Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Levels In The Classroom

Howard Gardner introduced the theory of multiple intelligences stating that each person possesses a blend of at least eight different kinds of intelligence: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and environmental/naturalistic (Bruno, 2009).

In “A Rounded Version: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, Howard Gardner illustrates how there are a variety of intelligences. Gardner starts off with an example how IQ tests may predict achievement in school but may not predict achievement in life. After finding out certain parts of the brain are responsible for certain functions, such as “Broca’s Area” which is responsible for sentence production, Gardner proposes the existence of multiple intelligences. Multiple studies later led him to propose seven distinct intelligences; Musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Each intelligence has certain classifications. According to Gardner’s classifications, I realized my intelligences are bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, and intrapersonal.

“He performed interviews with and brain research on hundreds of people, including stroke victims, prodigies, autistic individuals, and so-called "idiot savants” (Multiple Intelligence (MI) – Howard Gardner).” The nine multiple intelligences are, visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, mathematical/logical, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalist, and existentialist ("Multiple Intelligence (MI) – Howard Gardner"). Everyone obtains these intelligences and they can all be improved. Visual/spatial learners are good at visualizing and they learn by seeing what is being taught, for example the teacher drawing a graph on the board gives the student a visual. They enjoy making art work and visualizing ideas such as decorating. Verbal/linguistic are good at speaking, reading, taking notes, and listening. They enjoy public speaking and can easily explain ideas. “These students have always been successful in traditional classrooms because their intelligence lends itself to traditional teaching” ("Multiple Intelligence (MI) – Howard Gardner"). Mathematical/logical are good at following step by step directions such as math problems and are neat, they usually get frustrated when things are disorganized or things do not makes sense. “This is the other half of the children who typically do well in traditional classrooms where teaching is logically sequenced and students are asked to conform” ("Multiple

Gardner’s eight multiple intelligences is helpful in understanding that people have different methods of intelligence and learning styles. By learning the different types of intelligences, also helps me understand what my strengths and weaknesses are so I could work on improving that particular intelligence or by just acknowledging

‘‘Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory can be used for curriculum development, planning instruction, selection of course activities, and related assessment strategies. Instruction which is designed to help students develop their strengths can also trigger their confidence to develop areas in which they are not as strong. Students’ multiple learning preferences can be addressed when instruction includes a range of meaningful and appropriate methods, activities, and assessments. Gardner’s early work in psychology and later in human cognition and human potential’ led to the development of the initial six intelligences. Today there are nine intelligences and the possibility of others may eventually expand the list. These intelligences (or competencies) relate to a person’s unique aptitude set of capabilities and ways they might prefer to demonstrate intellectual abilities’’ ( (Armstrong, T., 2010). Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

A strategy to be implemented in the classroom will be by including multiple opportunities for students to take in the core information or concepts and utilising Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory in learning centres. The students’ interest and developmental needs dictate their learning, as they are able to draw on prior experiences. To implement Gardner’s Theory in my classroom, seven learning centres will be organised, each dedicated to one of the seven intelligences. The students will spend time moving through the centres, dedicating fifteen to twenty

Howard Gardner introduced the theory Multiple Intelligence where he believes every person has the capacity to hold a unique set of “intelligences”. Growing up, I was taught that a person who was intelligent held a lot of knowledge. However, Gardner includes the importance of other capacities of intelligence. These intelligences include linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial-visual, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist talents. As teachers, it is crucial to let every child know they are special and hold a unique place in the world. Just because one student is not as good at solving mathematical problems than the other students, it does not mean he/she is less intelligent than the others. That

For me personally the multiple intelligence is linguistic, intrapersonal and interpersonal. The reason I chose these three is because verbal you need to understand how to pronounce it and able to define the vocab words in order to study for them. Intrapersonal is the ability to solve problems on your own if there is no one available to help you. Interpersonal is to study with friends to help each other if you don't want to study alone or you don't understand the vocab.

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence states intelligence is not unitary and there is no “general intelligence”. Multiple Intelligence involves linguistic, mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily kinesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal abilities. Gardner’s theory is based on neuropsychological evidence and psychometric evidence.

This theory agreed with the multiple intelligence theory on intelligence being a much broader general ability, but the latter’s intelligences were better perceived as individual talents. This theory explains successful intelligence as involving factors including analytical intelligence which is the problem- solving abilities, creative intelligence which involves the capacity of dealing with new arising situations by using current skills and past experience as well as practical intelligence which is the ability of adapting to change in one’s environment. The third theory is that of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardener which proposes that human intelligence’s numerical expressions are not an accurate depiction of the people's abilities. This theory describes several distinct intelligences which are based on the abilities and skills which are valued in the different cultures including visual-spatial intelligence where thinking is in terms of physical space, verbal-linguistic intelligence where words are used effectively, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence where the body is used effectively, logical-mathematical intelligence where abstract, conceptual and calculations are used, interpersonal intelligence which entails one’s understanding of their goals and interests, musical intelligence where sensitivity to sound and rhythm is shown, intrapersonal intelligence which involves interaction and understanding of others as well as naturalistic intelligence. These differences related to strengths of intelligence are said to challenge the educational system which assumes that every individual can learn similar materials in a similar manner and that a universal, uniform measure does suffice in testing student

This brings us to Howard Gardner who is the Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Boston, MA. Mr. Gardner’s educational philosophy is that there is a relationship between intelligences and how the person learns the information being taught. Gardner broke this down into eight separate intelligences: linguistic intelligence, musical intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and naturalist intelligence.

According to Cuyamaca College: There are three types of learning auditory, visual, kinesthetic and according to a theory by Howard Gardner in 1983 there are 8 types of intelligence:

Some common misconceptions about the multiple intelligences theory are the belief that students that fall under one type of intelligence cannot benefit from another and that multiple intelligences and learning styles are the same thing. Addressing the first issue, it is incorrect to think that someone who has a certain intelligence will not find value from utilizing an intelligence outside of their own. In fact, Gardner says it’s the opposite, the occasional use of other intelligences can strengthen one’s learning because it forces them to think

If a teacher is having difficulty reaching a student in the more traditional linguistic or logical ways of instruction, the theory of multiple intelligences suggests several other ways in which the material might be presented to facilitate effective learning.

Students are more positive about each other when they learn co-operatively than when they learn alone, competitively, or individualistically. Students are more effective interpersonally as a result of working together (Johnson and Johnson, 1984). My two lessons reflect good practice primarily because of the use of group work and the consideration of students’ differing learning styles. Good practice – Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner is an American psychologist who came up with the theory of Multiple Intelligences. Multiple Intelligences are different ways to demonstrate intellectual ability. Gardner proposes seven different intelligences: linguistic, logic-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal (http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm). Seven kinds of intelligence allow seven ways to teach, rather than one. Teachers, therefore, should to attend to all intelligences. Students should have opportunities to work on tasks where their style of intelligence can be utilised best.