Multiple Intelligences

Genetics, emotion and intellectual acuity affect cognitive abilities. However, these are not the only attributes that shape learning.

In the Learning Center, you will find different ways to actively engage a child's learning so that he or she can more fully experience the meaning of these stories. We have relied on Howard Gardner's breakthrough work in multiple intelligences to help design exercises and projects that shape a child's development.

Over the last twenty years, Howard Gardner at Harvard University's School of Education has identified and categorized nine different kinds of intelligence. By identifying a child's particular strengths, successful accommodations and strategies can be defined for each child in a classroom. The implications of his research have a direct impact on the future of education. The nine intelligences are listed in the following categories:

1. The visual/spatial learner learns best when presented with visual information that is presented in an organized manner. These children need charts, maps, outlines, and illustrations.
2. The verbal/linguistic learner has always been successful in traditional classrooms since they demonstrate strength in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
3. The mathematical/logical learner also tends to be successful in classrooms where teaching is logically sequenced. These learners excel when given numbers, word problems and tasks requiring problem solving and reasoning.
4. The bodily/kinesthetic learner achieves success when learning is paired with movement, motor tasks, and games.
5. The musical/rhythmic learner learns best when provided with rhythms, patterns, songs, instruments and music.
6. The intrapersonal learner tends to be in touch with feelings, values, and ideas. These children seem intuitive.
7. The interpersonal learner, an outgoing individual, learns best in cooperative learning situations.
8. The naturalist loves the outdoors, field trips, and animals. These students always display an understanding of the subtle differences in meanings.
9. The existentialist learner is philosophical in nature and seeks the "big picture."