In our last blog post, we discussed the characteristics and examples of fluid intelligence. And today, we will explore the characteristics of crystallized intelligence that set it apart from fluid intelligence. We will also see a few examples that showcase how we employ crystallized intelligence to navigate our daily lives.

Unique characteristics of crystallized intelligence

1. Based on past knowledge and experiences

Crystallized intelligence is the culmination of a person’s prior education, learning, and experiences. It utilizes the wisdom we accumulate as we grow older. When we are in a situation or encounter a problem, we use our crystallized intelligence or accumulated knowledge to deal with it or find solutions.

2. Has a strong cultural influence

Crystallized intelligence is highly influenced by our cultural interactions. Our vocabulary, language proficiency, and cultural nuances, which are all a part of our crystallized intelligence, are impacted by the culture we belong to and the ones we are exposed to in our lifetime.

3. Helps build domain-specific expertise

When we explore and learn about specific subjects, our crystallized intelligence expands and helps us develop domain-specific expertise. This acquired knowledge allows us to make valuable contributions in specific fields. Without crystallized intelligence, becoming an expert will be a hard nut to crack.  

4. Thrives on continuous learning

Building crystallized intelligence entails lifelong learning. As we age, our crystallized intelligence keeps developing as we learn new things and gather knowledge through education and life experiences. Because human intellectual growth is an ongoing journey, individuals should never stop learning and refining their various cognitive skills and abilities.

5. Supports problem-solving

Unlike the case of fluid intelligence, where individuals come up with on-the-spot strategies to deal with problems without depending on their prior knowledge, our crystallized intelligence offers us a rich reservoir of knowledge that we can use to figure things out.

6. Improves with age

Crystallized intelligence is known to improve with age, even when you’re in your 60s, and remains largely preserved in the later stages of life. So you can imagine the extent of crystallized intelligence you develop in your lifetime. This large expanse of knowledge is what gives you the ability to deal with situations effectively.  

Examples showing the application of crystallized intelligence

1. Students who consistently demonstrate academic excellence have deep-rooted crystallized intelligence. It encompasses knowledge about vocabulary use, subject matter, and comprehension, which enables them to perform well in school.

2. Surgeons are endowed with robust crystallized intelligence. Their medical knowledge and experience, which they accumulate through years of practice, allow them to perform complex procedures and make decisions based on their prior experiences to achieve positive patient outcomes.

3. Creative writing involves the use of crystallized intelligence in the form of vocabulary usage and literary skills one has acquired through learning. It also allows us to draw creativity and inspiration from prior experiences to write an engaging piece for the readers.

4. Teachers depend on their crystallized intelligence to guide students and explain concepts. Without prior knowledge of the lesson, it will be impossible for teachers to provide educational instruction.

5. People in leadership positions hone high levels of crystallized intelligence. They are able to make informed decisions, offer advice, and guide their teammates by drawing insights from the immense knowledge and expertise they already have.

6. Expert cooks rely on their crystallized intelligence to make delectable recipes. Their long-term experience in cooking helps them remember recipes and make necessary adjustments to cook a perfect dish every single time.

7. The reason why you can reach your school, office, or any other familiar place without getting lost is that you apply your crystallized intelligence to draw information on which route you must take to reach your destination. Because you have the knowledge and experience of traveling on the same route every day, it comes to you naturally without any effort.

8. Playing trivia questions also requires you to utilize your crystallized intelligence. Recollecting facts and details to answer trivia questions depends on existing knowledge of a wide range of topics.

9. Your vocabulary knowledge is also an example of crystallized intelligence. It grows over the years while you go to school, read a wide variety of subjects, play fun online vocabulary games, or participate in multiple vocabulary-building activities.

10. Participating in a poem recitation competition also requires strong crystallized intelligence. When you learn a poem by heart and present it in front of an audience, your crystallized intelligence comes into action.

Ways to enhance crystallized intelligence

Crystallized intelligence is all about acquired knowledge and skills. If you want to improve your crystallized intelligence, you need to work on gathering new information and learning new skills. In childhood, our crystallized intelligence is fueled by education and cultural experiences. But as an adult, how much you are able to improve your intelligence depends on how motivated you are to build your skills and knowledge. A few ways to level up your crystallized intelligence are as follows:

1. Read as much as possible. Try to include diverse subjects because the more you read, the more knowledge you acquire.
2. Take on new tasks that require you to apply your past knowledge and gain new information.
3. Engage with different cultures to gather perspectives and broaden your crystallized intelligence.
4. Embrace continuous learning to engage your mind and keep your curiosity levels high, so you’re always open to learning new things.
5. Challenge your cognitive abilities by participating in skill-building activities. It will help expand your knowledge and, in turn, improve your crystallized intelligence.

The intersection of crystallized and fluid intelligence

A person cannot rely solely on one form of intelligence. They need both fluid and crystallized intelligence to perform optimally in all spheres of life. When we are born, all we have is fluid intelligence. But as we grow and learn, our crystallized intelligence begins to expand through exposure, learning, and experience.

From this moment on, our brain utilizes both fluid and crystallized intelligence, depending on what we are doing. If there is a new problem, our fluid intelligence helps us find creative ideas to solve it. But if it is something we have dealt with before, our crystallized intelligence acts like a treasure full of knowledge from which we can derive useful information to address the issue at hand.

Hence, we can conclude that fluid and crystallized intelligence may be different, but they work as a team to make our thinking strong. Applying them at the right time makes our brains work best to handle the different challenges we encounter in our daily lives.

In conclusion

Our crystallized intelligence encompasses all we learn and experience throughout our lives. That’s the reason why crystallized intelligence keeps increasing throughout adulthood. This stability of knowledge instills a sense of confidence in us and provides assurance that we are capable of handling situations that come our way.

It also contributes to our personal growth and establishes our unique identities as we follow our own unique learning curves. As crystallized intelligence has a significant impact on our personal and professional growth, it is important that we recognize and nurture it in the best possible manner so we can enjoy a fulfilling life journey.

Priyanka Sonkushre

I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

onelovingmama.com

The post Crystallized Intelligence: Characteristics and Examples to understand it better appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

“You work for a courier company, and a huge consignment is waiting to be delivered. Everything is sorted, but all of a sudden, you learn of a glitch that will impact the delivery of the consignment. As there is no scope for late delivery, you start figuring out what you can do next.”

This is the moment your fluid intelligence kicks in. It is a person’s ability to adapt to changing environments and navigate through new situations through critical thinking, problem-solving, and abstract reasoning. It helps you solve an entirely new problem even when you don’t have prior experience tackling it.

The theory of intelligence comprising fluid and crystallized intelligence was developed by a British-American psychologist, Raymond B. Cattell. Fluid intelligence is key to an individual’s academic and professional success. This post covers the various characteristics of fluid intelligence and gives a few examples to help you understand it better.  

Fluid intelligence: Exploring its different characteristics

1. Ability to learn new things

Fluid intelligence imparts a person the ability to acquire new skills and knowledge. Therefore, people with high fluid intelligence are better at handling situations where they need to learn skills or concepts and apply the acquired knowledge instantly. They are also proficient learners who don’t shy away from learning things in varied disciplines.

2. Adaptability and flexibility

With fluid intelligence comes the capacity to adapt to new situations and challenges. Individuals with high fluid intelligence are flexible with their approach to working on unfamiliar scenarios and are able to quickly and easily analyze, process, and respond to new situations.

3. Critical thinking

Fluid intelligence empowers a person to think critically and derive solutions to novel problems. It allows individuals to address challenging situations with an open mind and use their critical thinking skills to solve complex issues by breaking them down into manageable components.

4. Problem-solving

Excellent problem-solving skills are closely related to high fluid intelligence. When people endowed with high fluid intelligence face a problem, they use their inherent cognitive skills to identify patterns, foresee consequences, and figure out strategies to solve the problem at hand. Take a look at some examples of problem-solving skills in action.

5. Abstract reasoning

Fluid intelligence also involves abstract reasoning. It allows individuals to make connections between abstract concepts and derive meaningful information from complex and unconventional formats. This competency, along with logical reasoning skills, helps them dissect unfamiliar information to deal with new situations or problems.  

6. Involvement of working memory

When someone applies their fluid intelligence, they rely heavily on their working memory. This temporary memory stores multiple types of information at a time and allows people to manipulate it to aid in various complex cognitive tasks.

7. Speed of information processing

Typically, people work at different speeds to process a given piece of information. As fluid intelligence is linked to quick information processing, those with top-notch fluid intelligence can swiftly extrapolate and synthesize information and figure out solutions or conclusions better than those with comparatively less fluid intelligence.

8. Reliance on past acquired knowledge

Fluid intelligence is not dependent on pre-existing knowledge. When a person employs this form of intelligence, they do not merely rely on learned facts but more on the information available at hand, which enables them to tackle challenges with a fresh perspective and find out-of-the-box solutions.

9. Declines with age

Another characteristic typical of fluid intelligence is that this type of intelligence peaks when a person is in their early 20s and then starts declining throughout adulthood^[1]. This happens because older individuals are more inclined to use their crystallized intelligence, which is the knowledge they acquire through experience and learning.

Examples suggesting the use of fluid intelligence

1. Debating

Engaging in a debate is a fine example of fluid intelligence. Debates require a person to think quickly and present arguments on the spot. Fluid intelligence allows you to understand the opponent’s ideas swiftly, adapt to changing discussions, think logically, and counter their arguments so you can speak your ideas persuasively.

2. Solving mazes

Mazes require spatial visualization, pattern recognition, and the manipulation of pathways. Fluid intelligence supports all these competencies and helps in quickly identifying possible routes to get out of the maze. It also aids in decision-making and strategizing to solve the maze as soon as possible.  

3. Solving puzzles and riddles

When solving puzzles and riddles, you utilize your fluid intelligence. It helps in finding hidden connections and uses problem-solving to find solutions. As puzzles come in different formats and require you to think critically, your fluid intelligence helps you adapt to the changing scenarios and approach each of them with a fresh viewpoint.

4. Playing strategy games

Fluid intelligence comes into action when playing strategy games like chess or Ages of Empire. Your fluid intelligence helps you anticipate your opponent’s moves, devise long-term strategies, and make adjustments when needed. You are also able to think flexibly about all the possible outcomes of every single move.

5. Weather forecasting

Working in the meteorological department requires a person to employ fluid intelligence. Weather-related data and trends are constantly changing. So, in order to make accurate predictions, one has to comprehend dynamic meteorological factors and weather patterns using fluid intelligence.

6. Interior designing

Fluid intelligence has a role to play when you decorate your home or that of a client. It makes it easier for you to imagine different design layouts and conceptualize arrangements so they are functional and look aesthetic. You are also able to easily adapt to changing client needs and make changes accordingly.

7. Interpreting graphs

Reading and comprehending complex graphical data is another example suggesting the use of fluid intelligence. It facilitates quick interpretation of data, grasping relationships between variables, noticing trends, and drawing inferences that otherwise go unnoticed if you do not have high fluid intelligence.

8. Scientific Exploration

Scientific research relies greatly on fluid intelligence. Using this type of intelligence, scientists develop hypotheses and experiment with different methodologies to obtain the desired results. When things don’t go as expected, fluid intelligence helps them manipulate their approaches so they can get expected outcomes and, if not, draw conclusions on why the results are not turning out as expected.

Is it possible to enhance fluid intelligence?

Though it was not established earlier, some studies now indicate that it is indeed possible to enhance fluid intelligence. A study^[2] revealed that relevant training can significantly improve a person’s fluid intelligence. It is said that the more a person trains, the better their fluid intelligence will be. For significant gains, one must train their working memory, as it is now considered a key determiner of fluid intelligence.

In fact, another study^[3] that aimed at improving children’s fluid intelligence through working memory training revealed that working memory training does enhance a child’s fluid intelligence. Taking this into consideration, adults can involve themselves in fun working memory games and activities to reap their benefits. Plus, there are a few other ways that can possibly improve an individual’s fluid intelligence:

• Practice creative thinking.
• Take on new challenges.
• Engage in new activities, hobbies, and experiences.
• Socialize to challenge your brain to adapt to new environments and opportunities.
• Push yourself beyond your comfort zone, and don’t choose the simplest option.

Final Word

So, do you see the role fluid intelligence plays in our lives? Without it, our ability to stay on our feet to address the challenges of this ever-changing world will not prevail. Fluid intelligence allows us to think independently without being influenced by our past experiences so that we can come up with innovative solutions to novel problems. The cognitive flexibility it provides encourages us to figure things out on our own. 

Probably that’s why people with high fluid intelligence choose career options like scientists, lawyers, financial analysts, and others. Although fluid intelligence tends to decline over time, there are ways to improve it. Individuals must involve themselves in activities that bring novelty into their lives so their brains continue to get the exercise it need to sustain and improve their fluid intelligence.

References

1. Tucker-Drob, E. M., Köhncke, Y., Brandmaier, A. M., Nyberg, L., & Lindenberger, U. (2022). A strong dependency between changes in fluid and crystallized abilities in human cognitive aging. Science Advances, 8(5). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj2422
2. Sternberg, R. J. (2008). Increasing fluid intelligence is possible after all. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(19), 6791-6792. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0803396105
3. Wang, L., Sheng, A., Chang, L., & Zhou, R. (2022). Improving fluid intelligence of children through working memory training: The role of inhibition control. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1025036. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1025036

Priyanka Sonkushre

I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

onelovingmama.com

The post Fluid Intelligence: Characteristics and Examples to understand it better appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Musical intelligence encompasses several characteristics and abilities. In this article, we will explore the characteristics of musical intelligence which set people with high musical intelligence apart from the rest of the world and provide examples to help you understand it better. 

Characteristics of people with musical intelligence

1. Are sensitive to sounds, lyrics, melody, and harmony

Musical intelligence allows people to comprehend different sounds, melodies, and harmony. Those who are highly musically intelligent are extremely sensitive to these aspects of music. When most people cannot understand what this means, people with high musical intelligence can quickly identify the differences and appreciate music based on these factors. 

2. Can produce and perform music

As musical intelligence empowers people to understand the intricacies of music, people with strong musical intelligence are good at coming up with original musical pieces on their own. Their innate ability also makes them excellent performers in the field of music. 

3. Have the ability to understand musical structures and styles

Musical structure is the order in which various parts of a song are played. Musically intelligent people understand the musical structure of a song. For example, pop music follows the verse-chorus-verse structure. They can also easily distinguish between different music styles by merely listening to a piece of music. 

4. Have a good sense of pitch and rhythm

People with musical intelligence have a good understanding of pitch and rhythm. They can quickly identify a musical note without seeing which key was played. They are very good at comprehending high and low notes. Similarly, a good sense of rhythm allows them to maintain a steady beat while playing a song. 

5. Can recognize and remember musical patterns and sequences

Whether you want to learn music, create it, or perform in front of an audience, it is important to identify and remember musical patterns and sequences to play it correctly. Musically intelligent people can remember patterns and sequences in their minds, which helps them play an instrument or give a vocal performance with ease. 

6. Are good at improvising music

How many people around you can create and improvise music on the go? Not many. High musical intelligence allows a person to come up with a musical composition instantly without much thought. They can give a spontaneous musical response to other musicians without any prior planning. 

7. Have a heightened emotional response to music

People with musical intelligence have a strong connection with music. Hence, their emotional reaction to music is stronger than that of other people. They often find themselves deeply involved in a music piece which triggers emotional responses such as joy, sadness, dreaminess, feeling motivated, and so on. 

8. Analyse and evaluate musical performances

Solid knowledge of music allows those with musical intelligence to analyze musical performances. They are good at identifying inaccuracies in performance and can suggest how a version can be improved. Judges in musical shows are musically intelligent people who have the expertise to judge the performance of participants. 

9. Appreciate different musical forms from various cultures and historical periods

Musical intelligence instills love and appreciation for musical forms belonging to different historical periods and cultures. Often people love listening to music they can relate to, but people with high intelligence enjoy various kinds of music because they not just listen but also try to learn something new from it. 

10. Have a good ear for music and can replay what they hear

Musical intelligence allows a person to listen to music and pick up the details by merely hearing it once or twice. They can easily replicate the same piece of music without any mistakes because they understand music so well and can easily remember the tiniest details, which helps them create the exact copy of the music they just heard. 

Ways to develop musical intelligence in children

Children can develop musical intelligence if parents provide them with the right environment and exposure. Kids love music from a very young age. As they grow, studies and other activities take precedence; hence, they do not get enough exposure to music. Unless, of course, the child and parents are keen to pursue it longer. If you are a parent and want your child to develop musical intelligence, besides musical intelligence activities, here is what you can do in addition to their school music classes – 

• Listen to age-appropriate songs at home or in the car when traveling.
• Take your child to a store selling musical instruments and explore the instruments together. 
• If your child shows interest in a particular instrument, watch a few related videos to see if their interest develops further. 
• Encourage your child to learn and practice their favorite instrument regularly. 
• Find a teacher who can teach the nuances of playing the instrument.
• Appreciate their performance and motivate them to do better the next time.
• Watch musical shows and attend performances together. 

