Multiple Intelligence (Different Ways to be Smart)

“Know as much as you can about the kids rather than make them pass through the same eye of the needle”

- HOWARD GARDNER

A few months ago, I was training a group of teachers and I posed a question to them. 

The question was “How do you get to decide among your pupils who is intelligent and who isn’t? What are the signs that the so called intelligent pupils exhibit and the others do not?” 

I got a lot of answers and when I examined them, they all agreed that the students who get to read and write well, then excel in mathematics usually score higher marks generally. 

I had a five year old girl in my class two sessions ago who could never remember any content area she was taught. It was really frustrating getting her to learn because it seemed like she had invisible cotton buds in her ears preventing her from hearing anything I said how much more remembering. This girl in question could talk her head off, argue, put puzzles together even draw but she never seemed to remember definitions and facts. Under normal circumstances she would have been written off as dull. 

  I’ve been in class with students who hated school because their teachers and classmates had tagged them dull. Often times they accepted their fate and didn’t bother to put any effort into their studies. However they were good at so many other things that the so called intelligent ones couldn’t do. 

I am sure these are one of the things that Howard Gardner, a professor of Psychology in Harvard University, put into consideration when he postulated the Theory of Multiple Intelligence.  Before he came up with his theory, Intelligence was measured by the Stanford-Binet IQ Test. Children were pronounced intelligent if the test proved them to be strong in verbal-linguistic and maths-logic. 

Experience has revealed that not everyone is strong in those two intelligences so the foundation of Multiple Intelligence is created to respond to every child’s individual and cognitive difference and provide all students with opportunities that maximize their uniqueness and strengths. 

Gardner derived his theory after extensive brain research, interviews and tests on hundreds of individuals. He concluded that people can be intelligent in different ways. 

He recognized eight types of intelligences. They are; 

1. Mathematical Logical Intelligence: These students enjoy working with numbers and evaluating data and patterns. They have strong problem-solving and reasoning skills. Many of them are good at chess and number games. This intelligence can be seen in such people as Scientists, Bankers, Mathematicians, Computer programmers.

 2. Verbal Intelligence:These students love words. They like to describe things by speaking or writing. They also love to tell stories and excel in oral presentations. They have good memories for names, dates places etc. Professionals who use this intelligence include Public speakers, Writers, Teachers, Secretaries, Comedians, Poets, Actors/ Actresses. 

3. Spatial Intelligence: These students think and process information visually. They need a mental or physical picture to best understand new information. They are good at designing, drawing and creating things. They learn better with maps, charts, puzzles. Professionals who use this intelligence include artists, architects, sculptors, fashion designers, inventors. 

4. Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence: These students need to move around and have a hard time paying attention if they are forced to sit for too long. They are good at sports and using their bodies to convey ideas or emotions. They learn best by touching, manipulating and moving their bodies through space. Professionals who use this intelligence include Actors, Athletes, Surgeons, Musicians, dancers.

    

   5. Musical Intelligence: The ideal medium through which these students learn and process information is sound. They remember melodies, recognize pitch and rhythms. They enjoy listening to music and are often hearing songs in their heads all day. Professionals who use this intelligence include Singers, Song writers, Musicians, Dancers, Composers and Music teachers.

    6. Interpersonal Intelligence: These students get along well with other people and tend to be leaders. They possess the ability to work well with people and understand them. They are skilled at communicating, mediating (resolving conflict), organizing and negotiating. Professionals that use this intelligence include Teachers, Counsellors, Politicians, Therapists, Salespeople and religious leaders. 

7. Intrapersonal Intelligence:  Students with strong intrapersonal intelligence are self-aware and prefer to process content individually rather than in groups. They have good instincts about their strengths, feelings, and abilities.  This intelligence is highly developed in Philosophers, Religious leaders and Psychiatrists.

8. Naturalistic Intelligence: This intelligence involves the ability to see the natural world from a larger perspective. These students appreciate plants, animals and the ecosystem. They enjoy being outdoors and learn better when content area is related to the environment. Professionals strong in this intelligence include Botanists, Zoologists, Geologists, Soil Scientists and Farmers. 

Having understood how people can be intelligent in different ways, nobody has only one of these intelligences. So, there can be no labels. An individual could have some or all of the intelligences but is stronger in one of them. For example: David, a bodily intelligent student preparing to act the lead role in a school play needs more than body intelligence to succeed. The script must be read and well-rehearsed either by meditating or speaking out loud (verbal-linguistic), He must be able to do a simulation of the play in his mind even before he goes on stage (spatial/intra-personal). When he eventually gets on stage, he must engage his interpersonal intelligence to catch the attention of the audience and keep them engaged and interested in the play.

The essence of M.I is to ensure that every child enjoys a rich learning environment and their strengths are harnessed instead of focusing on their weaknesses. The theory of Multiple Intelligence suggests that teachers be trained to present their lessons in a wide variety of ways using music, cooperative learning, art activities, role play, field trips and much more.

This post is the answer to one of the questions I asked in my previous post. 

The link is below;
The Basics of Education (1)