December 14, 2025

"She's so creative at home," the mum told me, her voice tight with frustration. "She builds these incredible things, solves puzzles I can't even figure out. But at school? She's labelled as 'struggling.'"

I see this pattern every week. Bright, capable children who thrive outside the classroom but feel like failures inside it.

The problem isn't the child. It's that school measures intelligence in a very narrow way, and if your child's brain doesn't work that way, they're made to feel like something is wrong with them.

But here's what I wish every parent knew: Human intelligence has never been one thing.

Why Does My Bright Child Struggle At School?

Most of us grew up in a school system that quietly rewarded one type of brain. If you were good with words or numbers, you were sorted. If you weren't, you learned very quickly to doubt yourself.

Traditional schooling heavily favours two specific types of intelligence: linguistic (words) and logical-mathematical (numbers and logic). If your child doesn't naturally lead with those strengths, they can be left feeling confused, discouraged, or unsure how to show what they truly understand.

For many of the neurodiverse learners I work with, this mismatch is the heart of the struggle. Their intelligence is there, and it's strong. It just doesn't fit neatly into the narrow boxes school tends to measure.

What Is the Theory of Multiple Intelligences?

Howard Gardner, a Harvard researcher, proposed something revolutionary: we each have several distinct types of intelligence. Not one single score. Not a fixed label. A whole mix.

His theory of Multiple Intelligences shows that people learn, understand, solve problems, and express themselves in profoundly different ways. What looks like "struggling" in one context might actually be brilliance waiting for the right environment.

Gardner identified eight distinct intelligences. Most people have a mix, with some being stronger than others.

The Eight Types of Intelligence

Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

Children who love books, write creative stories, remember what they hear, and explain things clearly. These learners usually do well in traditional classrooms because most teaching relies heavily on reading, writing, and verbal instruction.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Logic Smart)

Children who love puzzles, ask "why" constantly, enjoy strategy games, and think in logical sequences. Also favoured in traditional settings through maths, science, and structured problem-solving tasks.

Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart)

Children who build incredible Lego creations without instructions, draw detailed pictures, navigate easily, and think in images rather than words.

Real example: A child who struggles to write a story but can draw a detailed comic that shows exactly what they mean. Or a student who can't remember a list but can visualise a journey through a place where each location represents an item.

Often undervalued because so much assessment relies on written or verbal output.

Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart)

Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart) Children who need to move while thinking, learn best by doing, excel in sports or building, and struggle to sit still during long explanations.

Real example: A child who can't grasp fractions on paper but understands them instantly when cutting up a pizza. Or a student who struggles with spelling on paper but masters it when building letters with clay.

Often 'told off' because movement is seen as distraction rather than a learning tool.

Musical Intelligence (Music Smart)

Children who remember song lyrics effortlessly, study better with background music, and notice sounds others miss.

Real example: A child who struggles to memorise times tables but learns them in minutes when they're turned into a song.

Rarely incorporated beyond music class, despite being a powerful learning tool.

Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart)

Children who thrive in group discussions, pick up on how others are feeling, and learn best through conversation and interaction.

Real example: A child who can't write an essay alone but produces brilliant ideas when discussing the topic with a partner.

Group work exists but is often treated as less rigorous than independent work.

Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Smart)

Children who need time alone to process information, understand their own feelings, prefer to work independently, and think deeply about big questions.

Real example: A child who struggles in noisy classrooms but produces exceptional work in a quiet space with time to think.

Often misunderstood as being antisocial or disengaged when they're actually processing deeply.

Naturalistic Intelligence (Nature Smart)

Children who notice details in the natural world, love animals and plants, naturally categorise information, and focus better when learning outdoors.

Real example: A child who can't engage with abstract science concepts but lights up when learning about ecosystems or animal adaptations.

Often limited to science topics and rarely recognised as a legitimate learning strength.

Why Does This Matter For Struggling Learners?

When a child is bright, curious, and switched on at home, yet schoolwork is a daily battle, it's usually because the way they learn best isn't being tapped into.

A spatial learner asked to memorise lists will feel defeated before they even begin. They need to see relationships, build models, or create visual maps. Give them a textbook chapter and they're lost. Let them build a model and suddenly everything clicks.

A kinaesthetic learner is told to sit still, when movement might be the very thing that helps them learn. They're not being difficult. Their brain literally needs physical engagement to process information.