Examples of how to promote musical intelligence in the classroom

Music is a great way to teach new things to children. Teachers can reap the benefits of musical intelligence by incorporating it smartly into the curriculum. Musical intelligence is not restricted to music class. It can help students learn different subjects if blended well with other classroom activities. Here are a few examples to give you an idea of how students can learn varied topics by means of their musical intelligence –

• Learning multiplication tables is tricky. Give each multiplication table a specific tune. Let students learn them along with their tunes to support easy memorization.

• When teaching about countries and cultures, have your students listen to instrumental music or songs belonging to those regions. It will help them understand the differences in music across cultures and countries. 

• Conduct different science experiments related to sounds and music to let students employ their musical intelligence and explore the relationship between science and sounds. 

• Use musical notes to teach different laws of physics. It will help students remember them better and recollect the information to apply in the future.

• Watch movies belonging to different historical periods. Have students pay attention to the quality of sounds and music in each movie. Highlight how every period offered something different in terms of background score and songs.

• Ask students to compose music for a poem and have them perform it in class. Students will be amazed to see how every student has a different musical variation for the same poem.

• Give students a task to come up with lyrics to help memorize a given concept. They can work in teams to perform a collaborative effort toward task completion. 

Conclusion

Musical intelligence is as vital as any other intelligence. It allows people to communicate and express themselves through music. Musically intelligent people understand sounds, rhythms, and melodies, which helps them create and enjoy music. Children should be given ample opportunities to listen to and learn music in their daily lives. In fact, a study^[1] states that music improves cognitive and non-cognitive skills more than other activities such as dance, sports, or theater, and also helps in improving school grades. Additionally, regular involvement with music and musical instruments refines music-related skills and opens doors to multiple career opportunities within the music arena.  

Reference

1. Hille, A., & Schupp, J. (2013). How Learning a Musical Instrument Affects the Development of Skills. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2338467

Priyanka Sonkushre

I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

onelovingmama.com

The post Musical Intelligence Characteristics and Examples appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

So, What makes humans believe they are logical? Is it something preexisting or something learned? Do you consider yourself a logical thinker with this power? Basically, humans have the ability to reason in order to make any decision. For humans to make judgments or choices in order to critically analyze a situation or problems around us and make an informed decision, logical thinking becomes essential. This is a natural process in humans; some have high reasoning skills, some don’t, but it can be improved.

In this blog, we will talk about the unique characteristics logical thinkers possess and what makes them unique. This article shares the distinctive qualities logical thinker has in their personality.

Logical thinking characteristics that all thinkers possess

We as human beings are known as rational and logical creatures, unlike animals. The most significant thing in a human being’s life is using logic to solve problems. Here are some characteristics every logical thinker possesses in their behavior!

1. They are attentive and mindful

Logical thinkers are not only problem solvers, but they are also attentive and observant of their surroundings. Just as Michael C. Lerncy stated in his book Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking, people make half of their mistakes because they don’t pay sufficient attention to their surroundings. Being aware and present at the moment allows us to retain useful information and make useful arguments when required.

2. A logical thinker acknowledges their wrongdoing

A logical person has the intellectual behavior to admit and correct their mistakes. They recognize and admit when they have done something wrong and try to correct it. This also demonstrates the intellectual and emotional maturity they have gained as they have grown as a person.

3. Always a learner and discoverer

Logical people strive to be knowledgeable and competitive. They make a constant effort to learn new things and find ways to learn about a variety of subjects and scenarios by asking numerous questions and expanding their horizons. They are therefore more capable of solving both uncomplicated and challenging situations intellectually.

4. They are skilled communicators; their words resonate with their thoughts well

Logical thinkers believe in facts and knowledge. Their words resonate with the idea they want to share, not just imagination, the idea that reality is reality. For logical thinkers, Objectivity is a better choice than subjective choices. Their thoughts and ideas are expressed clearly in order for others to understand their veracity, including facts and figures. In other words, logical thinkers say what they think without sugarcoating or exaggerating but stating the truth.

5. They are practical and objective

A logical thinker is aware of which of his beliefs are founded on facts that are real. Their theories need to be constantly reinforced by evidence in order to remain valid. They challenge themselves to find the perfect term to express an idea that they don’t fully understand as being practical. They look for facts and figures in research or proven instances that they saw with their own eyes.

6. They are organized and have pre-planned everything

Since their minds are constantly busy with something, logical minds tend to overthink and put things off. But they do an analysis of the environment to comprehend the advantages and disadvantages, perceive issues clearly, and make timely, precise plans. For example, when planning a trip, a logical thinker would consider the when, where, and how of the trip before booking it.

7. Procrastination is natural, but they never over-analyze facts.

It is understandable that individuals would put off doing something with all of the cognition taking place in their minds. Logical minds take their time and learn as much as they can before making a decision. They delay a task occasionally because they have too much knowledge.

They delay since the excesses can make them feel uneasy and overburdened. Decisions could be made using information that was forced to fit due to over-analysis. By evaluating the big picture and the material in front of them, people can determine when they have enough information. Then, in order to avoid overthinking it, they surrender and explore for answers.

8. They tend to avoid emotional biases

Emotional biases usually result from thinking that has been affected by feelings and is driven by instinct or intuition. But a logical thinker believes in objectivity, and in facts and figures. Their thoughts and ideas do not compensate for the emotions they are having about it. The logical person believes what they know to be true based on their knowledge and experience; feelings or emotions do not influence their decisions or prevent them from making the best choice in a given situation.

9. They value science over intuition

As logic is built on the accumulation of knowledge a person gains through experience and academics, A logical thinker puts science above his own beliefs, as it’s based on finding truth and facts through systematic study. In real life, they prefer science to their beliefs and intuition when reaching a decision in any situation.

10. They believe in making rational decisions

You heard right! A logical person is also rational. A logical person follows rational decision-making; they make use of their logic and objective knowledge. It entails recognizing the issue that has to be resolved, collecting data, locating options and outcomes, analyzing them, taking into account all the interconnections, and making a decision. For example, While buying a product a logical thinker goes through all the requirements, and its pros and cons before purchasing it.

A few habits to enhance logical thinking

Can we teach ourselves to be logical thinkers? Yes. The ability to reason logically is something that can be learned and honed. Simply learning to pay closer attention to details will improve your ability to reason logically. Therefore, there are a few simple methods that might assist you in overcoming mental hurdles and concentrating fully.

1. Practice mindfulness

Being mindful means becoming proactive and present in your environment. Practicing mindfulness, such as by improving your concentration, will help you study yourself and your environment. Mindfulness^[1] also involves meditation and relaxing the body, as many times our logical thinking is affected by our stress and stressors. Learn to practice the four pillars of mindfulness: patience, acceptance, non-judgment, and attentiveness. All these skills lead to logical reasoning in a person.

2. Increase curiosity 

Be an explorer to explore the unknown. Asking questions about concepts you ordinarily take for granted can help you develop your capacity for logical reasoning. Logical thinkers aim toward logic since it will assist them in discovering the realities of any circumstance. They keep looking for solutions until all the puzzle pieces are in place and make sense. They won’t accept the truth until it is backed up by convincing evidence.

You can approach issues more logically and creatively by regularly asking questions to gain a more complete perspective. Asking questions can frequently result in learning about subjects you had not previously considered, which may inspire you to do more research.

3. Develop new skills and abilities

According to researchers, fluid intelligence^[2], such as logical thinking, develops with learning new skills. It takes a lot of logical reasoning to learn new skills. You utilize reasoning and strategy to learn new abilities by coming up with plans of action that assist you in learning to complete difficult tasks.

To sharpen your logical thinking abilities, try engaging in physical activities that involve complex tasks. Developing new talents can also aid in improving reasoning abilities. If you seize the chance to learn as frequently as you can, you’ll bring the same degree of reasoning to your work, which will make you successful.

Conclusion

Attaining logical thinking does not occur overnight; it takes a lot of practice and cohesion to change behavior. At the same time, people with learning disabilities like dyscalculia can also be masters at thinking logically with the help of some aids and helpful tools.

Some people may have logical thinking as one of their traits, but behaviors and skills can always be learned by changing habits, learning skills, and being consistent. Logical reasoning especially proves advantageous for mathematicians as reasoning skills help intensely with math and their further expertise.

References

1. (2016). Does Mindfulness Enhance Critical Thinking? Evidence for the Mediating Effects of Executive Functioning in the Relationship between Mindfulness and Critical Thinking. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02043/full
2. Zaval, L. (n.d.). Complementary Contributions of Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence to Decision Making Across the Life Span.

Dr. Deepak K.

Dr. Deepak Kansal, MBBS MD (Psychiatry) is currently working as Nodal Officer of the District Mental Health program at Civil Hospital Sangrur for the last 3 years. Apart from psychiatry and substance use patients, Dr. Deepak also treats children with neurodevelopment disorders including Intellectual disability, specific learning disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and other psychiatric disorders. His research work involved studying psychiatric comorbidities in cancer patients. You can follow him on Linkedin

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We express it as the dominant intelligence type because of the 8 parameters defined by Sir Howard Gardner, where 8 different types of intelligence are responsible for the personality and behavior of an individual and the way we choose to lead our lives.

What is intrapersonal intelligence?

Intrapersonal intelligence is one of the 8 types of intelligence put forth by Howard Gardner and gives our thoughts a direction that allows self-reflection and in-depth understanding of oneself to encourage and enrich both the personal and professional life of the individual. 

Individuals with higher intrapersonal intelligence are more self-aware and are better at adapting to new situations. While heightened intrapersonal intelligence comes naturally to some people, others actually work to improve their understanding of it and enrich their life with choices congruent to their personality and behavior. Working on understanding oneself might begin to feel like self-absorption; however, it is self-knowledge that most individuals lack and hence find themselves unable to conquer their biggest fears and find peace in their lives. 

Once an individual is self-aware, the influence of the external environment reduces, and the individual becomes more receptive to whatever comes naturally on their way. 

Characteristics of intrapersonal intelligence 

While intrapersonal intelligence might reflect differently, for different individuals, certain characteristics that are common to most of us can help build an insight, leading to the eventual development of the type of intelligence itself. It can also help in better identification of one’s own strengths. A few of the typical. characteristics of individuals with high intrapersonal intelligence are as follows:

1. These individuals are highly intuitive in nature. 

Intuition refers to the innate ability of an individual to trust the knowledge and information they develop, choices, and decisions they reach, without having to undergo extensive analysis. Commonly known as “gut feeling’’, their understanding of the complexity of actions and reactions allows them to deduce certain conclusions on the basis of their instincts instead of mere logic. 

These individuals are in fact inclined to give more importance to their hunches and feelings and are considered emotionally driven individuals. 

2. They are highly independent. 

Individuals with higher intrapersonal intelligence tend to have a better understanding of themselves, which allows them to create an environment suitable for them, irrespective of the emotion they are feeling. 

Like an intrapersonal individual would know the importance of their “me” time, even after being crunched under tons of work, as it would allow them to fuel back for more. Thus, these individuals are able to function and survive on their own. 

3. Individuals with high intrapersonal intelligence seek motivation within themselves.

Since these individuals are higher on the scale of understanding the “why” behind their choices, it gives them an edge to keep the cycle of work required to achieve their goals running without the influence of any external motivation. They are able to find the zeal within themselves that an individual might otherwise try and find from external sources, thus creating a distraction for themselves. 

4. These individuals crave alone time for self-reflection and introspection 

As discussed above as well, having higher intrapersonal intelligence means having a higher understanding of the complexity and the depth of one’s own emotions, which in turn is a result of timely introspection of their choices and self-reflection into identifying gaps in their ideal and real self, if any. 

5. They respond best when they are given the whole picture of a scenario and time to think things through.

An emotionally driven individual tends to be careful with their choices, by making sure that the judgment or choice made by them, is based upon complete details and thus an informed decision is made, instead of resorting to quick judgments that might turn out to be biased eventually. This is how intrapersonally intelligent individuals make sure they are at peace with their choices, demands, and decisions. 

6. They are able to apply their learnings to daily activities and tasks practically. 

These individuals tend to draw their own path based upon the experiences they have had, and this allows them to use their understanding and learnings and march to their own drums instead of walking the paths paved by others. They are well aware of their potential and thus use it to be as efficient and effective as possible. 

7. Open to constructive criticism and have the ability to transform their negative aspects into positive aspects through practice. 

As mentioned earlier as well, the individuals with higher intrapersonal intelligence have the ability to identify the gaps between their ideal and real self, and they also have the ability to absorb the identification coming from a counterpart, which means they are open to criticism that allows them to refine their functionality and thoughts and have the powerful skill of focusing on the aspect of the discussion, instead of the emotion behind it. This definitely adds a spark to their personality and improves their social relationships since they are not used to all rainbows and flowers but understand the importance of thorns too. 

8. They are able to channelize their emotions more efficiently and effectively, specifically their anger. 

There are several emotions that form an easy outlet, like anger, and others are more complex to even feel, like sadness. Owing to that, we usually end up finding ways to be angry at a situation, while we are actually feeling sad about it. This is the difference between an individual with higher intrapersonal intelligence and an individual without it. The former has better identification of their emotions, better coping mechanisms due to deeper understanding, and thus, better management of those emotions, since the complexity of these emotions isn’t foreign to them, which allows them to compartmentalize their feelings and be more in sync with their emotional self. 

9. They are more creative and often express themselves through activities like music, art or poetry, etc. 

Writing, psychology, literature, theology, or any discipline that allows us to better understand ourselves and others is what makes an individual exceptionally great with intrapersonal intelligence. These individuals are thus unable to express themselves numerically or in percentages of what they are feeling; their outlets are rather emotional, full of depth and complexity of their feelings, and abstract creations like poetry, music, pottery, etc, allow them to give an intangible shape to those feelings, give a face or voice to their perspective and share it with others. 

How can we develop it? 

While understanding oneself is of utmost importance to figure out our place and purpose in life. The overview of intrapersonal intelligence enlightens us about the various domains it functions in and reflects how we as individuals feel and perceive them. This makes it important for us to learn to develop the sense for intrapersonal intelligence, thus, a few ways through which an individual can develop them are:

• Developing an objective point of view: It is imperative that we develop an objective point of view in viewing things and developing our perception instead of following the herd mentality, ignoring personal areas of strengths and weaknesses, and reducing the potential opportunities one can create. 

• Spending time with your thoughts, to understand the “why”, “how” and “when” behind your emotions: It is important to know the reasons and motivations behind our choices and preferences, which is in fact responsible for identifying the kind of person we are and want to become. 

• Practicing mindfulness to draw attention towards both internal and external experiences of life: Deep breathing exercises and guided meditations are great ways to reconnect with oneself, and experience the gap between our inner feelings and our reactions, eventually moving on to logical and informed choices. 

• Observing and processing situations before reacting to them: Individuals with a rather intrapersonal approach view things more objectively and analyse the situations and reasons before reacting to them. This allows them to make sure that they have the complete information before they respond and do not regret their actions later.

• Combat negative self-talk and develop counter questions to convert them into positive solutions through logic: It is very easy to view oneself in a negative light amongst the daily stressors and experiences below expectations. However, the fight that an individual does with himself/herself to make sure that self-love exists allows them to eliminate negative self-talk and replace it with solutions rather than problems. 

• By allowing oneself to deal with a situation in the most natural way, whether it’s correct or not, and then finding ways to enrich it if required: When we allow ourselves to be naturally present, without the impact of our past and worry of future, we make sure to identify our flaws, and gaps in perception and understanding, and work on them to improve our decisions. 

• Engaging in activities that allow self-introspection and reflection along with mindfulness, like yoga: Relaxing activities like practicing yoga, can help in rewiring the brain to breathe and reflect on the needs of the body and the mind and give it the time required to heal from the minor to major traumas, our body goes through on a daily basis. 

• Enhance positive self-talk through affirmations and focusing on smaller and subjective moments of happiness: Amongst the daily hustle, we often forget to acknowledge the little progress we make in our lives, we tend to overlook the gestures that bring a smile to our faces, and end up getting disappointed in case the larger goals didn’t get fulfilled. However, reinforcing oneself to enhance positive self-talk and acknowledging the tiniest of moments can be helpful in de-stressing at the end of the day. 

Examples of intrapersonal intelligence 

A few examples of situations that can help in the identification of the role of intrapersonal intelligence in our lives can be as follows:

1. Wrong Career/Role

You took a career test after graduation and applied for a job according to the results, without having to consider its actual congruence with your personality and passion. Now, 5 years later, you drag yourself to work every day, wait for the day to end, only to go home tired and get ready to face the blues of it again. 

However, if you choose to take a more self-aware path now, it would definitely feel difficult and out of your comfort zone, but at the same time, it would require you to invest yourself into self-introspection to figure out your aspirations in life, strengths and weaknesses, the gaps that need to be filled to reach those goals you had created 5 years ago, and the path to choose to embark this journey. 

Thus, through intrapersonal intelligence, we can figure out our productive purpose in life, or at least find our path to true potential through informed and aware choices. 

2. Meeting New People

You always find yourself in a social circle that does not cater to your personalized needs and always ends up feeling out of place. In such scenarios, having heightened intrapersonal intelligence comes in handy, where an understanding of oneself helps in developing an understanding of others. Once that has been established, then make sure that people who are congruent to your lifestyle choices and personality are the only ones that stay in your immediate social circle and are bound to improve your quality of life and influence. 

This would require the individual to have intuition about the perspective of the people involved in their social circle and make connections dependent on the intuition itself. 

3. Aspiring For a Healthier Lifestyle

When the motivation behind the aspiration of a healthy lifestyle is to “follow the trend”, we end up buying expensive machines, altering our schedules for difficult group sessions, buying juicers, grinders, and supplements, and altering our lifestyles, in accordance with what is being done by the maximum population. However, most of the time, these strategies don’t yield results and end up making us feel guilty and like a failure for overspending over not being able to achieve our goals. 

However, when our motivation towards adopting a healthier lifestyle is based on our personal needs and derived from ourselves, the quality of results and satisfaction increases significantly. Thus, choices that are made through self-reflection, based upon self-motivation, are bound to yield results that lead us to a more satisfied and acceptable platform in life. 

Conclusion 

While all of us are similar to a great extent, the difference in our capabilities, expertise, and skills, is defined by the type of intelligence, dominant in an individual. While each and every type of intelligence has its own strengths, the important aspects mentioned above discussion about the importance of intrapersonal intelligence and how it shapes the life, choice, personality, and behaviors of an individual. 

It also highlights the characteristics of individuals who function with the use of their intrapersonal intelligence and lead a rather mindful life through it.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Characteristics of Intrapersonal Intelligence appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

How would you know whether you are a visual learner or not? If you love to understand by the picture medium, and you understand and remember things by sight, Chances are that visual learning is your preferred way!

However, that’s not just it; there are various characteristics that these individuals possess. This post will take you through those various attributes and also, why they are more inclined towards reading and learning visually. 

What is visual learning? Is it limited to the task of observation?

The process of visual learning can be defined as the assimilation of information through visual modalities. The visual information could be presented in different formats which could involve images, flowcharts, diagrams, cartoons, videos, presentations, movies, etc. 

This learning style comes into use when the individual observes and identifies a stimulus, processes the information, and associates it with ideas, words, concepts, and images in the brain, leading to retention of information.

It was observed through a research study that individuals with visual learning tend to have a lower cognitive load; that is, the step of information processing through visual modalities is comparatively simpler than other learning styles. 

For Example:  If an individual with a visual learning style experiences their car break down, then learning through an instruction-based video will help them understand the process more effectively and efficiently as compared to getting verbal instructions from a mechanic or any other person. 

Distinct characteristics of a Visual Learner 

As discussed above, there are different characteristics aiding individualistic learning, depending upon their pace and learning style. Similarly, there are unique features that make an individual a visual learner. Moreover, it is easier for visual learners to focus their attention on minute details, and remember names with a high imaginative quotient, to say the least. Enlisted below are some of the characteristics of such individuals : 

1. Highly Observant

Individuals with visual learning styles tend to be more observant and have high attention to detail characteristics. They associate information with their observations to learn and grasp. 

For example, A visual learner will be able to recognize an individual much more quickly, if they have associated their name with their observable features, like their hairstyle, color of their clothing, what they were eating, etc.

2. Great sense of balance and alignment

The vestibular system of the human body is responsible for balance in our body. This is closely associated with the visual system of our body. Thus, individuals with enhanced visual learning tend to have better physical and perceptual balance.

3. Meticulous  

Visual learners tend to be meticulous; that is, they show great attention to detail. Moreover, these individuals are extensively organised as they perceive and process information visually. Thus, without a clear view of their belongings or associated items, or even notes for that matter, it would create chaotic visual imagery for them, barring any learning. 

For example, Visual learners prefer to take notes in an outlined and organised manner that compartmentalized their information under the important headings for quick review. 

4. Color oriented 

Being color-oriented is another characteristic of a visual learner where the individual prefers to color-code their surroundings which could involve color coding their clothes in the closet to better learn their arrangement or color-coding their academic notes for better retention. 

5. Perceives images as a whole

Visual learners are the individuals who indulge more in viewing the complete picture as this allows them to create imagery out of it. This improves and helps them with perception and comprehension, which thus helps in enhancing learning. 

For example — A visual learner would like to see the artist perform rather than hear a narrative about it. This is because of the simple fact that they like to see the body language, or the expressions, rather than just hearing about it. 

6. Higher Motivational Drive

While a non-visual learner might struggle to learn a subject due to the monotony of the information, it is easier for a visual learner to stay motivated for longer periods of time, as they tend to associate that information with mental imagery, and learn it through self-made infographics, understand the same concepts through videos. 

7. Good Sense of direction

When visual learners view the object, and where exactly it has been placed, they become more aware and can explain the directions better. This gives an edge over their skills of spatial understanding and visualization of the directions as well. 

For example: When a visual learner goes out for a drive, they can recognize and memorize the directions just by retaining the image of the buildings, trees, and whatever objects come in the way. 

8. Detailed Note-taking 

Visual learners can be exceptionally creative and excellent at note-taking. They are quite precise, yet organized. Moreover, when they view these notes, later on, they can retain that information for a much longer period. 

9. Expressive through art 

Individuals with visual learning styles also tend to have a knack for expressions. They explain their content better through presentations, flowcharts, and other visual methods.

For example, Visual learners are found to be inclined towards professions that support expression through visual aids like fashion, arts, architecture, etc. 

10. Developed comprehension skills 

People who employ visual learning tend to have more capacity for absorbing and processing information. This helps them stimulate imagination and provides them with better understanding, thus comprehension skills. 

For Example, A student with a visual learning style will be able to understand the anatomy of the frog in detail and comprehend its function effectively, if they have had a practical view of it. 

Strategies for better visual learning 

While the above-mentioned characteristics may be innate to an individual with a visual learning style, however, there are several strategies that can be used by the teacher and employed by students at the academic level to help enhance their learning and empower the skills used in visual learning. These could be: 

 Strategies for Students 

• Flashcards 

Visual learners can benefit from the use of flashcards by either drawing or writing certain clues of the content to be memorized and then try to retrieve the information based on the visual cues in the flashcards. 

• Note-Taking 

Traditional ways of note-taking can be improvised by using maps, graphs, and flowcharts to build upon the visual aids of the information, helping memorize the content more effectively and efficiently. 

• Technology 

Use applications and websites that can help in converting monotonous written information into visual form through pictures, animations, and flowcharts, and employ methods of revision based on similar lines. 

• Color Coding

Since one of the characteristic features of visual learners is to be color-oriented, it would make sense to use color-coding during note-taking and highlight the important information. This would help in easier processing of the information, avoiding any overload and effective memorization. 

Strategies for Teachers 

• Books 

Acquaint oneself with books that help in gaining insight about visual learners and what helps them the best. Teachers can employ books that are visually enhanced to aid the learning of visual learners. 

• Infographics and Visual Aids 

Use visual aids like puzzles, infographics, visual games, and more to help engage younger students. In fact break the monotony of traditional learning amongst the older students, while enhancing the visual stimulus to improve their learning. 

• Pre-plan 

It is a wise strategy to keep students motivated toward learning. Here, pre-planning a day’s schedule and listing it on the board for the students to refer to visually, will allow them to check what’s done, keep them excited for what’s coming, and thus help them stay engaged. 

• Use Handouts 

One of the most effective teaching strategies for visual learners is to use handouts of concise information. This creates an impactful image in the minds of the learners. 

Conclusion

Visual Learning Style has been regarded as one of the most efficient learning styles. Many famous personalities have been known to produce extensively creative and renowned work. Having said that, there are innumerable advantages to the visual learning style and it is important to identify, recognize and work on the learning style of an individual. This can help in making sure that the initial years of the person don’t turn out to be struggle-based learning. Therefore, this post aims to help by sharing a few insights about the features of visual learners, and strategies that can be used to enhance their productivity and improve their learning. 

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Characteristics of Visual Learners appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

In ordinary terms, we may discern that a visual-spatial learner is someone who learns in a holistic rather than sequential manner. In the learning process of students, visual imagery is very significant. But comprehending all the attributes in detail may be necessary to craft further steps in training.  Accordingly, in this post, we explore all about visual-spatial learners thoroughly.

Visual-spatial intelligence: All you need to know

Visual-spatial intelligence refers to a person’s ability to comprehend, memorize, and recall spatial relationships between items, to think in images, and to position oneself spatially. Howard Gardner’s revolutionary theory of multiple intelligences explains this intelligence among its eight types. 

Individuals with a high level of spatial intelligence are also colour, shape, and form sensitive. This type of intelligence also involves the ability to depict spatial or visual ideas graphically. People with highly developed spatial intelligence are often designers and architects. These youngsters also require appropriate visual learning tools and resources, as this method of learning is not entirely achievable with traditional textbooks.

Visual/Spatial intelligence people are very aware of their environment and have a good memory for visuals. They have an excellent sense of direction and like looking at maps. They have a keen awareness of distance, measurement, and space. Before they create anything relating to art, fashion, decorating, or food design, they often imagine.

Characteristics of visual-spatial learners

Visual learners have certain traits that distinguish their learning styles. Some of these characteristics are listed below.

1. Interpretation of pictures

Visual-spatial learners have a good grasp of graphs, charts, and pictures and are able to learn through images quickly. Their ability to notice and appreciate colours, different shapes, and objects is incredible. 

They are also more easily able to retain information through the use of pictures and are able to analyse the entire image in one go. And that is the reason they learn most things with the help of images instead of reading or listening.

2. Sense of direction

People with high visual-spatial intelligence are excellent navigators. They can read maps quickly and are rarely lost when it comes to instructions and locations.They recall clearly the places they’ve visited in the past, as well as the specifics of the area and location.

Their mind is designed in a way that they are able to memorize the directions quite easily. They are good observers and remember the details of the places they have visited.

3. Follow a one-step approach of learning

They do not learn in the traditional classroom in a step-by-step manner, nor do they benefit from drills and repetition. They have trouble depicting the steps of a process. When the teacher asks them to exhibit their work, they find it difficult to do so because they see the task as a whole rather than a collection of steps.

Regardless, they are capable of working on difficult projects and may be characterized as systems thinkers. They have their own way of working and follow a different path in solving each question as compared to other children.

4. Introverts

Introverts make up the majority of visual learners. They prefer to work alone rather than in groups and require calm study time. They spend most of the time in solitary with their vivid imagination and study at their own pace.

They often also appear to be daydreaming a lot. They are creative people and take themselves into their own world of imagination. They spend a lot of time with themselves, trying to analyse a lot of things.

5. Likes Doodling

Doodling is a favourite pastime of visual-spatial learners. While studying the facts, they doodle on books. This comes easy to them because they like to draw before learning rather than learning directly from listening or reading. 

Also, when they are bored, they like to scribble and draw. It is their favourite pastime as it expands their creativity and lets it flow. They like to scribble their imagination on paper.

6. Prefer books with Pictures

Books with pictures are preferred by visual-spatial learners over books with only text. This is due to the fact that kids can learn and memorise quickly through pictures. When these children read books with pictures, the concepts are easier for them to grasp. They like to see what they are reading.

The general textbooks without many pictures are not their thing and they don’t work well with them. They love to complete math calculations with visuals as well.

7. Artistic 

People who have an enhanced visual-spatial intelligence like the various forms of arts like painting, drawing, and sculpture^[1]. They are people who imagine and innovate ideas, and that is the reason why many of these individuals end up in fields like architecture, interior designing, jewelry designing, and much more. 

In the school itself, they start engaging themselves in artistic activities. The most popular hobby of a visual-spatial learner is art and craft.

8. Like Puzzle Games

These students excel at solving many types of puzzles and find it fascinating. These students enjoy crossword puzzles, logic sudoku, cube puzzles, and solving arithmetic with graphics, among other things. As a result, learning becomes a creative and enjoyable activity for them.

They are among the students who would sit alone and prefer solving puzzles instead of interacting with everyone.

9. Complex and easy concepts

Few researches claim that visual-spatial learners are typically able to grasp difficult topics and find answers to their questions. However, they struggle with simpler concepts and are unable to answer those questions^[2].  

This could be due to their inability to visualise those concepts. They quite often arrive at the correct solution intuitively. This shows how their way to process information and analyze it is different from other children.

10. Has good long term visual memory

When it comes to visuals, these people have exceptional memory. Even if they just see the image once, it stays with them for a long time. This is due to the fact that they create a story in their heads and connect each and every piece of information. Their brain develops a habit of processing visual information for extended periods of time.

They recall or memorise something from a real-life experience, and it sticks with them for the rest of their lives.

Visual-spatial intelligence: How does this assist?

A child’s visual-spatial intelligence allows them to understand and interpret what they see. This comes into use in their daily life – whether it is reading, writing, completing puzzles, cutting, sketching, finishing arithmetic problems, dressing, locating your sock on the bedroom floor, or any other routine activity – all these require good visual-spatial skills. 

This can also be achieved and boosted with the help of visual-spatial processing, which is the capacity to tell where objects are in space. It also entails knowing how far items are from you and from one another. Visual-spatial processing skills are used for a variety of tasks, from daydreaming to researching.

Visual-Spatial learners also secure the following edges: 

1. Creative Imagination

Because visual-spatial learners generally construct vivid mental pictures while they read and listen, this learning style can help children develop their imaginations. This can inspire many kids to be innovative and creative, which can help them retain what they’ve learned and apply it in new ways.

2. Pattern Recognition

Students who think in pictures and images are more likely to scan and search materials, as well as recognise patterns. They recognise each pattern they see in their daily life and are faster to grasp them as compared to other children.

3. Retention of information

Visual learning aids in the retention of knowledge for extended periods of time. It boosts your learning process by assisting you in processing knowledge mostly through images. Because it was preserved in your mind through visuals, you will be able to recall the entire notion even after a long period of time.

4. Remembers everything in detail

Visual learners often remember each and every detail of the things they watch. They remember every minute detail of any place they have visited and also the directions to it. They are good observers and have an eye for detail.

5. Can visualize anything

Having visual-spatial intelligence allows learners to visualise everything. They can visualize anything they read and can make a story out of it. This allows them to have a visual view of each situation for a better understanding.

Concluding thoughts 

 While visual-spatial learners learn best by seeing, traditional educational settings may not be conducive to this sort of learning. They don’t fully comprehend instructions in traditional classrooms, resulting in some glitches while they learn. If a child might prefer this kind of learning, using visual aids is one way to make learning more engaging. Pictures, graphics, tablet games, and videos may assist all to make learning more engaging and accessible for your kid. It’s often crucial to comprehend their characteristics and habits to ensure fitting learning and working style. The above-mentioned insights may come in handy in this context. 

References:

1. National Ping-Tung University of Education. (2007). The Relationships between Creativity, Drawing Ability, and Visual/ Spatial Intelligence: A Study of Taiwan’s Third-Grade Children. Li-Ming Liu.
2. Linda Kreger Silverman (2002), Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner, Denver: DeLeon Publishing. Page 4 of the report. 

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Characteristics Of Visual-Spatial Learners appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

I. Visual Learning

What is visual learning?

Employing visual formats to extract information constitutes visual learning^[2]. In this style, the students learn when they receive information by seeing. Several visual inputs like diagrams, videos, flowcharts, books with illustrations, presentations made on PowerPoint slides, etc. are provided to the students to grasp the concept. These sources offer graphic aids that help students internalize and retain concepts in mind.

When Visual Learning works

It works best for children who need to build phonological awareness^[3]. Illustrating the word or concept through pictures or other visual modes helps dissolve the auditory barrier to learning. Even when not suffering from any learning difficulty, the preschoolers who are yet to learn by words or texts, build a mental association of pictures and eventually develop concepts.

And on building reading skills, they love reading. You can find students quite involved in reading and taking notes if the visual learning style dominates their tendencies toward gaining mastery. With continual trials and tests, the teachers find out how to create a mix of visuals and auditory clues to ensure easy learning.

How visual learning is imparted – a few examples

Visual learning is one of the pedagogies that have been in regular use. All conventional modes of education adopted in schools involve books, taking notes, picture comprehension, etc. Once started under supervision, the students tend to become autonomous in their approach and start doing activities for learning through visuals naturally. Some of the ways they build up concepts through visuals are:

• Using photos or clicking pictures
• Overlaying text with colored pens or underlining important lines
• Learning through flashcards
• Use of mnemonics
• Lip-reading
• Use words in parts
• Capture photographs
• Drive thinking into visual learning by using cue words like ‘show, outline, illustrate’ in questions

Here is how to conduct a session for visual learners

In a typical visual learning class, the focus is more on demonstrating and showing. Teachers can demonstrate processes first and then ask students to repeat them. It works a lot in teaching how to write, draw, or create models.

