The Kinesthetic intelligence Is the ability to use the body to express feelings and ideas, as well as the ability to produce or transform things with your hands.
It is the intelligence that both athletes and dancers have, as well as artists, mechanics and surgeons.
This concept is part of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences . It was proposed in 1983 by the psychologist and professor of the University of Harvard Howard Gardner .
This author argues that man's cognitive competence is best described with the term"intelligences". With this concept encompasses the set of skills, talents or mental abilities.
Kinesthetic or kinesthetic body intelligence belongs to one of the eight types of intelligence proposed by Gardner. It implies abilities in the control of the body, as well as in the handling and manipulation of objects.
This also includes the ability to achieve goals related to physical actions, in addition to training and refining responses to physical stimuli.
Sometimes our body movements or postures tend to be automatic, escaping from our consciousness. By improving kinesthetic body intelligence, the mind is more conscious of body movements. Therefore, they are controlled more safely and accurately.
In this way, we work for the mind to regulate our body and at the same time, it trains the body to respond to what the mind demands.
The theory of multiple intelligences
In 1983, Gardner published his book "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences" . This is the result of several investigations in the Boston University Aphasia Research Center With people who had suffered Stroke Y aphasia .
Children of the Harvard's Project Zero , A laboratory specialized in analyzing the cognitive development of children and the associated educational implications.
The central question of his investigations was: is the intelligence A single thing or several independent intellectual activities?
Gardner defined intelligence as "The ability to solve problems Or to produce products that are of importance in a cultural context or in a particular community."
From this perspective, the human mind is best understood as a series of relatively independent faculties. These have loose and unpredictable relationships with each other.
Thus, the concept of mind is criticized as a machine with a single purpose, which operates on a constant basis and to a single power, independent of content and context.
Intelligence is not, then, a single capacity of the mind. Rather, it is a spectrum of different modalities, each with its area of specialization.
Therefore, intelligence is much more than a high IQ. This, in the absence of productivity, can not be considered intelligence.
Gardner stated that intelligence could not be a single entity described psychometrically with an IC score. Intelligence should be defined more broadly.
To do this, he established several criteria for defining intelligence. These criteria were drawn from biological sciences, logical analysis, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, and psychometrics.
This author states that all human beings know the world through 8 types of intelligence: linguistics, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, Musical thinking , Use of the body or kinetic-body, understanding of others or Interpersonal , Understanding ourselves or intrapersonal, and naturalistic.
Thus subjects differ in the intensity of such intelligences. In addition to the way they come to them to act, solve problems and progress.
This has a great impact on education, as it criticizes the traditional system. This system is based on the fact that we can all learn in the same way, and that there is a uniform pedagogical measure to achieve learning.
Gardner criticized the standardized tests most commonly used to measure intelligence: the Wechsler scale and the Stanford-Binet scale. This author asserted that such tests only measured linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences with a very narrow focus.
For Gardner, the psychometric approach is not enough, since the evaluation must be broader to measure human cognitive abilities more accurately. According to him, the objective of the evaluation should be the obtaining of information about the capacities and potentialities of the individuals, being that information useful for the person and for the society.
The evaluation must be done in the context of a real performance and not using formal instruments decontextualized. Therefore, he defends that evaluation is a natural part of the learning environment. Evaluation should therefore involve a constant assessment of the skills that occur during learning.
Gardner questions the usefulness of traditional intelligence tests beyond school performance. For this reason, he argues that predictions could be improved if the assessments were closer to"real working conditions".
The tests give a single score without the conclusions being based on other data. This causes the evaluation not to provide a good service, since it does not provide other information for the intervention.
Thus, Gardner's approach argues that assessments and interventions must be sensitive to individual differences and levels of development.
Characteristics-examples of kinesthetic intelligence
We can distinguish kinesthetic intelligence by the following characteristics:
- Abilities in the control of body movement (strength, flexibility, speed, coordination).
- Comfort and connection with your own body.
- Safety and intuition in your movements.
- Ability to manipulate objects (use hands to create things or make repairs).
- Ability to achieve goals regarding physical actions.
- Ability to refine responses to physical stimuli.
Profile of people with kinesthetic intelligence
There are certain people who have a greater predisposition to kinesthetic intelligence. They are characterized by high dexterity and coordination, as well as greater strength, flexibility and speed.
People with this type of intelligence learn best by"doing,"rather than by listening, watching, or reading. They prefer to find out for themselves how things work by manipulating them with their hands.
That is, they better grasp concepts when they are able to physically manipulate objects. For example, those mathematical concepts that are based on objects represented three-dimensional.
These individuals like to stay active, and to be outdoors. They enjoy performing sports activities and artistic expressions such as theater or dance. They stand out for their ability to manipulate objects, construction and crafts.
They usually choose professional profiles as artists, dancers, athletes, physiotherapists, mechanics, craftsmen, surgeons, actors, etc.
How to develop kinesthetic intelligence?
It is possible to develop kinesthetic intelligence through very different forms and away from the traditional school environment.
People who have higher levels of this type of intelligence Prefer to learn by acting, taking a more physical and corporal contact with the areas of knowledge.
- Science: Through experimentation, repairing broken toys or apparatus, and having contact with animals, substances and different objects.
- Mathematics: Kinesthetic intelligence is developed in this area by creating geometric objects such as pyramids, cubes, etc. Like working with everyday problems that involve math through games and using manipulatives.
- History and geography: Developing maps, models and reliefs on historical episodes or places.
- Language and communication: Realization of plays, debates, concerts, stories and stories.
- Languages: Through songs, performances and performances in different languages.
It is very important to make visits to concerts, zoos, museums, historical places... So that the student can see, touch and feel things directly, involving his body.
To develop this intelligence, it is recommended that schools organize more outdoor excursions and trips related to the study theme. Like games, theatrical performances, dances... Even learn to play musical instruments.
This active learning method developed through experience is being used as an educational method in alternative schools. To do this, we work with small groups of children and involve the child directly in the matter.
The student is not a passive subject who only listens or reads information, but experiences it through his body and feels it. It seems that this method of learning is more beneficial than traditional, as it adapts to the individual characteristics of each child.
As a consequence, frustrations are prevented and the motivation Of each student as their development rhythm is respected.
In this way, the activities Motors Thick movements (wider movements with the whole body) and fine (precise movements such as those made to draw or write) are integrated into the day to day.
Since the child must move between different groups of children, collect their own materials, talk about their work with another person, go outside to find something they need for their project, etc. Thus, students improve the handling of their movements at the same time as they learn.
References
- Avila, A.M. (1999). Multiple Intelligences: An Approach to Howard Gardner's Theory. Pedagogical Horizons, 1 (1).
- Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 27, 2017, from International Montessori: http://www.international-montessori.org.
- Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence. (May 6, 2014). Obtained from Udemy Blog: blog.udemy.com.
- Bodily / Kinesthetic Intelligence. (S.f.). Retrieved on February 27, 2017, from My Personality: mypersonality.info.
- Davis, K., Christodoulou, J., Seider, S., & Gardner, H. (2011). The theory of multiple intelligences. The Cambridge handbook of intelligence, 485-503.
- Gardner, H. (1998). Multiple intelligences: theory in practice. Barcelona: Paidós.
- Gardner, H. (2014). Structures of the mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. Mexico D. F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica.