What is the theory of multiple intelligences (M.I.)?

Howard Gardner claims that all human beings have multiple intelligences. These multiple intelligences can be nurtured
and strengthened, or ignored and weakened. He believes each individual has nine intelligences:

 Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence -- well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and
rhythms of words

 Mathematical-Logical Intelligence -- ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical
or numerical patterns

 Musical Intelligence -- ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber

 Visual-Spatial Intelligence -- capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly

 Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence -- ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects skillfully

 Interpersonal Intelligence -- capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and
desires of others.

 Intrapersonal Intelligence -- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and
thinking processes

 Naturalist Intelligence -- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature

 Existential Intelligence -- sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the
meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

Howard Gardner1 defined the first seven intelligences in FRAMES OF MIND (1983). He added the last two in
INTELLIGENCE REFRAMED (1999). Gardner is a psychologist and Professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of
Education, as well as Co-Director ofHarvard Project Zero.

Based on his study of many people from many different walks of life in everyday circumstances and professions,
Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligences. He performed interviews with and brain research on hundreds
of people, including stroke victims, prodigies, autistic individuals, and so-called "idiot savants."

According to Gardner,

 All human beings possess all nine intelligences in varying amounts.

 Each person has a different intellectual composition.
 We can improve education by addressing the multiple intelligences of our students.
 These intelligences are located in different areas of the brain and can either work independently or together.
 These intelligences may define the human species.

What do multiple intelligences have to do with my classroom? 

There are numerous ways to express oneself, and probably even more ways to gain knowledge and understand the
universe. Individuals are capable, the theory of multiple intelligences advocates, of deep understanding and mastery
in the most profound areas of human experience. Even long before the theory emerged and was named in 1983 by
Howard Gardner, numerous teachers fostered the intelligences of their students. 
How has M.I. theory developed since it was introduced in 1983?
Multiple intelligence theory has evolved and been embraced widely. After the publication of FRAMES OF MIND in 1983.
Howard Gardner became a celebrity among many teachers and school administrators. In addition to writing many
more books and articles on multiple intelligences theory, Gardner has served as a consultant to a variety of school
districts. The multiple intelligences movement now includes publishers, symposiums, Web sites, "how-to" manuals,
educational consultants who consider themselves "M.I. specialists", as well as a number of critics.

Howard Gardner and others have revised and expanded the theory

Howard Gardner, formulator of the theory, continues to be its chief spokesperson. He has been acclaimed as the most
influential educational theorist since John Dewey4.

What are some benefits of using the multiple intelligences approach in

my school?
 Benefit 

You may come to regard intellectual ability more broadly. Drawing a picture, composing, or listening to music,
watching a performance -- these activities can be a vital door to learning -- as important as writing and
mathematics. Studies show that many students who perform poorly on traditional tests are turned on to
learning when classroom experiences incorporate artistic, athletic, and musical activities. 

Take music, for example. As educator, David Thornburg of the Thornburg Institute notes,

"The mood of a piece of music might communicate, clearer than words, the feeling of an era being studied in
history. The exploration of rhythm can help some students understand fractions. The exploration of the
sounds of an organ can lead to an understanding of vibrational modes in physics. What caused the great
scientist Kepler to think of the motions of planets in musical terms? Astronomy students could program a
synthesizer to play Kepler's 'music of the spheres' and explore history, science, math and music all at once." 

 Benefit 

You will provide opportunities for authentic learning based on your students' needs, interests and talents. The
multiple intelligence classroom acts like the "real" world: the author and the illustrator of a book are equally
valuable creators. Students become more active, involved learners. 

Benefit 

Parent and community involvement in your school may increase. This happens as students demonstrate work
before panels and audiences. Activities involving apprenticeship learning bring members of the community
into the learning process. 

Benefit 

Students will be able to demonstrate and share their strengths. Building strengths gives a student the
motivation to be a "specialist." This can in turn lead to increased self-esteem. 

