Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner, a Harvard-based psychologist, formulated a list of eight intelligences that he believes we all have and use to a greater or lesser degree. His theory of Multiple Intelligences acknowledges that intelligence manifests itself in different ways for different people, which is a counterpoint to the notion that intelligence can solely reflect IQ. At Sandhills, we call these intelligences “smarts.” They are:
- Word smart—
- understands language, written and spoken
- does well at foreign languages, computer technology, and coversation
- Logic smart—
- analyzes problems logically, do mathematical operations, and investigate scientifically
- enjoys puzzles and number and logic games
- Body smart—
- ability to use mental abilities to coordinate physical movements to solve problems
- Usually very athletic
- Enjoys make believe, and uses various manipulatives to solve problems
- Nature smart—
- able to recognize and interpret environmental changes whether in nature or simply downtown
- notices characteristics of plants and animals and is able to organize and group them
- Self smart—
- has the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations
- enjoys working on projects independently
- People smart—
- concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people
- understands how to communicate and work collaboratively
- enjoys group projects, discussions, and role-playing
- Picture smart—
- Recognizes the use of patterns, is able to create and manipulate mental images
- Usually very artistic
- Music smart—
- Expressive through music or rhythmic involvement
- Enjoys singing, dancing, or playing an instrument
We use Multiple Intelligences as a lens through which we channel our curriculum. If our goal is to learn about butterflies, for example, we may read stories about them, draw pictures, and write reports. We may also act out the life cycle of the butterfly, metamorphasize larvae in the classroom, or take a walk around our beautiful campus, magnifying glasses and nets in hand, to see how many species we can find.
By recognizing and teaching through our students’ “smarts,” we are encouraging them to use their diverse abilities and capitalize on their strengths. We are also allowing them to be successful learners, which, for many of our students, may be a new experience.