Color-coding the information helps build associative memory. Instructors can organize information by color-coding it. They must decide the code beforehand and maintain consistency in the choice of the color used for overlays.

Allowing students to take notes or to answer questions with relevant diagrams are some of the supportive measures to include in the teaching method.

Provide visual alerts to drive the learners’ minds to locate important information from the text or picture so that they can concentrate on the crucial parts.

II. Auditory learning

Auditory learning is the learning style that allows students to grasp concepts by way of listening. Sound works as a medium for the students to absorb and retain concepts. Interestingly, the auditory learner tends to read everything aloud.

Usually, early learners pick the words spoken to them and try to use them by themselves. A child listening to rhyme and repeating it or rote memorizing is a common sight in preschools. By using auditory supports like rhythmic beats, claps, etc., and linking new ideas with them, learning can be made easier.

How auditory learners grasp concepts

The auditory learner picks the concepts in ways that enable aural connections. Reading out things aloud even when alone is a tell-tale sign of a student who learns by hearing. They may tape the lesson and play it back later. Some of the techniques^[4] used are:

• Frequency-distribution: By changing the frequency of the identical tunes, learners’ attention is drawn to the topic, or the difference between the two things is explained
• Signal-detection: A sound-based cue is given as a signal to signify a start or end, or to grab attention
• Time-related judgment: Learners pay attention to the time when the sound is produced and draw inferences
• Spatial-hearing: By understanding the source of the sound, the learners try to learn differences and about the properties of things

Identifying an auditory learner

As a teacher, it may help a lot if you know the learning style of the kid. The educators recognize various learning styles and aim to work on the most suitable pedagogies instead of stressing out the kid to adjust to conventions. To identify an auditory learner, you can pay attention to some characteristic cues.

The learner using auditory means to acquire knowledge mostly read out aloud everything even when they are reading alone. They prefer to ask to come again when they are confused. There is a distinct tendency to participate in lectures and discussions, but they refrain from learning by sight.

The auditory learners can follow the verbal instructions and they prefer the feedback given to them verbally. Since their auditory reception is quite pronounced, they become distracted by noise easily. Teachers may employ this tendency to get distracted in teaching through sensory noise and apply it to build reading skills^[5].

Teaching interventions for auditory learners

How to teach students who prefer to learn by hearing? It may sound tricky, but with practice and individualized programs, may turn out to be a feasible trick. The type of intervention to be chosen depends upon the skill the teachers want to build.

To build and strengthen phonological skills, saying words in syllables works the most often. Teachers may also use phonics principles and strategies of reading the words aloud to help students learn about different sounds within words.

While building math facts, the teachers sew the facts into a rhyme or sing. The use of DVDs and recorded lessons for repeated practice helps reinforce the concepts strongly.

Working knowledge of processes and the phenomena that take place around us is imparted through discussions, stories, and elaborate explanations. The diagrams are explained and discussed through Q & A sessions. Oral assessment helps in checking the proficiency level in a justified manner.

This brings us to the tools one can use to impart auditory learning, which are:

• Recorded lectures and conversations
• Seminars and group discussions
• Debates and arguments
• Use words like ‘Discuss, state or describe’ in questions to help students in concept recall
• Voice and speech modulations to put a point across distinctly

Auditory learning vs Visual learning – Key differences

Conclusion

How do children learn? This question has been a matter of discussion for ages. If you observe closely, some children learn better through visual modes and others through auditory inputs. A single method is not to be used discretely; sometimes, a combination of multiple learning approaches may work too. So, what learning style suits your child? Observe and apply, and make learning stress-free for little angels.

References:

1. Yuliani, N. D., & Najmiah, L. (2019). Students’ Learning Strategies Based on Their VAK Learning Style. Intensive Journal, 1(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.31602/intensive.v1i1.1869
2. Raiyn, Jamal. (2016). The Role of Visual Learning in Improving Students’ High-Order Thinking Skills. Journal of Education and Practice. 7. 115-121.
3. Derby, Katelyn, “The Effectiveness of Visual Phonics to Promote Phonological Awareness in Preschool Children With and Without Speech Sound Delays” (2020). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 326.
4. Wright, B. A., & Zhang, Y. (2009). A review of the generalization of auditory learning. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 364(1515), 301–311. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0262
5. Söderlund, G. B. W., Åsberg Johnels, J., Rothén, B., Torstensson‐Hultberg, E., Magnusson, A., & Fälth, L. (2021). Sensory white noise improves reading skills and memory recall in children with reading disability. Brain and Behavior, 11(7). https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2114

Pratiksha Bhatt

I am Pratiksha Bhatt, Bachelor of Life Science, and Masters in Management Studies. I have done certification courses in early education counseling. I am a writer, a mother of a child with spelling difficulties which drove me to alternative resources of education like manipulatives and participatory activities. My areas of expertise are learning difficulties, alternative learning methods, and activity-based learning.

The post Auditory Learning Vs. Visual Learning: Characteristics, Uses And Methods appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Linguistic intelligence is of utmost significance when it comes to your little one’s education. If they have a strong ability to organise their thoughts and vent them well, they will be able to use those abilities to express their opinions directly through words, whether in speaking, writing, or reading. 

Accordingly, we will ponder how  Linguistic intelligence can impact your communication skills by comprehending its characteristics and other relevant notions. 

Linguistic Intelligence- All you need to Know!

If you notice someone who has a solid command of a language, whether spoken or written, they probably have excellent linguistic skills— from its vocabulary to phrases and sentences. 

A high sense of verbal intelligence is essential for those who want to be good orators, leaders, teachers, writers, and attorneys. Revisiting history, outstanding orators have left a lasting effect on their audiences, whether it was Mark Antony or Barack Obama. Such individuals manifest linguistic intelligence to be the ability to communicate effectively in a foreign language too.

Though people often grasp it naturally, verbal intelligence may also be improved or grown through personal efforts. Gardner’s hypothesis was intended to assist educators or instructors in customising their teaching approaches based on the needs of individual students. As a result, knowing linguistic intelligence in the appropriate environment may assist them in better understanding people and communicating with them. 

Supporting and developing linguistic intelligence enables learners to take interest in the purpose of language. This can be achieved by encouraging people to write and read more stuff; be attentive listeners and practice efficient speaking. Not to mention, writing and receiving emails and real letters from classmates or online mates can be motivating, as are any group communicating speaking activities.

We can evidently find sensible instances of linguistic intelligence around us. A decent example would be a student who can learn new words quickly – and retain them for longer periods. In every classroom, some find it difficult to grasp new topics in language while others can do it effortlessly.  Unable to grasp doesn’t mean they are incompetent, all they need is developing linguistic intelligence.

Characteristics of Linguistic Intelligence- What makes you Linguistically Intelligent?

Comprehending who Linguistic Intelligents are is imperfect without discerning what characteristics such people possess. These traits elucidated in the following lines show a clear pathway for all aspirants, exhibiting what areas they may need to ameliorate to be linguistically intelligent.

Linguistic intelligence  exhibit the following attributes: 

• Such people make use of exquisite words to exhibit themselves by availing grammar and visual representations. Therefore, they can effortlessly transform abstract ideas into whole meaningful phrases using grammatical structures. 
• Despite being outstanding readers, they are also excellent writers. Their reading mix includes several books a year— covering bits and pieces of novels or tales, comic strips, and so on. They write to express their ideas— what they see, and feel.

• Being organised, objective, and capable of making intelligent choices, they choose exceptional terminology to convey their message, making them excellent communicators.. With an excellent command of the language, they exude motivation to groups effortlessly. Thus they can be exceptional story writers.
• Their leisure activities often consist of interpreting poetry, works of art, and other parts of literature along with puzzles, playing word games, and reading. Thus, they can easily figure out metaphors in almost any piece of text.

• They like watching and listening to shows in other languages, even if they do not comprehend the essence. Since linguistic intelligence are exposed to diverse methods of expressing themselves via language, they often love to master new languages. They accept it as a challenge and master it within stipulated time span.
• These people comprehend various resources  effortlessly, thus can explain concepts clearly, marking every crucial postulate.
• Communication not only happens with words, language can have many other forms like drawing, painting, and other visual arts. Thus Linguistic intelligent people show interest to master in creative arts as well.
• Such people often recognize patterns comfortably. Linguistic intelligence and cognition are closely related and work parallely to develop personality

Linguistic Intelligence- Why should you develop it? 

