing philosophy. This isn’t just a book for fans of Madeleine L’Engle; those who love to write, or want to become writers will find so much inspiration and encouragement as she explains her passion for writing even when A Wrinkle in Time was rejected by many publishers.

The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg…O.K. I’m cheating by including this book because I actually read this book last fall. However, I just had to include it because the entire book club thoroughly enjoyed this book and part of its plot relates to the little known, but important contribution women aviators accomplished during World War II. Mrs. Sookie Poole, an Alabama matron who has just married off the third of her four children, has her comfortable life interrupted when she receives a registered letter from Texas. In her quest to uncover a secret about her parentage, she uncovers the history of a hardworking family in Wisconsin, and their amazing daughters who became WASPs during World War II. It is a story filled with humor and warmth.

For my next post, I will begin a new series on how I use Multiple Intelligence (M. I.) strategies to teach my grandsons about short vowels. I hope it will give you some inspiration on using M. I. when planning lessons or activities for the children in your care.

Book Clubs Book Reviews Multiple Intelligences Reading

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Multiple Intelligences in Your Home Part 8

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

Does your child wonder how things work? Do your children like to count their toys or organize them into categories? These would be indications of their logical-mathematical intelligence. This intelligence is also called “number smart” because it usually involves a thought process using symbols or numbers.

I can see my grandsons using their logical-mathematical intelligences when they play. The children in your care probably do these same things. For example, they count the number of trains they can fit on their train tracks, the number of grapes I give each of them (to be sure they are each getting their equal share), and they count backwards from ten when they are launching their space shuttle toy. I love their fascination with their mom’s measuring tape. Just the other day, Kona found the measuring tape and was measuring the height of the chairs by the kitchen counter. (Not sure why.) Tigger is really interested in coins right now, especially since he learned that they can add up to different amounts of money. He likes to play with the pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters that I keep in his car seat cup holder while I drive him home from school.

LOGICAL MATHEMATICAL

Our logical-mathematical thinking allows us to reason, see patterns, and solve problems. People who are strong in the logical-mathematical intelligence are good at analysis so they are drawn to games that require strategy. Besides being strong in calculations, they additionally enjoy science experiments, doing puzzles, and solving mysteries. The character Sherlock Holmes was created as a logical-mathematical thinker. Real people who would be considered having strengths in the logical-mathematical intelligence would be Bill Gates or Albert Einstein. As adults, people with strengths in this area might pursue careers such as doctors, scientists, accountants, or detectives.

Tahoe can’t resist a chance to play this math game by himself. It is best to let children play with the manipulatives for awhile first before teaching them the rules of the game.

To encourage the engagement of a child’s logical-mathematical intelligence, these materials or activities could be provided at home:

blocks (building, attribute, etc.)

iPad apps (such as Counting Caterpillars and Marble Math, Jr.)

board games (math specific or just ones that use dice or numbers to move spaces)

educational children’s shows that focus on math (like Team Umizoomi)

rulers, measuring cups, measuring spoons, thermometers

multiples of any favorite toy (my grands love to count their cars and trains)

geoboards

construction sets

toy clocks

tangrams

having items for them to categorize (buttons, leaves, small toys)

card games (like Go Fish)

dominoes

toy phones, computers, and calculators

shopping ads

science experiments that use numbers (Where is your shadow at 10 a.m. Noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.?)

number lines (could be created with sidewalk chalk on your driveway)

shape sorting toys

creating patterns together (red button, green button, red button, green button, etc.)

cutting food into fractions (apple in halves, sandwich in fourths)

explaining how you solve a life problem using math (I can get 2 avocados for $1, so I’ll get 4 avocados for $2.)

I hope this series has given you some basic information into the eight intelligences that we all possess, as theorized by Dr. Howard Gardner. In future posts I will show how I apply this theory when planning learning units for my grandsons.

In my next post, I will discuss a different topic; the best books I’ve read over the past few months. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes, other than watching the grands, of course. I hope you’ll be able to relate to the struggles I have had in finding time to read, even in retirement. And if you are looking for a good book to read, maybe one of my recommendations will strike your fancy.

