Santa Monica Educator Plays to Learn

Clara Sturak
Associate editor

   As a child I spent hours creating a miniature miniature golf course out of shirt boxes on the floor of my room. I produced epic plays that my friends and I performed for my exceedingly patient mother. My neighbor Marie Jones and I created the "royal families" of several made-up worlds -- including one called Replicat, ruled by a mustachioed king and a two-headed queen. I honed to perfection my puppet show rendition of The Who's rock-opera, Tommy.
   I thought I was having fun. Laurel Schmidt says I was learning. In fact, her new book, "Seven Times Smarter: 50 Activities, Games, and Projects to Develop the Seven Intelligences of Your Child" (Three Rivers Press) is based on the premise that, in her words, "the work of childhood is play," and supporting your children to participate in play that uses different parts of the brain will help them to discover interests and build self-esteem. All while having fun! 
   Schmidt has been an educator for over thirty years. She's has taught in both the Los Angeles and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School Districts, and was the principal at Franklin Elementary School from 1995 to 1999. She is currently the Director of Student Services for the SMMUSD. 
   Ten years ago she became aware of Dr. Howard Gardner's theory of "multiple intelligences," the idea that humans have at least seven different "ways of knowing," located in different parts of the brain. They include verbal/linguistic, visual/spatial, musical, kinesthetic, logical/mathematical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Or as Schmidt explains at the beginning of her book, "we're word smart, picture smart, music smart, body smart, logic smart, people smart and self smart."
   Gardner's work resonated with Schmidt, who, as an elementary and middle school teacher had seen many a shy, "slow-learner" blossom into an enthusiastic, creative, "smart" kid with the right stimulation. "I once had a student who was very quiet, didn't talk, ever. He always had the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head. I called him my monk. One day I asked the question, 'What is art?' and asked the kids to bring in an example. Reluctantly, he showed me what he had brought in -- it was a plastic bottle literally covered with attachments and levers and knobs -- his own invention. Everyone was in awe. It was an epiphany to see how smart this kid was." Smart, in his case, in a mechanical, visual way.
   Schmidt was inspired to write "Seven Times Smarter," as a response to kids like her monk, and to parents, who would often ask for extra homework for their child. "For them that usually meant more worksheets -- but instead I would [suggest activities] that were things I did with my time when I was not in school." Schmidt credits her father, an architect, with fostering her natural curiosity and creativity. In the introduction to the book she says of him, "Dad was curious about everything. A self-educated man, in love with learning, he intuitively furnished our world with everything we needed to flourish."
   Using the seven intelligences -- and her father's example -- as inspiration, Schmidt has created an accessible guide for parents of children ages 6 to 14 who are looking for activities that will not only pass the time, but will help their children to flourish. The book is chock-full of inexpensive, interesting projects for inside, outside and on the road, each stimulating one or more types of learning, and each more fun than the next.
   Of the fifty, there were several that sounded like I'd have loved them as a kid (I'd probably still enjoy them now, to tell the truth). In the "Tower Power" section, Schmidt tells how to make straw steeples, toothpick turrets and newspaper spires (to aid in kinesthetic, visual and logical thinking). In "Smart Sounds," kids and parents learn how to transform household objects into a recycled orchestra, and how to create a one-man band (think musical, kinesthetic, logical and interpersonal skills).
   Taking pity on harried and tired parents, Schmidt includes a section entitled "boredom brigade," filled with ways for kids to use that endless resource: imagination (and leave mom or dad alone long enough to make dinner or just sit in a stupor for a awhile after work). She also includes advice on how parents should respond to the results of their child's efforts, and tips on when to join in the activity and when to step back.
   One of the best things about "Seven Times Smarter" is the hundreds of suggested reading titles Schmidt includes in it. For instance, she follows her section on "grade school gourmets" with a list of "books about cooks" geared toward young chefs: "Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World" and "Burgoo Stew," to name two. 
   Making the connection between a child's interests and their reading material seems simple, but how many of you actually remember anyone tailoring your after school reading to what you cared about? (Those of you who do are avid readers, I'll bet.) 
But if you really want to create avid readers, Schmidt emphasizes, "the greatest predictor that a child will become a reader is that they are read to." She continues, saying, "parents are afraid that if they read to their [school-aged] children, the children won't read for themselves. The exact opposite has been proven to be true."
   In "One More Story, Please," Schmidt puts it this way: "Here's why kids get smarter when you read to them. Language is ultimately the tool of thought. The more words they know, the more varied, precise and rich their thinking can be." She adds, most significantly, "Kids feel loved because you spend your precious time sharing stories with them. They love books because you do." My husband and I can attest to that. We both have such fond memories of being read "chapter books" aloud that we can hardly wait until our toddler is old enough for "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."
   Even the best of schools rely primarily on linguistic and mathematical learning, says Schmidt. That focus puts non-traditional learners at a disadvantage, and severely limits how all kids learn. "The hope of this book," she says, "is that kids will be able to explore the whole tool box of the mind that is at their disposal." So, no matter how your kids (or you!) learn, there are activities in "Seven Times Smarter" that you will all enjoy. It's time to roll up Junior's sleeves, put on your smock, and play.