A musical learner may grasp patterns far faster through song or rhythm than plain text. They remember the entire periodic table when it's set to music but can't memorise it from a chart.

An interpersonal learner might thrive in discussion but freeze when asked to write silently for twenty minutes. They need to talk through ideas and learn collaboratively.

None of this signals a lack of ability. It simply means the teaching method and the learner aren't quite meeting yet.

How Does This Connect to Learning Differences?

Many children with dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning differences have incredibly strong intelligences in non-linguistic, non-mathematical areas.

Children with dyslexia often excel in spatial, musical, interpersonal, or naturalistic intelligence. They may struggle with written words but have exceptional visual-spatial reasoning or creative problem-solving.

Traditional schooling measures their weakest area and misses their strongest areas entirely. No wonder they feel like they're failing.

Children with ADHD often have strong bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, or spatial intelligence. They need movement, hands-on learning, and social interaction to engage fully.

Being forced to sit still, work silently, and learn through reading alone isn't just difficult. It's working against their natural learning strengths.

The tragedy is this: These children are often incredibly intelligent. But because their intelligence doesn't show up in the ways school values most, they're labelled as struggling, slow, or difficult.

What Do Children Actually Need Instead?

When we understand that children have different types of intelligence, everything changes. Instead of asking "Why can't they learn like everyone else?" we ask "How does this child learn best?"

Different ways to demonstrate understanding

Instead of only written tests and essays, children need options to build models, create visual diagrams, explain through discussion, demonstrate physically, or make connections to real-world examples.

Multi-sensory, hands-on activities

Use physical materials to teach maths, act out stories before writing about them, build models before drawing diagrams, explore outdoors before reading about nature, and allow movement while learning.

Visual and spatial tools

Many struggling learners need diagrams instead of paragraphs, colour coding, mind maps that show relationships, videos alongside written instructions, and opportunities to draw to show understanding.

Time to explore ideas

Children need time to connect learning to their own experience, opportunities to ask "why" and explore deeply, space to make their own discoveries, and reflection time to process.

Tools that align with their strengths

Rather than endless practice in weak areas, children need assistive technology that removes barriers, movement breaks integrated into learning, collaboration when that's their strength, and real-world projects instead of abstract worksheets.

What Happens When We Get This Right?

When children learn in the way their brain naturally works, the pressure lifts. Learning feels achievable. Confidence returns.

I've watched spatial learners who "couldn't write" create brilliant visual presentations that showed deep understanding.

I've seen kinaesthetic learners who "couldn't focus" become completely absorbed when allowed to build, move, and manipulate materials while learning.

I've worked with musical learners who struggled with rote memorisation but remembered everything once it was turned into rhythm or song.

The intelligence was always there. It just needed the right environment to show itself.

What Can Parents Do Right Now?

Notice your child's natural strengths

Pay attention to what they do effortlessly at home, how they naturally approach problems, what activities make time disappear for them, and when they feel confident and capable. These are clues to their strongest intelligences.

Advocate for different learning approaches

Talk to teachers about letting your child demonstrate understanding in different ways, incorporating movement into learning, using visual tools alongside written instructions, and providing hands-on materials and real-world examples.

Build confidence outside of school

Make sure your child has opportunities to shine in their areas of strength through sports, music, building projects, nature exploration, or team activities.

Flip the narrative

Instead of: "You need to try harder" Try: "We need to find the way that works for you"

Your child isn't failing. The system is failing to recognise how they learn best.

If Your Child Is Struggling

If you're watching your child lose confidence, doubt their intelligence, or dread school every day, there is another way.

Understanding your child's unique profile, their strengths, their learning style, their type of intelligence, can transform everything.

Every child is intelligent. They just need someone who recognises the way their intelligence shows up.

About the Author

Nikki Palamountain is an expert consultant specialising in dyslexia, ADHD and dyscalculia. She works with neurodiverse children, teens and adults who need clarity, confidence and meaningful progress in their learning. Nikki supports families who are searching for real answers, offering expert insight, practical tools and reliable guidance throughout the entire learning journey.

Through her highly individualised one-to-one programmes, Nikki delivers intensive, strengths-based, hands-on learning that builds strong foundations and genuine understanding. She works closely with parents and supports people to ensure they know exactly how to continue supporting learning long after the programme ends. Find out more at dyslexiaunpuzzled.co.nz and feel free to connect with me for a chat https://calendly.com/nikki-palamountain-h4cb/new-meeting