Notice what interests your child. Is it birds, wizards, mythology, a particular sport? Does your child respond to new material visually, verbally, or kinesthetically? Do they like to draw, tell stories, mash up clay, dance, or jump around? Your job as a parent is not to preselect your child’s interests, but to encourage them to try, discover, experiment, and experience as much as possible. When it comes to finding hobbies or pursuits, follow your child’s lead.

In Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind, he defines intelligence as the capacity to solve problems or create new product. He outlines several intelligences: visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. He also added naturalist to the list. Most people use a combination of these approaches to process the world. Knowing how your child responds to the world and makes sense of what she hears, feels, and sees will help you to understand how to guide her, especially when introducing or learning new concepts.

Try This At Home: Expose your child to a new sport or activity, one that challenges them and stimulates the firing of those neurons and synaptic connections! Ask them to set up an imaginary business with a pretend product or invention. What materials would you need? How much money (or cookies) would you ask for your goods? What would the store look like? What kind of people would you like to work for you?