Education is a vital part of any child’s development. But now experts are claiming that play, direct experiences, and social interaction is just as important as academic studies. Would you agree?
Gone are the days when “traditional” parents, as one would call them, would dismiss sports and extra-curricular activities as they see it as a threat to their child’s academic performance.
Sure, academic excellence is one thing. And probably in the earlier decades, an achiever would solely be considered as someone who can memorize an entire chapter of their school book. But the new breed, this generation’s children, are so much more than that. Children today are more vibrant, outgoing, confident and many of them, even speak with such wit well beyond their years.
Today, our smartest of kids are not just achievers. They are children whose multiple intelligences have been fostered well in their developing years, honing them into the brain-smart, body-smart, and people-smart little wonders that they are. They are the multi-achievers. And here’s a look into the lives of just some of them:
Little Multi-Achievers and their Multi-Intelligences
Sofia Pablo
Multiple Intelligence: Brain-Smart, Body-Smart and People-Smart
A swimmer, a little ballerina, a volleyball player, a cheer dancer, and an overall achiever. Not only is Sofia recipient of the Best Freestyle Stroke award at her swim school, she’s also best in Math and Science. And her good people skills makes her a Star Scout Team Leader, too. And in case you were wondering, she is only 8. Sofia, surely, is a primary example of a multi-achiever. Her biggest dream? To be a teacher, helping to foster the development of this country’s people.
Cedric Uson
Multiple Intelligence: Brain-Smart, Body-Smart and People-Smart
A little literary, Cedric showed his being brain-smart when he won first place for a Poem Recital in 2012. He’s also a taekwondo gold medalist for the Titans Kumsaegui Taekwondo Championship, proving he’s body-smart, too. But it doesn’t end there. Aside from all these multi-achievements, Cedric’s best quality, as many people who know him shared, would still be this—that he is a “very sweet and loving” boy. Also a Red Cross member, Cedric’s amiable relationship with those around him only goes to show that he’s people-smart as well. His dream is to be an engineer, someday.
Sean Cai
Multiple Intelligence: Brain-Smart, Body-Smart and People-Smart
A consistent honor roll student, class president, and secretary for the batch, Sean undoubtedly is both brain-smart and people-smart. But not only is he a champion in the classroom, Sean is a champion on the sparring mat showcasing his being body-smart, as well. Why? This little guy is a taekwondo champion! In the future though, you will see Sean take his fights from the dojo to the courtroom, as this little multi-achiever dreams of being a lawyer someday.
Luis Danao
Multiple Intelligence: Brain-Smart, Body-Smart and People-Smart
Luis is another regular in the honors list and his school’s student council. On top of that, he’s also part of the De La Salle Zobel Basketball Varsity Team since 2011. That’s brain-smart, body-smart, and people-smart right there! These multi-intelligences, coupled with constant support and guidance from his parents, are what helps him juggle all his activities while staying on top of class. In the future, Luis says he wants to be either an architect or a professional basketball player. But with his multi-intelligences, he could easily be both!
Ciara Russegger
Multiple Intelligence: Brain-Smart, Body-Smart and People-Smart
95.76 grade point average. Exemplary conduct certificates. Consistent class first honor. Team Champion Academic Olympiad awardee. Spelling bee champion. Football champion. Animal Rescue Volunteer. And even practices yoga, too. Ciara certainly is a multi-achiever rolling brain-smart, body-smart, and people-smart all into one. Ciara also shares that, when she grows up, she wants to be a psychologist to “understand human emotions and the reasoning behind these emotions and actions.”
Partnership with RAP and the Multiple Intelligence Recognition Day
Advocating for the development of Multiple intelligence is PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD, a powdered milk brand that has the Gold Biofactors System that supports a child’s mental and visual development, growth, immunity, and digestion.
And to make Multiple Intelligence accessible to more Filipinos, PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD have partnered up with the Reading Association of the Philippines (RAP), a non-government organization committed to improving all aspects of national reading programs and teaching procedures through teacher-training and research. Both believe that continued promotion of progressive teaching methods helps students become multi-achievers, and this partnership aims towards exactly that.
To formally launch this partnership and campaign, PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD’s Multiple Intelligence Recognition Day was held last March 26, 2015 at the RCBC Plaza in Makati. Celebrity Multiple Intelligence Advocates were in attendance, such as Kim Atienza, Jenni Epperson, and Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez. The little multi-achievers were also given recognition for their embodiment of multiple intelligence: Sofia, Cedric, Sean, Luis, and Ciara.
“We continue to seek ways for parents and educators to recognize that developing multiple intelligence is just as relevant as academic performance,” PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD Senior Product Manager, Rhea Villareal, said.
PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD encourages Filipino moms to follow this progressive approach to parenting, allowing their young ones go beyond academic learning. To let them experience more of the world through discovering their own passions—playing sports, dancing, writing, singing, or simply by making new friends.
“As a parent, my challenge is to help my kids apply their knowledge to everyday life, not just by getting good grades, but by being well-rounded individuals that are smart, creative, and helpful,” said Jenni Epperson, a celebrity stylist and Multiple Intelligence advocate.
PROGRESS PRE-SCHOOL GOLD
www.facebook.com/progresspreschoolgold
Twitter: @progress_psgold
