Welcome June!

By tammy bell | June 11, 2025

Month of the Fathers

It takes just a second to spark real joy.

Imagine …

Every child is entitled to the finest experiences,

And every parent knows how to provide the

when they can.
The problem is today’s life
which is busy, busy, busy!

How can you do it if you can’t be there?
Here are some insights that might help.

Focus on Real Intelligence (RI) whenever and wherever
you are, and start as early as you can.
The brain doubles in size in the first year and is 90%
developed by age five. Synapses (neural connections) fire to
keep building it. The result is a foundation of RI. The stronger
and better your child’s early experiences, the higher will be
his or her RI for a lifetime.
Remember to keep Emotional Intelligence (EI) in view at all
times.

The parent-child is the first and most important
relationship. It is filled with bonding and attachment. It
provides a strong foundation for all others to be built around
it. Parents foster emotional EI best because they have the
“secret salsa” called “love.”

For a long time there was thought to be only one kind of
intelligence. It was measured by an Intelligence Quotient
(I.Q.). Then in the 1960’s along came Professor Howard
Gardner from Harvard University, with a different idea.
Gardner introduced eight different types of intelligences, each
emphasizing a broader understanding of human capability1. Here
are the eight types:

Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart): This type involves
language skills, such as reading, writing, and verbal
communication.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning
Smart): It relates to logical thinking, problem-solving, and
mathematical abilities.
Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart): People with spatial
intelligence excel in visualizing and manipulating objects in
space.
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart): This type is
associated with physical coordination, movement, and body
awareness.
Musical Intelligence (Music Smart): Musical intelligence
involves sensitivity to rhythm, melody, and sound patterns.
Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart): Individuals with
interpersonal intelligence understand and interact effectively
with others.
Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self-Smart): It refers to self-
awareness, introspection, and understanding one’s own

emotions and motivations.

Naturalist Intelligence (Nature Smart): People with
naturalist intelligence appreciate and understand the natural
world.
Gardner’s theory challenged the traditional notion of a single type
of intelligence and highlights the diversity of human abilities.

Ohhhh what wonderful ideas!

Wait!

The story gets better.
Dad, maybe Mom is too busy with the everyday stuff, but
you “can hold down the fort.”
Let’s make June “The Month of the Fathers.”

Dads, even though this job is most important and most
impactful in the early years, it is a joy and responsibility
you can keep forever.
How can you develop RI and EI in your children?
Make as much time as you can to be there, and the rest
will follow. You and your children are a two-part team, and
you are guaranteed to keep teaching each other in the
best ways possible.
Read to and with your children. Before reading may
have sounded only like an educational idea directly related
to Academic Intelligence (the old AI). Now you know it is
an amazing vehicle to sky rocket both RI and EI at the
same time.
There is nothing Artificial about any of this!

Sally Goldberg, Ph.D.

Professor of Early Childhood Education

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