Lesson 1B - The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Lesson 1B Introduction

As you know by now, most people do well in school if they are good readers and good at math. What happens, though, if you are good at other things (like music, athletics, or organization) and not as good at reading and solving math problems? Is it possible that some tests may not measure what you really know?

The answer is yes! In this lesson, you will learn how to use your unique strengths to help you learn in areas that are difficult for you. The key is to understand that you learn in all sorts of ways and can use methods and processes to help you grow.

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

All people do not learn in the same way; your personality and skills make you a unique learner. Celebrate! You are smart and talented in many areas! Researchers have identified at least eight types of intelligence, and their work is known as The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia.org Links to an external site.

Intelligence Name	Simple Name	What it Means
Logical-Mathematical	Number Smart	You are good with numbers, logic, and equations. You like to find solutions and figure things out.
Linguistic	Word Smart	You are good with words, letters, and phrases. You like to read, play word games, and have discussions.
Interpersonal	People Smart	You are good at relating to people. You like to go to parties, talk with groups, and share what you learn.
Intrapersonal	Self Smart	You are comfortable being alone. You like reflecting and thing about processes and sharing in small groups.
Musical	Music Smart	You are good with beats and rhythms. You like to listen to music, go to concerts, create songs, play an instruments, sing or dance.
Bodily-Kinesthetic (kinnis-stet-ic)	Movement Smart	You work well with your hands. You like physical activity such as exercise, outdoor work, and sports.
Naturalistic	Nature Smart	You are good at organizing and classifying. You like learning about nature and being outside.
Spatial	Art Smart	You are good with art and design. You like to be creative, watch movies, and go to art museums. You notice images and are curious about how they are made.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences is attributed to the research of Howard Gardner. His theory challenged the traditional notion that intelligence equated to cognitive ability only. Gardner wanted to broaden our understanding by introducing the eight different types of intelligence shown in the chart above. You may have heard that there are even more than these eight (i.e. spiritual, existential, or moral) but Gardner only officially included those that followed the strict criteria of his study. However, he does feel more research needs to be done to fully understand the concept of intelligence (Marenus, 2020 Links to an external site.).

Watch this video for an overview of what these intelligences are and how they affect the way that we learn:

Read the explanation for each type of intelligence. There is a good chance you know which intelligences are your strengths just by looking at the definitions. The definitions may also help you to identify your weakest intelligence and give you ideas on how to improve in that area.

For instance, think about the fairytale character, Cinderella. She used her bodily-kinesthetic and spatial skills to clean and organize the house. As she worked with a good attitude and did the best she could, she also used her interpersonal intelligence to get along as well as she could with her cruel family. She also used her intrapersonal intelligence to keep that good attitude! When the time came, she had to use the interpersonal skills she built up to go into a new situation — a royal ball. Those same skills endeared her to the prince and changed her life forever.

Reflect

Try these things to further explore your intelligences.

Step 1 - Share the video or definitions of the multiple intelligences with your friends and family. Talk about which ones they have, and which ones they think you have.

Do any of their observations surprise you?
What do they recognize about you that you might not see?
What intelligences do you agree you share?

Step 2 - Think back to the cartoon The Loud Family you read about at the beginning of this lesson. Review the types of multiple intelligences. Match each character to their strongest multiple intelligence.

Step 3 - Next, share examples of how you each see these intelligences in your daily lives.
(For instance, if you enjoy making sure the dog is fed each day and are the one to take her out on walks, you may have naturalistic intelligence. If your brother plays complicated video games in his free time, he probably has logical-mathematical intelligence.)

What kinds of things do you do most days that show your strongest intelligences?
What kinds of things do you avoid doing that match up with your weaker intelligences?
Are there things you avoid doing that you need to do (such as homework, chores, reading more)?
What are your favorite hobbies? What do those tell you about your multiple intelligences?

Step 4 - The best way to learn what your multiple intelligences are is to analyze your interests and what you are drawn to naturally. In other words, what do you do for fun or when you want to relax? Over the next week, pay attention to the activities that you enjoy and are excited about. It’s likely that these activities will reveal your strongest multiple intelligences.

For instance, let’s think about how you might choose to exercise and see what that says about your multiple intelligences.

You have two hours and want to be physically active. What do you do?

If you choose to get a group of friends together and take a group exercise class at the gym, you are showing interpersonal intelligence. This way, you use the power of working in groups to make something fun.
If you choose to go on a hike outside by yourself, you are showing both naturalistic and intrapersonal intelligence. You are getting some alone time while also enjoying nature.
If you find it hard to exercise without listening to your favorite songs on your workout playlist, then you are showing musical intelligence.
The fact that you want to exercise means you have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

Apply

It is great to know what your intelligences are. First of all, it’s exciting to know that some of the unique talents you have mean that you are smart. Second of all, this knowledge can be a game-changer for you as a learner. In this section, we’ll talk about how you can use your strengths to grow in your weaker areas.

Here are some tips to help you apply the Multiple Intelligences to your next assignment, exam, or project.

Intelligence Name	Study Skills and Tools
Logical-Mathematical	Use outlines, numbered lists and graphic organizers to arrange your notes Categorize and classify new information Use mnemonic devices to help remember concepts Compare what you already know to new concepts
Linguistic	Make flashcards or use Quizlet.com for key terms Rewrite concepts and terms Teach information to someone else Read and recite information aloud
Interpersonal	Share what you learn with friends or family Have someone quiz you before a text Create a study group Use Flippity.net to design study aids and share with classmates
Intrapersonal	Study in a quiet, comfortable place Talk to yourself to repeat ideas and develop questions about concepts Reflect on what you know and want to know about the material Make lists of what you want to remember
Musical	Create a song or thyme to remember concepts Listen to instrumental music while you study Read notes out loud and add rhythm Link new words to similar words you know
Bodily-Kinesthetic	Write concepts in your own words Act out concepts Use manipulatives to demonstrate ideas Study while moving or exercising
Naturalistic	Try to be in or near nature (a window with a view) while studying Make organized lists or graphic organizers to arrange information Put like information together Sort ideas into groups
Spatial	Sketch illustrations for your notes Use flashcards with words and images Associate what you learn with pictures in your mind Design graphic organizers to show concepts

Talk to your friends and family to answer this question: How can I use what I’m good at to help me in another area?

—> If I am bodily kinesthetic, taking a walk or jumping rope in rhythm might help me memorize lists of information for social studies.

—> If I am linguistic, teaching a math concept to someone else might help me understand the information better.

—> If I am naturalistic, categorizing information to study will help me remember it.

Knowing how to use Multiple Intelligences in your life will unlock strategies that will make learning easier and more effective for you. It is important that you not get stuck in thinking that you only learn in one or two ways. The Multiple Intelligences are about valuing who you are as a learner and looking for ways to grow in all intelligences. And, the more you grow and learn, the more these intelligences will get stronger over time.

The goal is to think of ALL the ways you can learn. Instead of saying, “I’m a strong linguistic learner, and that’s the only way I can learn,” say, “I’m a strong linguistic learner, and I’m using those skills to grow in logical-mathematical intelligence.”