A Brief Description.

 The Theory of Multiple Intelligences was originally developed by a man named Dr. Howard Garner, a professor of Education at Harvard. This theory suggests that traditional intelligence based on I.Q testing is far too limiting. Instead, Dr. Garner proposed 8 different intelligences, to account for people who learned outside of the box.  Linguistic intelligence ("word smart")  Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart")  Spatial intelligence ("picture smart")  Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")  Musical intelligence ("music smart")  Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart")  Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart")  Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

 People who tend to be linguistic learn best with words. They are good at reading, writing, telling stories, and memorizing words and dates. They tend to learn best by taking notes, listening to lectures and active discussion. They are also very good with learning foreign languages.  Good careers for these types of learners would be: writer, lawyer, philosopher, politician and teacher. Tip: Integrate linguistics into the classroom with weekly spelling tests and reading aloud times. Help develop those linguistic learners!

 Logical learners obviously have an attribute with numbers, logic and reasoning. They excel in math, but also do well in chess and computer programming. Good careers for these people would be scientists, mathematicians, economists, engineers and doctors. Tip: Bring more than math into the classroom with puzzles and logic- related activities to stimulate math- loving brains.

 Tip: Keep art strong in the classroom. Encourage pictures and visual aids to accompany writing and projects.  Spatial people are usually very good at seeing and remembering objects. They have a strong visual memory and are commonly good at art. They can also have a good sense of direction and good hand- eye coordination. (Also seen in kinesthetic intelligence.) Excellent career choice for these characters would be artist, architect and engineer.

 This area of expertise involves moving and doing. People who are body smart typically love movement such as sports and dance. They have great dexterity and learn through muscle memory. Because of their fine motor skills, great careers include athletes, dancers, actors, surgeons, artisans and surprisingly, comedians.  Tip: To avoid moaning and groaning about Gym Class, bring movement to the classroom with activities that involve getting out of the chairs.

* Learners of this intelligence are prone to learning through music. They can establish rhythm, tone, pitch, beat and timbre. Typically, they can play a musical instrument, compose music and/or sing. Because they are so aurally in tune, they learn best with lectures and music in the background. Career ideas for these people would be composer, conductor, singer and instrumentalist. Tip: Play background music while your students are working on something that doesn’t require too much brain work, like a project or artwork.

 Learners of the interpersonal persuasion work best in groups. They are sensitive to peoples moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations. They communicate efficiently and often enjoy discussion and debates. Careers suitable for these learners are teachers, social workers, politicians and business managers.  Tip: Encourage socializing in the classroom by promoting discussions and group projects.

 With this intelligence, there is a high level of perfectionism. These people are self-reflectors, highly self-aware and prefer to work alone. They learn best when they are able to tackle a subject by themselves. Careers suited for these learners are philosophers, psychologists, theologians, writers and scientists. Tip: Have students write reflections on projects or weekly journal entries about class, home, friends, pets, anything to keep the introvert juices flowing.

 Naturalists learners are fond of nature and animals. They are more in tune to their natural surroundings. They enjoy collecting and analyzing type of learning and they may be sensitive to changes in weather or similar fluctuations in nature. They are also thought to have a ‘green thumb’ in the ability to nurture and grow plants. Suggested careers for these learners include scientists, naturalists, conservationists, gardeners and farmers. Tip: Take students on a hike. Show them different plants and leaves and their names. Help develop those naturalist learners.