MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

THEORY•Howard Gardiner- Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Naturalistic Intelligence: Nature/ Reality Smart

• likes to hike, camp and be outdoors

• enjoys caring for and interacting with animals

• cares about environmental issues

• enjoys identifying and classifying different plants, flowers & animals

• enjoys growing things (flowers, gardens, etc.)

• appreciates the impact of nature on people

• understands the impact of people on nature (carbon footprint)

• wants a practical application of knowledge

Linguistic Intelligence: Word Smart• most essential for success in school

• likes to write

• likes to tell jokes and stories

• has a good memory for names, places, dates, or trivia

• enjoys reading books

• Learns new words

• spells easily and accurately

• appreciates rhymes , tongue twisters, the sounds and rhythms of language

• likes playing games such as crossword puzzles or Scrabble

Musical Intelligence: Music Smart• intelligence least valued by our culture

• play a musical instrument and/or sings

• remember melodies of songs

• tell you when a musical note is off key

• say they need to have music in order to study

• collects music

• sing songs to themselves

• notices background and environmental sounds

• keep time rhythmically to music

• sensitive to melody and tune

Spatial Intelligence: Picture Smart• spends free time engaged in art activities

• likes to draw or doodle

• uses color to organize things

• Sees clear visual images when thinking or reading about something (they can picture it in their head)

• likes to be shown movies, or photographs that are well done

• easily reads maps, charts, and diagrams

• draws accurate representations of people or things

• enjoys jigsaw puzzles or mazes

• daydreams a lot

• likes to draw, build and design

• enjoys pattern and geometry in math

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence: Logic/Math Smart

• most valued by our culture

• can compute arithmetic problems quickly in their head

• enjoy computer games and puzzles like Sudoku

• ask questions like, “Where does the universe end?” or “When did time begin?”

• Play chess checkers or other strategy games and win

• reason things out logically, clearly & systematically

• devise experiments to test out things they don’t understand

• notices and uses numbers, shapes and patterns

• organizes thoughts

Bodily- Kinesthetic Intelligence: Body Smart loves to learn by doing

does well in competitive sports

engages in physical activities such as swimming, biking, hiking, skateboarding

needs to have frequent contact with others, especially when talking to them

enjoy scary amusement park rides

demonstrates skill in “hands-on” activities like woodworking, sewing, or carving

can imitate other peoples gestures, mannerisms or behaviors

move, twitch, tap, or fidget while sitting in a chair (they’re just wiggly)

coordinated and agile

Intrapersonal Intelligence: Self Smart

• independent and strong-willed

• has and expresses strong opinions on controversial subjects

• seems to live in their own private, inner world; daydreams

• likes to be alone to complete projects and pursue interests and hobbies

• seems to have a deep sense of self-confidence

• marches to the beat of their own drum (doesn’t feel a need to dress, act or behave like everyone else)

• self motivated; sets and achieves personal goals

• knows their own strengths and weaknesses

• is insightful and reflective

Interpersonal Intelligence: People Smart

• enjoys group games and learning situations

• understands the feelings of others; sympathetic

• has lots of friends

• prefers group problem solving

• can mediate conflicts at school and at home

• understands and recognizes stereotypes and prejudices

• volunteers help when others need it

• socializes a great deal at school or around the neighborhood

• gets involved in after school activities

Can teachers teach to ALL of the intelligences ALL of the time?

What do I do when my teacher doesn’t teach the way I learn?

Box 6: Set a goal to turn one of your weak areas into a strong one.My goal is to improve my ___ smart by…

Box 7: What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned about Multiple Intelligences? Explain why.The most interesting/surprising thing I learned about Multiple Intelligences was…