All parents know their child is smart. They will point to their child singing songs or reading books as proof of child's intelligence. Why then do some of these intelligent children excel in school, while others fall behind?
In 1983, pshychologist Howard Gardner introduced a theory to help explain this problem. His "theory of multiple intelligence" says there are eight different kinds of intelligence. All of these intelligences benefit society. But only two of them help students do well in school.
Howard Gardner's intelligences include a variety of fileds, like math, language, music and nature. Gardner defines intelligence as an ability to produce something of value. This broad definition allows people to be smart in many ways, such as the ones listed below.
Word smart
People who are "word smart" are good at languages. They have a large vocabulary in their native languages. They may also pick up foreign languages more easily than others. They enjoy telling jokes and writing stories. People who are "word smart" make good lawyers, writers and librarians.