Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner in his work Frames of Minds (1983) proposed the concept of Multiple Intelligences. His theory is essentially that different people understand things in different ways; he lists eight different types of intelligence:

1.       Linguistic intelligence (‘word smart’)

2.       Logical-mathematical intelligence (‘number / reasoning smart’)

3.       Spatial intelligence (‘picture smart’)

4.       Kinaesthetic intelligence (‘body smart’)

5.       Musical intelligence (‘music smart’)

6.       Interpersonal intelligence (‘people smart’)

7.       Intrapersonal intelligence (‘self-smart’)

8.       Naturalistic intelligence (‘nature smart’)

From a planning perspective, lessons that have resources for all aspects of intelligence that Gardner proposed would be extremely difficult. However, Trevor Wright, author of How to be a Brilliant English Teacher, advises simply accepting Gardner’s principle of needing to account for different learning styles and being aware of what he calls ‘access possibilities’ rather than devising eight alternative approaches all of the time.   

This approach could be borne in mind when teaching iambic pentameter in poetry. Lines with iambic pentameter could be repeated with students asked to identify the pattern to appeal to those with a preference for Logical-mathematical and Linguistic intelligence. Others could tap the desks to the rhythm to account for Musical and Kinaesthetic intelligence. Others will understand it when a diagram, perhaps ./././././, is drawn on the board (Spatial intelligence) and finally some may like the heartbeat analogy (Naturalistic intelligence). Wright argues that “For each child, one or two approaches will be central, others will enrich and confirm.”

Gardner’s theory has also been useful as a self-diagnostic tool. Filling in various questionnaires has led me to the conclusion that I have a preference for work suited to Linguistic and Logical-mathematical intelligence.  It has allowed me to understand that I am biased in the way I design lessons, which in turn has led to me setting homework projects where students can submit homework in a format of their choice as long as they can demonstrate what they have learnt and that it has achieved the success criteria.