Education Multiple Intelligence Overview

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Multiple Intelligences in Your Home Part 7

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

I have chosen to explain linguistic (and logical mathematical) intelligence in my later posts because these two intelligences are the ones that often come to mind when people think of giftedness. Historically, most people were judged on their intelligence according to their ability in reading, writing, and mathematics. Those were the mental capabilities tested in most IQ tests. But according to Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence, each individual has their own unique blend of the eight intelligences, and can be gifted in other ways. I wanted my readers to explore the other six intelligences first before I discussed the intelligences which may be more familiar to them. This post will provide an explanation of the linguistic intelligence. (By the way, people who read blogs are often strong in this intelligence.)

LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE

This intelligence is also known as being “word smart” because it has to do with an acuteness towards language relating to speaking, listening, reading, and writing words. People who have strengths in this intelligence enjoy expressing themselves through words, and may have the ability to learn other languages easily. Often people who are highly linguistic may choose careers as journalists, editors, writers, motivational speakers, politicians, teachers, religious leaders, interpreters, and tour guides.

To encourage children to develop or strengthen their linguistic intelligence, here are just a few materials and activities that you might use:

To encourage the linguistic intelligence, it is helpful to have a variety of genres of books, writing materials, and audiobooks.

lots of children’s books of different genres (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc.)

children’s magazines and other appropriate printed material

alphabet puzzles

alphabet magnets

picture dictionaries

letter stamps and stamp pads

writing paper or journals

individual dry erase boards (with dry erase markers and erasers)

iPad apps (such as Reading Raven)

educational children’s show on reading (such as Wallykazaam)

making up stories together

using sign language

family discussions

listening to audiobooks

telling riddles and jokes

singing and/or listening to songs

reading signs when traveling

playing word games like Scrabble and Boggle

I hope this series is providing a nice overview of Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. If you would like more information on his theory, Dr. Gardner has written several books including Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (published in 1983 so it does not cover the naturalist intelligence which he added later).

The last part of this series will cover the logical-mathematical intelligence. Future posts that currently are in draft form include a long blog on using multiple intelligences to teach short vowels, and a more personal article on how I exercise my linguistic intelligence: some of my favorite books of the past few months.

Education Multiple Intelligence Overview

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Multiple Intelligences in Your Home Part 6

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

If you are someone who likes to be a part of a team, loves being around friends, and shows concern for others, you may be very strong in the interpersonal intelligence. The root word “inter” means between or among. So interpersonal intelligence refers to the connections between or among people.

INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE

Children who are strong in this intelligence relate and communicate to people very well. They are usually extroverted, have empathy for others, enjoy persuading others to their point of view, can see other people’s perspectives, and like to be in charge of groups of people. Mother Theresa and U. S. President Ronald Reagan would be examples of people who were strongly interpersonal.

Keep in mind that people can be both strong in the intrapersonal (self smart) and interpersonal (people smart) intelligences.

: To encourage a child’s interpersonal intelligence, have them play with material or equipment that requires participation by more than one person.

To support and strengthen a child’s interpersonal intelligence, provide materials and opportunities in which the child needs to engage with others. Here are a few ideas:

play dates

board games (or any game that requires collaboration)

play equipment that requires more than one person

chatting on phone with grandma (or other relatives and close friends)

role playing (tea parties, how to order at a restaurant)

team sports

giving opportunities to lead an activity or group

cooking with adults

volunteering (with an adult)

introducing them to people in the community (neighbors, librarians, grocers, police officers)

The last two posts in this series will give overviews of the linguistic (word smart) and logical-mathematical (number smart) intelligences. Then I will begin a series on applying the Theory of Multiple Intelligences to the teaching of short vowel sounds.

Education Multiple Intelligence Overview

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Multiple Intelligences in Your Home Part 5

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

Have you ever craved some “alone” time during the day? You know, just a chance to go off by yourself to think, read, write, or just regroup? Or perhaps you were part of a team at school or work, but would rather have done the project by yourself? This would be your brain engaging the intrapersonal intelligence. Intra means “within or inside” so intrapersonal intelligence is sometimes also called “self smart”. People who are strong in this intelligence are often self-motivated, independent, introverted, organized, goal-oriented, and enjoy self reflection. They can also have very strong feelings or opinions about things going on around them.

INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE

You can recognize the intrapersonal intelligence in young children whenever they tell you they want to do something “by myself” or want to play alone. My grandson, Tigger, is very “self smart”. When he was about three years old, he would discuss the day’s plans with me before he had breakfast. Tigger would tell me what he thought we should have for breakfast, what games we should play, when we should go outside to play, which crafts we should make, go over the lunch menu, his nap, and what television shows he could see after his nap. By the time he was five, he had learned to tell us when he needed to be alone. This usually occurred as soon as he returned home from school, or had been playing with his younger brothers for awhile. To provide for this need, his parents have given him two choices for his “alone time”: he can play alone in his room, or he can relax in a special “tipi” his parents have improvised for this use in the great room (shown below).

To encourage a child’s intrapersonal intelligence, designate or create an area in your home or classroom where children can have some “alone” time.

Many elementary school teachers that I have visited have knowingly created special places in their classrooms for quiet reading (a sofa, bean bag chairs, loft, tent, or plump pillows) where their students can get cozy with a book. These are great spaces to encourage a child’s intrapersonal intelligence.

Below I have listed some items, materials, or activities you can use in your home to support the intrapersonal intelligence with the children under your care. As always, remember that many of the supplies can fit into more than one category of intelligence:

special place for “alone time”

materials for their hobbies or interests they can do by themselves

art supplies

writing supplies

construction sets

scrapbooks

picture books

headphones

giving them choices

asking them to talk about their feelings

discussing their goals with them

In the next part of this series, I will present the opposite to intrapersonal intelligence. This would be the “people smart” intelligence or interpersonal intelligence. Remember, according to Howard Gardner’s theory, everyone has their own unique blend of all eight intelligences. That means people aren’t necessarily either intrapersonal or interpersonal. I know many people who are very strong in both of these intelligences, so you can be “people smart” as well as “self smart”.

I’m hoping this series is providing a good overview on The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In future series I will be explaining how I use multiple intelligence strategies when I teach my grandsons specific concepts. I can’t wait to share with you all of my ideas!

Education Multiple Intelligence Overview

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Multiple Intelligences in Your Home Part 4

by Nancy "Mimi" Taylor

So far in this series I have covered the bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, and musical intelligences. These are part of the original seven intelligences as proposed by Howard Gardner when he first published his book Frames of Mind:The Theory of Multiple Intelligences in 1983. Gardner added the naturalist intelligence in 1999.

Do you look forward to a summer camping trip, autumn colors in the trees, snow capped mountains, or the first blooms in the spring? If you have ever embraced the smell of the salty air at the beach, or enjoyed the pine scented fragrance of the forests, you were engaging your naturalist intelligence. I remember how much my 4th and 5th grade students looked forward to the afternoons I would walk them to the park next to our school to read under the trees. We could have stayed in the classroom to read for an hour, but there was something special about spreading out blankets on the grass and curling up with a good book on a warm spring day.

According to Gardner, people with a strong naturalist intelligence are highly aware of patterns and changes to their environment, and like to relate their learning to the natural world. Nurturing and interacting with plants and animals are very important activities for people who are strong in the naturalist intelligence.

Here are some supplies or activities you could use to encourage the naturalist intelligence in young children:

Taking trips so young children can enjoy the learning experiences in the environment will inspire their naturalist intelligence.

Trips to local zoos, parks, orchards, gardens, and outdoor museums

Planting and caring for a garden

Caring for pets

Maintaining bird feeders in your backyard

Playing in dirt, mud, or sand (like building sandcastles)

Lots of time observing plants, animals, insects, etc. in your own outdoor spaces

Books on animals, plants, weather, environments, butterflies, birds, etc.

Supervised use of magnifying glasses, telescopes, cameras, and binoculars

Camping trips to beaches, state and national parks

Park ranger talks

Hiking local trails

Children’s nature videos and television shows (such as “Wild Kratts” and “Octonauts”)

Reading books under a tree

Now that we have covered four of the intelligences, I hope you are seeing that you have most likely already provided many of these materials or experiences for the children in your care. Feel free to share some of your ideas with me too. I love getting new inspirations.

In the next article in this series I will discuss the intrapersonal intelligence.

Education Multiple Intelligence Overview

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Mimi and the Grands

Educating Through Multiple Intelligences

T is for Turkey – Book Study Unit

Five Little Pumpkins Mini Multiple Intelligence Lesson

Teaching Short Vowels-The M. I. Way (Conclusion)

Teaching Short Vowels-The M. I. Way

Favorite Books of the Summer

Multiple Intelligences in Your Home Part 8

Multiple Intelligences in Your Home Part 7