05/09/2025
Research shows that children who struggle in math… aren’t lacking intelligence.
Because here’s the truth:
Not every child’s brilliance fits neatly into equations. Some minds are wired for rhythm,
some for empathy, some for color and story, others for the quiet wisdom of noticing the world in detail.
Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983) reminds us that math and language are only two of many ways the brain can shine. There is also musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic skill, interpersonal and intrapersonal awareness, naturalist sensitivity, and more.
🧠 According to Gardner, when we measure intelligence only by math scores or reading levels, we overlook entire realms of human ability. A child who struggles with fractions might be gifted in storytelling, art, or comforting a friend.
Why does this matter?
Because when we equate intelligence with grades alone, we risk raising children who doubt their worth. We risk discouraging the painter, the musician, the nurturer, the explorer; simply because they didn’t memorize times tables as quickly as their peers.
Meanwhile, science is whispering:
Intelligence is not a single path.
It’s a garden of possibilities.
Here’s what that looks like at home:
→ Celebrating a child’s creativity even if math worksheets feel hard.
→ Naming empathy and kindness as real forms of brilliance.
→ Encouraging music, movement, and hands-on exploration as learning.
→ Reminding your child that struggling in one subject doesn’t make them “less smart.”
These may not look like “academic success” in the narrow sense. But they are the work, the essential work of cultivating whole, capable, and uniquely gifted human beings.
The truth is, a child who isn’t strong in math can still be deeply intelligent. Their gifts might just grow in a different soil. And when we give those gifts space to flourish, we raise children who are confident in who they are, not crushed by who they are not.
So maybe the question isn’t,
“Why isn’t my child good at math?”
Maybe it’s,
“In what beautiful ways is my child already brilliant?”
Because intelligence isn’t the ability to do everything. It’s the courage to grow into the genius you already carry. 🤍
©️Mercy Lupo
Art: same
