Just this weekend I was talking with a parent of a kinesthetic learner who, despite being very bright, was completely turned off to high school during his teen years. Because his son could not grasp concepts presented in the auditory mode , he could not relate to the content. Everyday was an exercise in frustration for this young man.
Psychologist Howard Gardner identified the following distinct types of intelligence in his book, Frames of Mind. According to his theory, all people possess eight distinct sets of capabilities. Gardner emphasizes that these capabilities / intelligences work together, not in isolation.
In order to motivate students like my colleague’s son, it is important that we acknowledge and understand the different types of intelligence that students in our classrooms may possess. By better understanding multiple intelligence, we can more effectively differentiate instruction to meet the needs of as many students as possible.
The Different Types of Multiple Intelligence
Linguistic: Young people with this kind of intelligence use words effectively, either orally or in writing. They enjoy writing, reading, telling stories, or doing crossword puzzles.
Logical-Mathematical: Children have the capacity to use numbers effectively and to reason well. They are interested in patterns, categories, and relationships. They are drawn to arithmetic problems, strategy games, and experiments.
Bodily Kinesthetic: Children with this capability are experts in using their whole body to express ideas and feelings. They are good with their hands. These kids process knowledge through bodily sensations. They are often athletic, dancers, or good at crafts such as sewing or woodworking.
Spatial: These young people think in images and pictures. They may be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend free time drawing, building with construction sets, or inventing.
Musical: Musical students have the capacity to perceive, discriminate, transform, and express musical forms. They often spend time singing or drumming to themselves. They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss. These kids are often discriminating listeners.
Interpersonal: These students have the ability to perceive and make distinctions in the moods, intentions, motivations, and feelings of other people. They are often leaders among their peers, who are good at communicating and responding to others’ feelings.
Intrapersonal: These students are insightful and self-aware. They can adapt to their environment based on their understanding of themselves. These students may be shy. They are very aware of their own emotions, strengths, and limitations, and have the capacity for self-discipline.
Naturalist: The core of the naturalist intelligence is the human ability to recognize plants, animals, and other parts of the natural environment, like clouds or rocks. These students have the ability to identify and classify patterns in nature. These students are sensitive to changes in the weather or are adept at distinguishing nuances between large quantities of similar objects.
Existentialist: Students who learn in the context of where human-kind stands in the “big picture” of existence. They ask “Why are we here?” and “What is our role in the world?” This intelligence is seen in the discipline of philosophy.
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