Grasping the attributes of linguistic intelligence can entice you to be one of them. These attributes are crucial to all of us due to several day-to-day applications they have. Here are some striking reasons why you should develop linguistic intelligence:

• To learn a new language, The inceptive concept you learn is phonetics, later you learn about syntax and then semantics. All these stipulate you to remember something new every day, which is an excellent way to keep your brain busy and healthy. 

•  Communication abilities are enhanced with every new language learned, this is beneficial in building interpersonal skills and public speaking abilities.
• With linguistic intelligence, you will be able to notice the similarities and differences in the grammatical use of words, which means sharpening your analytical skills, all these accounts to critical and analytical skills. These can assist professionals like forensics, lawyers, lexicography, human resources, teachers, magazine editors, and so on. 

How do you become Linguistically Intelligent?

Evidently, linguistic intelligence is often developed naturally. You can also make some legitimate attempts to master the same. Let’s have a look at some of the strategies to become Linguistically intelligent. 

• What would be a better way to learn than from games? Participating in and using vocabulary various word games and activities like a scramble, anagrams and crosswords would give out suitable results.
• You can make a habit of reading, starting with your favourite one. Participating in a writing workshop offered by a local institution would also work.
• Record yourself speaking into a tape recorder and then reply to hear how you sound. Accordingly, train yourself in areas where you are a step behind. 
• Write journals, letters, group stories, or blogs. This step often follows the reading, since you can get insights and ideas of styles on how a concept can be communicated. 
• Practice the persuasive speech in your leisure time, grab chances to speak wherever you get. Also, participating in debates also assists.

Conclusion 

Sensitivity of spoken and written language is crucial for all students. Educational institutions need to focus on their learning through activities based on linguistic thinking rather than abstract visual data. Inferring the characteristics and strategies to develop such skills will not only improve their language skills but also assist them in day-to-day applications. The characteristics elucidated above would entice you, mull over the strategies to check if any of them would fit you in developing such intelligence.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Characteristics of Linguistic Intelligence appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Critical thinking can be thought of as a virtue for an individual. Everyone is born with a mind to think critically, rationally, and logically. But, some people ordinally indulge in practices that elevate their critical thinking power. 

In this post, we will be looking into what critical thinking is, the benefits and characteristics of critical thinking, and then how to improve critical thinking.

Critical Thinking- A Trait Requisite For Success?

Critical thinking- the one attribute due to which the understanding level differs from individual to individual. Critical thinking, by definition, is the process by which an individual conceptualizes and analyzes the information that they gathered and then makes informed decisions as needed. Individuals can elevate it when they are self-regulated and open-minded. 

The driving factor for this attribute is the inquisitiveness to understand the world around us. The enthusiasm to analyze and create solutions for problems makes critical thinkers. Brainstorming teaches people the right way to reflect on the information they’ve acquired. Thus, it is often evaluated in essay writing tasks, where the student has to brainstorm to present the best. 

According to Oliver and Utermohlen^[1] (1995), most children do not respond or react perceptibly. Moreover, in recent times, technology has given them a lot of access to information, but all this might not be accepted or absorbed well by the child. This is where critical thinking in them becomes crucial. 

Moreover, in a world where people are free to think independently, critical thinking is a must, which helps us to make sound decisions factually. 

Importance of critical thinking

Sometimes our brains may be imperfect, irrational, and distorted on a cognitive basis. All those bad adjectives aside, conceptualizing helps to make the difference between success and failure at every level of life. Critical thinking has more than one benefit apart from this. 

Brainstorming is a huge part of an individual’s success; Whatever your profession be, critical thinking helps to analyze information, solve problems systematically, generate innovative solutions, think creatively, plan strategically, and thus present ideas in a way that is easily understood. 

When individuals carefully analyze and reason, they solve their problems, which helps them make more informed choices and ease their path. These individuals believe that there is a way out of every obstacle, making them positive thinkers. 

Freethinkers end up with great relationships because they are empathetic, social, and they respect other people’s opinions. They look at an issue from both sides to provide a neutral and unbiased solution. 

Characteristics of Critical Thinking 

Critical thinkers possess more than essential skills of analysis, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and empathy. There are scientific terms for each of these attributes. They are listed below:

1. Metacognition

Metacognition is the awareness of one’s own thinking, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. This is used to perform specific tasks with particular awareness so that they can have control over what they are doing. This refers to the planning, monitoring, and accessing part of one’s own opinions, understanding, and performance. Critical thinking demands self-examination and self-evaluation. 

2. Argument

Critical thinkers identify and evaluate things to construct valid arguments. This argument allows the individual to utilize and apply critical thinking skills through logical reasoning. The argument has a body, and the thinker must be able to draw a conclusion to the set of statements. It is all about understanding the context and the reasons to be able to argue better, and in the end, derive a verdict. 

3. Reasoning

Critical thinkers logically perceive everything to form a conclusion. Their reasoning abilities make them know both sides of the matter to end with appropriate assumptions. Reasoning is crucial because it evaluates the person’s capacity to think logically and reason well. This also involves differentiating between facts and thoughts and then deriving out possible outcomes. 

4. Point of view

Point of view refers to how the person views things; different views give different assumptions. Critical thinkers, however, consider all the phenomena from all points of view. Having a point of view is imperative while being rational and logical as this aspect makes the thoughts, ideas, and views unique. With a point of view, we look at different perspectives and the way others perceive the world.

5. Criteria applying procedures

Critical thinkers see things from a different point of view and have varied criteria to compartmentalize things like questions, judgments, and assumptions. Questions are asked to clear the queries. Judgments and assumptions are made based on precise, multi-dimensional observation. And finally, the procedure would involve drawing out an outcome. A person who brainstorms for a conclusion often follows a procedure, so that it can be logical and well-reasoned. 

6. Avoiding oversimplification

Critical thinkers never overestimate or underestimate anyone or anything. Making exact observations without oversimplifying it leads them to perfect assumptions. This is also crucial because this overestimation or underestimation often clouds the conclusions, and an individual who thinks critically, and analyzes the situation profoundly would never want that. 

7. Examining the evidence

Evidence is the proof of every argument and statement. Critical thinkers don’t stop at the sight of evidence; instead, they will never make assumptions before examining the evidence. Brainstormers would want to see the proof and then believe a certain thing. Without proof, and legitimate evidence, deep thinkers do not like to draw out conclusions. 

8. Tolerating Ambiguity

Ambiguity implies the inexactness of information and resources. Ambiguity is common in every area. A critical thinker is always comfortable with uncertainty, unpredictability, conflicting directions, and multiple demands. Tolerating confusion, or bewilderment allows the individual to deal with a problem that does not have a defined nature. This comes in handy when people are working on problems in a group since they can easily consider the vast options available. 

Improving Critical thinking skills

Critical thinking may not be a by-birth attribute for some individuals. However, the good news is that such a fruitful characteristic is often teachable. 

All of this starts with the formulation of questions. Formulation of questions on basic things can break and bring to the base level. For instance, if you want to go to the gym, formulate a question, why are you joining the gym?—to put on weight or to lose weight. 

The second thing is gathering information. Once the question is formed, all the information related to its needs can be assembled with the help of experts, the internet, books, and other resources. Now, it’s time to apply the information in finding the answer to the question. You may consider answering questions like What assumptions exist? Is the information logical? Among others.

Assumptions and conclusions are not always temporary; thus, always consider the long-term implications of the decision taken. Understanding how the decision will shape things in the future can make you understand if you are going wrong. 

Conclusively, don’t forget to explore others’ points of view. Understanding different perspectives will make you understand and reflect on the information to help you understand better exactly how you feel. Moreover, understanding different perspectives can give a better experience.

The bottom line

Due to the increase in volatility and loads of available information, critical thinking has been turning crucial to making appropriate decisions. Essential characteristics of thinking would help to understand it better and check if you are a critical thinker. Remember, critical thinking is not always a by-birth skill. You can inculcate some best practices to improve your necessary thinking skills. Critical thinking is a personal process and thus has a high chance of personal ambiguity.

References :

[1] Oliver and Utermohlen: An Innovative Teaching Strategy: Using Critical Thinking To Give Students a Guide to the Future by Oliver, Helen; Utermohlen, Robert. 

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 8 Characteristics Of Critical Thinking appeared first on Number Dyslexia.