There is nothing more exciting than the birth of a child. From the first day, using their five senses, the little ones perceive new knowledge every moment and parents have to take immense care of their kids, so that the new borns remember and differentiate everything that they learn. How ever, in the busy world where both the parents leave the day for work, children are unnoticed or receive inadequate nurturing. Dr. Howard Gardner, a well-renowned cognitive psychologist from Harvard University, once said,"We should spend less time ranking children and more time helping them to identify their natural competencies and gifts and cultivate these. There are hundreds and hundreds of ways to succeed and many, many different abilities that will help you get there."

Dr. Howard has written twenty books, hundreds of articles and is best known for his theory of Multiple Intelligences, which holds that intelligence goes far beyond the traditional verbal, linguistic, logical and mathematical measurements. Dr. Haward's Multiple Intelligence approach is currently being implemented in the U.S. and other countries. Kopal Maheshwari, Founder and Chairperson of Little Einsteins, is an ardent believer of Dr. Haward's Multiple Intelligence theory. "I believe that each child is unique and carries different interests. Some kids may understand the concepts easily from storytelling and others may gain the same by doing it themselves; Identifying and harnessing the interest would be more benefiting to the child. At Little Einsteins, we help students to understand their strengths and challenges using Multiple

Intelligence as a tool," says Kopal,who is certified on Multiple Intelligence from University of California.

Established in 2007, Kopal's Little Einsteins is considered as the pioneer in early childhood education based on Multiple Intelligence theory in India and she rejoices the journey of her establishment, which has presence in over 14 states now. Kopal says, "Once people came to know the method of learning in our school, the reception of parents increased by leaps and bounds." Little Einsteins was setup in response to the requests of parents for a continuation of progressive schooling in the elementary years.

Little Einsteins is considered as the pioneer in early childhood education based on Multiple Intelligence theory in India

Developing Multiple Intelligence

Theory of Multiple Intelligence provides the framework for teaching and learning at Little Einsteins. At the core of this theory is the recognition that people think and learn differently and that intelligence can be expressed in a multitude of ways. "Our multifaceted approach to teaching incorporates each of the eight major intellectual domains defined by Dr. Gardner, and provides opportunities for each student to use his or her unique intelligence to understand the subject matter," claims Kopal. To validate their belief, Little Einsteins has kept smaller student-teacher ratios and has limited class size of 15 students. In order to look into individuals needs closely and maximize their potentials, the teaching is imparted through eight intelligences - linguistic, logical mathematical, spatial, musical, naturalist, bodily kinesthetic, intra personal and interpersonal. Ritu, one of the parents expresses her gratitude as, "My child can now understand and talk in English and

the teachers are very co-operative and friendly with both children and student."

"Our programs will prepare the child for regular school and will lay a solid foundation for his future. In addition to that, we will introduce the child to the joy of learning in the initial years of his life and will help him in his all-round growth and shape his personality. They learn skills and a richer content in various disciplines," says Kopal. Prepared under the supervision of Kopal, the curriculum of Little Einsteins encompasses a complete palette of learning and promises a healthy mental and behavioral foundation for a child. Inclusion of Modern Math, Literacy Program, Science, Social Studies, Music, Art and Physical Education in the curriculum has encouraged creative learning.

Today, with necessary infrastructure, Little Einsteins seeks to provide an alternative for parents who want a different approach to the rote and skill learning that traditional schools have been providing. "We emphasize teaching for understanding by providing children the opportunity to construct their own knowledge in the classroom as they interact meaningfully with materials and their teachers," describes Kopal. After nine years of operations, Little Einsteins looks forward to taking it to next level; to K-10 and K-12 and to expand centers through their franchise program across the country. Hoping that such efforts would bring a new facet to the pre-school learning in India, Little Einsteins has shown a unique way of primary education for the best of future generation.

Kopal Maheshwari

Certified on Multiple Intelligence from University of California, Kopal is the Founder, Academic and Content head of Little Einsteins. She has hands on experience in running and operating a preschool and is chief architect of the international curriculum based on Multiple Intelligence setting up processes for Little Einsteins. Prior to founding Little Einsteins, Kopal has worked for multiple years with leading corporate like GE, DELL at leadership position.