Based on Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
For the past several decades, educators have investigated and researched teaching strategies based on a theory developed by Harvard Educational
Psychologist Howard Gardner: the Multiple Intelligences Theory (1983). As a result of his research on brain-damaged individuals, Gardner hypothesized the existence of eight different kinds of intelligence, each with a corresponding section of the brain (listed in the left-hand column of the following table). Typically, instructional designers and educators tend to design instruction based on their own well-developed intelligences.
As a result, such instruction works for students who have strengths similar to those of the designer, but it often fails to facilitate learning for students who have different intellectual strengths. While some authors stress that there is inadequate evidence for multiple intelligences
(Waterhouse, 2006), others believe that ultimately, instruction designed with a variety of intelligences in mind results in an enriched experience for all learners.
There are many multiple intelligences inventories available online. A link for a typical inventory is listed under the Recommended Readings and
Weblinks for Chapter 3“Diving Deeper”. Completing an inventory to determine your own areas of strength and weakness will make you more aware of the ways in which your learners may differ from you and from each other. An awareness of your own intellectual strengths and underdeveloped intelligences, coupled with an awareness of the characteristics of your learners, will enable you to avoid producing instruction that targets only learners with intellectual strengths that match your own.
Intelligence Description Suggested Activities
Verballinguistic intelligence
Logicalmathematical intelligence
Individuals with linguistic intelligence possess a sensitivity to the meaning and order of words; process information through language and words as opposed to pictures; and may exhibit a preference for oral or written communication, or both. Writers, attorneys, and public speakers often have high linguistic intelligence.
Individuals with logical-mathematical intelligence exhibit skill in mathematics and other complex logical systems; create order by analyzing, grouping, and categorizing; and readily recognize relationships, connections, and patterns. Philosophers, actuaries, and scientists often have high logical-mathematical intelligence.
Public speaking, storytelling (from objects), retelling, speeches, debating, presentations, solving a crossword puzzle, creating a class newspaper, writing and giving a persuasive speech, writing to a pen pal, reading aloud, dramatizing, book making, nonfiction reading, researching, listening, process writing, writing journals, writing poetry, listening to a lecture and taking notes, writing acrostics, giving a dramatic reading, listening to a book on tape, writing book reviews, writing comedy routines, reading a daily newspaper, writing a TV or radio script, writing a sequel to an existing story, tongue twisters, social bookmarking, blogging and micro-blogging.
Working problems, using algorithms and problem solving, measuring, coding, sequencing, critical thinking, predicting, playing logic games, collecting data, experimenting, solving puzzles, classifying, using manipulatives, learning the scientific model/method, using money, using geometry, math games, converting amounts for a recipe, creating a Venn diagram, solving analogies, making a graph to represent data, doing brain teasers, playing checkers, classifying objects, creating a timeline, using tangrams (geometric shaped blocks) to make animals and designs.
© Taylor & Francis 2014
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Intelligence
Musical intelligence
Spatial intelligence
Bodilykinesthetic intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence
Naturalistic intelligence
Description
People with high musical intelligence possess the ability to understand and create music; often learn best through sound, rhythm, and music; and may learn better when music is playing and through musical metaphors. Musicians, entertainers, composers, and dancers exhibit high musical intelligence.
A person with spatial intelligence prefers to process information in pictures, visuals, and imagery; possesses a good sense of direction; and is capable of planning in three dimensions. They conceive of the world in a physically accurate way, and can recreate or alter it in their mind or on paper. Engineers, artists, architects, designers, and sculptors have highly developed spatial intelligence.
Individuals with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are able to use their body in a skilled way, for self-expression or toward a physical goal. They process information through their muscles, sensations, and movements; prefer to express themselves through their bodies; and use their bodies to learn or understand content. Athletes, actors, mimes, dancers, and surgeons display heightened bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
People with interpersonal intelligence have an ability to understand and communicate with others; readily perceive others’ moods, desires, and motivations; prefer to process information relationally through others; and understand themselves and the world better through social interaction. High interpersonal intelligence is exhibited by counselors, political and religious leaders, and skilled parents and teachers.