Benefit 

When you "teach for understanding," your students accumulate positive educational experiences and the
capability for creating solutions to problems in life. 

How does this theory differ from the traditional definition of

intelligence?
Gardner's multiple intelligences theory challenged traditional beliefs in the fields of education and cognitive science. 
According to a traditional definition, intelligence is a uniform cognitive capacity people are born with. This capacity can
be easily measured by short-answer tests. 
According to Howard Gardner, intelligence is:
 The ability to create an effective product or offer a service that is valued in a culture;
 A set of skills that make it possible for a person to solve problems in life;
 The potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which involves gathering new knowledge.
An educational system based on national standards and efficient, relatively cheap, universal multiple choice testing is
central to the traditional concept of intelligence. In practice a student's score on an I.Q.2 test or WISC3 ranks his or
her strengths and weaknesses. It qualifies students for special services (such as programs for the gifted or for those
with learning disabilities). An unfortunate use of IQ tests in schools is that it often results in labeling students.

Many educators, researchers, students and parents have long rejected multiple choice testing as a measure of
intelligence. Multiple intelligence theory has served as a rallying point for a reconsideration of the educational practice
of the last century.

Intelligence can be measured by Assessment of an individual's multiple

short-answer tests: intelligences can foster learning and
problem-solving styles. Short answer
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Quotient tests are not used because they do
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for not measure disciplinary mastery or
Children (WISCIV) deep understanding. They only
Woodcock Johnson test of Cognitive measure rote memorization skills and
Ability one's ability to do well on short
Scholastic Aptitude Test answer tests. Some states have
developed tests that value process
over the final answer, such as PAM
(Performance Assessment in Math)
and PAL (Performance Assessment in
Language)

People are born with a fixed amount Human beings have all of the
of intelligence. intelligences, but each person has a
unique combination, or profile.

Intelligence level does not change We can all improve each of the
over a lifetime. intelligences, though some people will
improve more readily in one
intelligence area than in others.

Intelligence consists of ability in logic There are many more types of

and language. intelligence which reflect different
ways of interacting with the world

In traditional practice, teachers teach M.I. pedagogy implies that teachers

the same material to everyone. teach and assess differently based on
individual intellectual strengths and
weaknesses.

Teachers teach a topic or "subject." Teachers structure learning activities

around an issue or question and
connect subjects. Teachers develop
strategies that allow for students to
demonstrate multiple ways of
understanding and value their
uniqueness.
How can applying M.I. theory help students learn better?
Students begin to understand how they are intelligent. In Gardner's view, learning is both a social and psychological
process. When students understand the balance of their own multiple intelligences they begin

 To manage their own learning

 To value their individual strengths

Teachers understand how students are intelligent as well as how intelligent they are. Knowing which students have
the potential for strong interpersonal intelligence, for example, will help you create opportunities where the strength
can be fostered in others. However, multiple intelligence theory is not intended to provide teachers with new IQ-like
labels for their students.

Students approach understanding from different angles. The problem, "What is sand?" has scientific, poetic, artistic,
musical, and geographic points of entry.

Students that exhibit comprehension through rubrics5, portfolios6, or demonstrations come to have an authentic

understanding of achievement. The accomplishment of the lawyer is in winning her case through research and
persuasive argument, more than in having passed the bar exam.

Students become balanced individuals who can function as members of their culture. Classroom activities that teach
to the intelligences foster deep understanding about the essential questions of life, such as: Where do we come from?
What's the world made of? What have humans achieved? What can we achieve? How does one lead a good life?

Think of it this way: J.K. Rowling, Richard Feynmann, Lauryn Hill, Julian Schnabel, Mia Hamm, Colin Powell, Deepak
Chopra, Jane Goodall, and Gary Larson are students on your seating chart. 

The next time you have a chance to reflect on your class, imagine your students as individuals who have fully realized
and developed their intelligences.