Have you heard of the theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner? He states that there are a number of ways by which students learn and develop. Knowing these intelligences can help us teach our children more effectively. There are 8 dominant learning styles:

1. Visual Spatial – they think in terms of space. They like jigsaw puzzles, draw, read maps and daydream. They can be taught through drawings, visuals and physical imager
2. Bodily Kinesthetic – they use the body very effectively. They like movement, making things, touching, They learn best through role-playing and hands-on learning.
3. Musical -they are sensitive to sound in the environment. They appreciate musical instruments, music and can learn by turning lessons into lyrics.
4. Interpersonal – they often interact with others. They thrive in group activities and workshops. They need time and attention from the instructor.
5. Intrapersonal – they have a deep understanding of their own goal and interests. They are usually in tune with their feelings, and have strong opinions. They thrive in self-study and they like journaling, books and creative materials.
6. Linguistic – they use words effectively. They are auditory learners and enjoy word games, making up stories or poetry. They learn through read alouds and lectures.
7. Logical-Mathematical – they excel in reasoning and calculating. They can think abstractly and see patterns easily. They love mystery games, investigations and logic games.
8. Naturalistic – they learn best with an experience in the natural world. They love to be outside and learn as they get their hands dirty. They are naturally curious about their environment and surroundings and ask endless questions.

Most of us have grown up in the conventional school where we take tests to measure how much we have learned. As homeschoolers, we also want to assess how much our children has learned and we need to give them exams and quizzes as we need to give them grades to be submitted to our Homeschool Provider (if you are enrolled in one).

But did you know that there are other ways to give grades aside from the usual fill in the blanks, true or false, identify and choosing the best answers? I’m sharing with you some of the ways to assess your child’s learning:

1. Write a personal narrative
2. Create infomercials
3. Draw a comic strip which uses lessons learned
4. Create a brochure
5. Create a bookmark
6. Make posters about characters from the book
7. Calculate sale discounts from stores and online shops
8. Find patterns
9. Write as another individual (i.e. famous artists, scientists, historical person)
10. Create trivia games
11. Sketch what a scene would look like
12. Invent a toy from a specific era or historical time period
13. Recreate historical events
14. Research family tree
15. Memorize speech and poems
16. Create surveys and analyze results
17. Compose a poem or song
18. Use game-based assessments like Physics Playground (http://empiricalgames.org/ppunity5/demo.html)
19. Interview someone and write about it
20. Make a digital presentation about lesson studied

To be able to give fair grades, you may use grading rubrics.