Parent Handout

www.familycenter-pirc.org

A program sponsored by The Family Center of Utah Valley

Multiple Intelligence

Do you think you’re smart? What does it mean to be smart? Many people think being smart means getting good grades and high test scores in school. What does being smart mean to you?

In 1904 the minister of public instruction in Paris asked French psychologist Alfred Binet and a group of colleagues to develop a means of determining which primary grade students were “at risk” for failure so these students could receive remedial attention. Out of their efforts came the first intelligence tests. Imported to the United States several years later, intelligence testing became widespread, as did the notion that there was something called “intelligence” that could be objectively measured and reduced to a single number or “IQ” score. IQ stands for intelligence quotient and it is a measure of how someone does on an IQ test. This test can’t predict what you’ll do or achieve in your lifetime.

Almost eighty years after the first intelligence tests were developed, a Harvard psychologist named Howard Gardner, proposed the theory of multiple intelligences. He sought to broaden the scope of human potential beyond the confines of the IQ test. He has proposed the existence of at least eight basic intelligences and has discussed the possibility of a ninth.

Each of these kinds of intelligences can be described by certain traits, activities, and interests.

©       Each of us has some ability in all eight kinds of intelligence. We use all eight intelligences every day, but each of us is unique in how we show our smarts. In a way it’s as if the eight intelligences were different notes of an octave on a musical scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Each one of us is like a different song made up of those eight notes.

©       All of them are different, but they’re also equal. No intelligence is better or more important than another.

©       No matter what kind of ability you have in a given smart, you can explore, grow, and develop it. Gardner suggests that virtually everyone has the capacity to develop all eight intelligences to a reasonable high level of performance if given the appropriate encouragement, enrichment, and instruction.

©       You many know what you’re best at but that doesn’t mean you’re limited to one kind of intelligence. No intelligence exists by itself. Intelligences are always interacting with each other.

©       There are many different ways of being smart in each intelligence. For example, if you’re high in linguistic intelligence you may discover that you’re a terrific speaker but not such a great writer. Multiple intelligence emphasizes the rich diversity of ways in which people show their gifts within intelligences as well as between intelligences.

©       The different smarts work together in almost everything you do. For example, you might think that painting a picture is just about spatial intelligence. Wrong! Painting a picture can use bodily-kinesthetic intelligence to master the brush techniques, naturalistic intelligence to develop your eye for detail, or even intrapersonal intelligence to come up with ideas to paint.

©       The eight intelligences are found across all cultures and in all countries and age groups. So no matter who you are or where you’re from—no matter what your age or background—you have some form of all of the different intelligences. It’s up to you to develop each one as best as you can.

The Eight Intelligences:

Linguistic Intelligence—Word Smart. The capacity to use words effectively, whether orally or in writing. This intelligence includes the ability to manipulate the syntax or structure of language, the phonology or sounds of language, the semantics or meanings of language, and the pragmatic dimensions or practical uses of language. Professions of people with high linguistic intelligence include: writer, orator, editor, English teacher, journalist, lawyer, librarian, lobbyist, politician, public relations specialist, screenwriter, etc.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence—Logic Smart. The capacity to use numbers effectively. This intelligence includes sensitivity to logical patterns and relationships, statements and propositions (if-then, cause-effect), functions, and other related abstractions. Includes the processes of categorization, classification, inference, generalization, calculation, and hypothesis testing. Professions of people with high logical-mathematical intelligence include: scientist, mathematician, accountant, astronaut, auditor, banker, computer programmer, data analyst, forensic scientist, physician, science teacher, stockbroker, video game designer, etc.

Spatial Intelligence—Picture Smart. The ability to perceive the visual-spatial world accurately and to perform transformations on those perceptions. This intelligence involves sensitively to color, line, shape, form, space, and the relationships that exist between these elements. It includes the capacity to visualize, to graphically represent visual or spatial ideas, and to orient oneself appropriately in a special matrix. Professions of people with high spatial intelligence include: artist, architect, animator, art teacher, civil or mechanical engineer, construction worker, fashion designer, graphic artist, movie special effects artist, web designer, etc.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence—Body Smart. Expertise in using one’s whole body to express ideas and feelings and facility in using one’s hands to produce or transform things. This intelligence includes specific physical skills such as coordination, balance, dexterity, strength, flexibility, and speed. Professions of people with high bodily-kinesthetic intelligence include: athlete, dancer, sculptor, carpenter, construction worker, hair stylist, magician, jeweler, physical therapist, stunt person, wielder, P.E. teacher, etc.

Musical Intelligence—Music Smart. The capacity to perceive, discriminate, transform, and express musical forms. This intelligence includes sensitivity to the rhythm, pitch or melody, and timbre or tone color of a musical piece. Professions of people with high music intelligence include: composer, performer, choral director, instrument maker, jingle writer, music editor, music producer, music teacher, sound engineer, studio director, etc.

Interpersonal Intelligence—People Smart. The ability to perceive and make distinctions in the moods, intentions, motivations, and feelings of other people. This can include sensitivity to facial expressions, voice, and gestures; the capacity for discriminating among many different kinds of interpersonal cues; and the ability to respond effectively to those cues in some pragmatic way. Professions of people with high interpersonal intelligence include: counselor, political leader, administrator, advertising executive, criminologist, human resource specialist, police officer, psychiatrist, social worker, mediator, nurse, office manager, etc.

Intrapersonal Intelligence—Self Smart. Self-knowledge and the ability to act adaptively on the basis of that knowledge. This intelligence includes having an accurate picture of oneself (strengths and weaknesses); awareness of inner moods, intentions, motivations, temperaments, and desires; and the capacity for self-discipline, self-understanding, and self-esteem. Professions of people with high intrapersonal intelligence include: psychotherapist, religious leader, actor, artist, comedian, detective/investigator, film maker, director, guidance counselor, leader, poet, research scientist, etc.

Naturalistic Intelligence—Nature Smart. Expertise in the recognition and classification of the numerous species—the flora and fauna—of an individual’s environment. This includes sensitivity to other natural phenomena (e.g., cloud formations, mountains) and, in the case of those growing up in an urban environment, the capacity to discriminate among nonliving forms such as cars, sneakers, and music CD covers. Professions of people with high naturalistic intelligence include: naturalist, biologist, animal activist, animal trainer, archeologist, biologist, botanist, chef, environmental lawyer, farmer, fisher, geologist, landscape designer, marine biologist, paleontologist, veterinarian, zookeeper, park ranger, etc.

Adapted from You’re Smarter Than You Think: A Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. Free Spirit Publishing, 2003 and Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000.