THEORY OF

MULTIPLE
INTELLIGEN
CES
by Howard Gardner
In 1983 Howard Gardner
proposed the ‘Theory of Multiple
Intelligences’, which proposed
the idea that intelligence is
diverse and comprises eight key
types.

The multiple intelligences

theory was first published in
1983 in Howard Gardner’s book,
Frames of Mind: The Theory of
Multiple Intelligences.
Instead of asking if someone is smart, ask
how he/she is smart.
There are many ways each person is
smart. Even though one intelligence may
be dominant, each person possesses
multiple intelligences.
The list of Gardner’s
multiple intelligences
includes:

Verbal-Linguistic
Intelligence
– finding the right words
to express what you mean
Logical-Mathematical
Intelligence

- quantifying things,
making hypotheses and
proving them
 Visual-Spatial
Intelligence

-visualizing the word in

3D
 Musical Intelligence

- discerning sounds, their

pitch, tone and timbre
 Naturalistic Intelligence

- understanding living things

and reading nature
 Bodily-Kinesthetic
Intelligence

- coordinating your mind with

your body
Interpersonal Intelligence

- sensing people’s feelings

and motives
Intrapersonal Intelligence

- understanding yourself,
what you feel and what you
want
 Why is it important that you
know which smart(s) your
students are?
Instruction can be based on this
information, reaching each
individual student & you can
capitalize on your strengths and
abilities.
 5 Multiple Intelligence Activities and Tips for Reaching
Different Types of Learners
1. Try to link all instructional objectives to at least two types of intelligences.
2. The multiple intelligences theory is connected to multisensory learning, which
teaches that children learn better with activities that involve more than one
sense.
3. Incorporate all of the different multiple intelligences at least once a week.
4. When planning interventions for struggling students, discover what their
strengths are as connected to the multiple intelligences theory.
5. Use multiple intelligence strategies with ELL students, as this can be
particularly helpful for teaching concepts in a language other than their native
tongue.