Seven Times Smarter: 50 Activities, Games, and Projects to Develop the Seven Intelligences of Your Child (Paperback)

by Laurel Schmidt (Author) "Have you ever caught a glimpse of your kid as you peeked in his bedroom door and wondered, "What's he doing?..." (more)
Key Phrases: video postcards, logical intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, Getting Smarter, Civil War, Spatial Verbal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
A terrific title full of hands-on learning games, Seven Times Smarter will provide parents and homeschoolers with all sorts of interesting activities that bring kids new skills and a better appreciation of the different ways of learning. The book begins with a short introduction that introduces readers to the seven intelligences: visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, musical, kinesthetic, logical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Each of these types of intelligence presents a different type of learning style and different set of personal strengths; parents and educators with a firm grasp of this concept are better able to modify their lessons and activities so all children have a chance to shine. With simple suggestions like "be a good listener" and "ask good questions," this is not a book that requires extensive training or purchase of a lot of new products, but rather one that encourages you and your kids to take advantage of items you already have around the house. Projects like learning or inventing a secret code are geared for verbal kids and require nothing but pen, paper, and imagination; a container of pipe cleaners and tin foil kept in the car is sure to provide plenty of visual/spatial enjoyment for carpoolers. Activities like play-acting or puppet making combine many kinds of intelligence--with a handy list of fairly obvious icons for each type, it's easy for parents to identify which ones their kids will most enjoy. Chances are you'll have at least as much fun as they do. --Jill Lightner

From Library Journal
As the title suggests, this book presents material intended to stimulate children's intellects. Schmidt (coauthor, How To Stop the Battle with Your Teenager) groups activities (such as reading, inventing, and music) within eight thematic chapters (e.g., "Wordsmiths," "Joyful Noise?"). However, this arrangement does not take into account the age of the child or, more importantly, the type of intelligence (kinesthetic, interpersonal, etc.) that might be enhanced. Schmidt's ambitious goal is to foster "multitalented kids who like themselves and greet the world with curiosity, and believe they have the power to shape a satisfying life." Unfortunately, it's hard to imagine how her book facilitates this development, for it seems simply to invent relationships between the intelligences and the listed activities. Libraries might instead choose from many broad activity titles such as Cynthia MacGregor's Mommy, I'm Bored: 127 Fun-Filled and Educational Games Your Child Can Play Alone (Citadel Pr., 1995. o.p.) or Cheryl Gerson Tuttle's Thinking Games To Play with Your Child (Lowell House, 1997). A marginal purchase recommended only for large public libraries desperate for activity books.ADouglas C. Lord, Hartford P.L., CT
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (January 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609805096
• ISBN-13: 978-0609805091
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #291,566 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS THE BOOK WE WERE WAITING FOR, January 30, 2001

By A Customer

It sounds so easy when someone explains it to you. How to observes your child and determine his or her strengths so you can help him develop naturally. Or as they say in the Army ads, become all that he can be.

In these days of hyper-parenting where we race around from activity to lesson and then back to activity, never knowing if we are doing our kid good or stressing him out, getting tangled up in the competition of quantity verses quality, it is a tremendous relief to finally have some guidance re how to relax and do the right thing -- for your child and for yourself.

Thanks.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every parent should read this book!, December 19, 2005

By	T. Balis "consciously looking..." (Herndon, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is an excellent source of activities for families who want their children to be thinking, solution-oriented and independant people. The author obviously has had a great deal of experience with children, and is looking to build the multiple intelligences - based on Harvard Professor Howard Gardener's information. I have given this as a gift to many friends, and they love it, too!

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So practical! So insightful!, March 4, 2001

By	David Schmidt "wood chopper" (Big Bear Lake, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wow! I wish my parents had a book like this when I was growing up! Then again, maybe they did. The lost art of creative parenting is unearthed in the diggings of this study of human learning and growth. This book will make you smarter, and anyone that you are brave enough to lend it to. To be on the safe side, you might want to buy two copies. It makes a great gift.