Howard Gardner's theory of the Multiple Intelligences continues to develop. Based on feedback from colleagues he went from the 7 Intelligences to the Multiple Intelligences by adding first the Naturalist and now the Existentialist. This presentation is just a quick overview.

1. Introduction to the
Multiple Intelligences

2. An unofficial short history of
Howard Gardner’s MI
 Howard Gardner got
lucky!
 1979 – Bernard van
Leer Foundation of The
Hague, Netherlands,
approached Harvard
Grad School of Ed to
study: The nature and
realization of human
potential
 Team of professionals –
Gardner came back and
published first!
 A psychologist trained
in Piaget’s theories,
Gardner had been
taught that Intelligence
is a single entity, you
either have it or not.

3. Gardner questioned Piaget’s theory . . .
1. His work in preschool taught him that
each child had unique intelligence
profiles
2. His word with brain damaged
individuals taught him that if Piaget
was correct, damage should lessen all
intelligence. Not so: it depends on
the part of the brain that is damaged

4. Eight Criteria for Intelligences
 Potential isolation by
brain damage
 The existence of
savants, prodigies,
and other exceptional
individuals
 An identifiable core of
operations or set of
operations
 A distinct
developmental history
 An evolutionary history
 Experimental
psychological tasks
 Standardized tests
 Can be encoded in a
symbol system of some
sort

5. MI Theory
1. We are all born
with all 8, 9 (or
more) intelligences
2. All intelligences
can be modified
and developed
3. Each intelligence
has its own scope
of abilities and
skills

6. Gardner’s Eight
Intelligences
 Verbal-Linguistic intelligence (word smart)
 Logical-Mathematical intelligence
(number/reasoning smart)
 Visual-Spatial intelligence (picture smart)
 Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (body smart)
 Musical-Rhythmic intelligence (music smart)
 Interpersonal intelligence (people smart)
 Intrapersonal intelligence (self smart)
 Naturalist intelligence (nature smart)
 [Existential intelligence (“spiritually smart?”)]
*The words in parentheses are those of Thomas Armstrong, another authority on
the topic

7. Think about how we learn:
 10% of what we read
 20% of what we hear
 30% of what we see
 50% of what we both see and hear
 70% of what is discussed with others
 80% of what we experience personally
 95% of what we TEACH to others
(guess who’s doing the most learning in your
classroom!)
source: William Glasser

8. Verbal Linguistic
 The intelligence of
words
 Can: argue, persuade,
entertain and instruct
 Love: to use puns, word
games, tongue twisters,
trivia, read, write
 Who? J.K. Rawling,
John Grisham, Barack
Obama, Oprah, David
Letterman

9. Math-Logical
 Not just a numbers
person
 Key phrases they like to
hear:
 I have a challenge for
you
 How would you solve?
 What do you think and
expert would say/do?
 Needs:
 Big picture
 Clear objectives
 Connections between
ideas
 Structure
 Wants to:
 Estimate, find patterns,
calculate, reason,
interpret

10. Musical-Rhythmic
 The capacity to:
 Perceive
 Appreciate
 Produce – rhythms and melodies
 It’s everywhere:
 Alarm clocks, iPods, door bells, XM radio, MTV, CMT,
elevators, etc.
 Who?
 The Beatles
 Beethoven
 Bette Midler

11. Learn with the Classics
(That’s NOT the Beatles, by the way!)
 Mozart – as in the “Mozart Effect”
 Bach, Handel, Vivaldi,
Most Baroque, Some New Age
 4 Brain-Wave States
 Beta – doing (High speed, 75+ beats/minute)
 Alpha – reflecting (slower, 50-75 beats/minute)
 Theta – dreamlike, meditation, pre-sleep
(less than 50 beats/minute)
 Delta – sleep (ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ)

12. Visual-Spatial
 Involves thinking in pictures and images
 Who?
 Architects
 Photographers
 Artists
 Pilots
 Landscapers
 Interior decorators
 Edison, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Picasso
 Sees things others are likely to miss
 Often have a photographic memory

13. Bodily-Kinesthetic
 Talent in . .
 Controlling one’s body movements, handling objects
skillfully, etc.
 Who?
 Athletes, gymnasts, seamstresses, tailors, craftspeople,
mechanics, surgeons, dances, hikers, etc.
 The way they think:

“Hands-on,” “Gut reactions,” “A feeling in my bones.”
 Physical competence:
 Western cultures: Strength, endurance.
 Eastern cultures: Flexibility, balance, dexterity,
coordination, good reflexes

14. Naturalistic
 Individuals who demonstrate expertise in recognition
and classification of the numerous species of:
 Flora and fauna, cars, baseball cards, etc.
 Ability to categorize and classify –
Knowledge of the natural world is only a part!
 Who?
 Hunters, fisherfolk, farmers, gardeners, cooks.
 Like to hear:
 “What do you observe about. . .”
 “Classify the following. . .”
 “Describe the characteristics of. . .”
 “Create a hypothesis about. . .”

15. Intrapersonal
 Introspective – “Self
Smart”
 Can easily access
own feelings, use
self-understanding,
to enrich own life
 Who? Counselors,
clergy, self-
employed business
people
 May enjoy:
meditation,
contemplation
diaries, journals
 And may be: fiercely
independent, highly
goal oriented, self-
disciplined
 May prefer to work
alone

16. Interpersonal
 “People Smart”
 Ability to understand and work with other
people
 Perceive and be responsive to
 Needs, moods, temperaments, intentions and
desires of others
 Make good social directors, administrators,
teachers, networkers, negotiators
 Collaborative workers – Party people!

17. Existentialist
 Understand religious and spiritual ideals.
 A strong understanding of things that are not visual to
the eye but through faith and belief.
 Not one of the original intelligences but, like naturalistic
intelligence, it grew from peers questioning Howard
Gardner concerning those with this type of intelligence.
 May study philosophy, religion, care about the
environment (closely tied to Naturalistic for many).
 More comfortable with their own being if they feel
connected to people, ideas, and beliefs.

18. Thank you!
Information regarding the Multiple
Intelligences is included in several of
RTC’s courses: Styles of Teaching:
Personality Type in the Classroom,
Differentiated Instruction, and others.
For more information go to:
www.theRTC.net
Or 800.433.4740