Individuals with high intrapersonal intelligence have a strong sense of themselves; possess the ability to perceive and understand their own emotions, wants and needs; are selfreflective and in touch with themselves; may exhibit nonconformist behaviors; and may use their skills or experiences to guide others. Writers/novelists, counselors, poets, and efficiency experts often display high intrapersonal intelligence.
A person with high naturalistic intelligence readily recognizes and classifies plants, minerals, and animals; may possess the ability to recognize cultural artifacts; and may show heightened awareness
© Taylor & Francis 2014
Suggested Activities
Singing, sight-reading, humming, rapping, playing background music, identifying patterns and forms, creating and playing instruments, tapping out poetic rhythms, rhyming, rubbing wet fingers on rims of crystal glasses, writing music, making up a cheer, attending the symphony, identifying songs that calm, stimulate, or inspire, transposing music .
Packing objects into a box, designing visual metaphors and analogies, photography, mapping stories, making 3D projects, drawing and painting, illustrating, using charts and graphs, using organizers, visualizing, patterning, visual puzzles, various arts, shapes from nets, buildings from flat patterns, playing chess, guessing mystery objects in a bag, dioramas, telling a story with painting or photographs, blindfolded tasks, tasks with thumbs strapped to hands, making a video or sculpture, solving a maze.
Dance, physical education/sports activities, hands-on experiments, activities changing room arrangement, creative movement, going on field trips, crafts, dramatizing/acting, improvisation, using cooperative groups, pantomime of an activity or task, gymnastics, charades, sign language, puppet shows, nature hikes, scavenger hunts.
Cooperative games and group work, group problem solving, peer teaching and editing, classroom parties, sharing, forming clubs, social awareness, conflict mediation, group discussions, negotiation, cross age tutoring, study groups, brainstorming, writing a short story with a partner, role play, debate, conducting a survey, playing interpersonal board games (e.g., situational ethics games), discussion board forums, electronic chat discussions, social networks.
Personal goal setting and tracking, personal response exercises, individual study and projects, journaling and blogging, micro-blogging, personal choices in projects, autobiographies, personality assessments and other self-discovery assessments, guided reflection, independent reading, selfevaluation.
Field trips and studies, watching clouds, identifying insects, building habitats, identifying plants, using a microscope, dissecting, going on a nature walk, planting a garden, studying the stars, bird watching, collecting
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Intelligence
Existential intelligence
Description and concern for the environment and/or endangered species.
Scientists, field biologists, meteorologists, farmers, and park rangers often display “nature smarts.”
Gardner describes this as a “half-intelligence” because he cannot find a biological location for it (Gardner 1998). Additionally, he has not yet written much on this intelligence. Existential intelligence is exhibited by individuals who pose and ponder questions about life, death, and ultimate realities. Philosophers, religious leaders, and persons concerned with ethics often display high existential intelligence.
Suggested Activities rocks, making bird feeders, going to the zoo, weather observation, nature hikes, identifying leaf tracings, reading outside, creating an animal collage, diagramming the stars and constellations, learning names of flowers, listening to nature sounds on tape, developing an animal card game, collecting nature data using instruments or online tools, photographing nature .
Plan a charity event, maintain a current events notebook with a focus on humanitarian stories, locate and read romantic poetry, read stories about philosophers, study holy books (Bible, Koran, Book of Mormon, Talmud,
Bhagavad Gita, etc.), translate older hymns or sacred songs into modernday language, read plays by classic writers, write a play or story about a life/death issue, study ethical and moral issues, role play, argue an issue from multiple viewpoints.
References:
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences . New York: Basic Books.
Waterhouse, L. (2006). Inadequate evidence for multiple intelligences, Mozart effect, and emotional intelligence theories. Educational
Psychologist, 41 (4), 247–255.
© Taylor & Francis 2014
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