Dr. Kathy Koch - How Am I Smart?: A Parents Guide to Multiple Intelligences

1. How Am I Smart?
An Introduction to Multiple Intelligences

2. What Are My Core Needs?
How Are Multiple Intelligences Relevant?

3. I Think with Words
I Am Developing My Word Smart!

4. I Think with Questions
I Am Developing My Logic Smart!

5. I Think in Pictures
I Am Developing My Picture Smart!

6. I Think with Rhythms and Melodies
I Am Developing My Music Smart!

7. I Think with Movement and Touch
I Am Developing My Body Smart!

8. I Think with Patterns
I Am Developing My Nature Smart!

9. I Think with People
I Am Developing My People Smart!

10. I Think by Reflecting
I Am Developing My Self Smart!

I m grateful for Gods presence in my life, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I praise Him for saving me, meeting my needs, and equipping and empowering me to love, obey, serve, write, and teach.

I treasure my moms love and support. She is significant to me! She and my dad raised me well and taught me to believe in myself. Im grateful to them both. Im also proud of my mom for fully embracing life after my dads death. She inspires me.

Celebrate Kids, Inc., board members have been totally supportive for years. Robert Adams, Mark Davis, Andrea Heitz, Ron Horton, and Timmie Mosley are important to me. Without their support and belief, I could not have written this book.

I can easily say the same thing about my staff. They are multitalented, joyful, focused, and very supportive. Marilyn Birdwell, Marie Collins, Denice Crawford, Sandra Critz, Linda Depler, Rolando Ford, Sandi Fowler, Karen Fuller, Tina Hollenbeck, Nancy Matheis, Sharon May, Miki Michaelsen, Joyce Penninger, Rachelle Riley, Maya Smith, and Jeanie Taylor are Gods gifts to me. Mike Penninger, Jr., our information technologist, has also served me well.

Chip Griepsma and my mom both allowed me to stay with them for several weeks so I could get more writing accomplished. This practical support blessed me. My mom, Chip Griepsma, Linda Page, and Tina Hollenbeck reacted to drafts of several sections and offered helpful suggestions. Others, including Brian Ziemer, Billie McConnell, Brad Sargent, Debbie Koch, JK Williams, and Melanie Ligocki, helped me think through some specific sections. Im especially indebted to Sarah Carpenter who used her picture-smart and people-smart strengths to help me come up with the interest and ability graphs used to rate the smarts. Im grateful! Im also thankful for the family members and friends who allowed me to tell their stories within these pages. I appreciate their trust.

As with my first book, Im pleased to be a part of the Moody Publishers family. Peg Short was always encouraging and clear. Diane Eble was also positive and professional. Her suggestions strengthened the book. The enthusiasm of Janis Backing, Rhonda Elfstrand, and Lori Wenzinger to publicize and market this book encourages me. I didnt write it just to write it. I want it read and I pray the information and ideas truly help parents, children, and educators. I know everyone at Moody wants the same thing.

T oo many children ask, Am I smart? and How smart am I? The better question is, How am I smart? God has uniquely created all children with a combination of intelligences: They may be word smart, logic smart, picture smart, music smart, body smart, nature smart, people smart, and self smart. You are privileged to help children identify which ones are their strengths, which can be improved upon, and which still need to be awakened. Inspiring children to believe they are smart in many ways is exhilarating. Doubts lift. Excuses fade away. Now they know they can be successful in school and in life.

From reading this book, youll not only be able to discern your childrens strongest and weakest intelligences, youll be able to convince them they are smart. Youll uncover how they can learn and study with all eight intelligences and how their misbehavior might be connected to their strengths. Youll gain valuable insights into your relationships and your occasional struggles.

Wherever you are currently regarding your childrens educationhome, private, Christian, or public school, not yet in school, or already out of schoolyoull find much valuable information for both you and your children. Youll also be empowered to share insights about your children with their teachers so they can more effectively support them.

Get ready to dig, because theres lots of precious ore in this gold mine! I pray you find many, many golden nuggets that brighten the days and years ahead. As a result, I trust youll celebrate your children even more than you currently do.

May your children be smart with their smarts! To God be the glory!