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Welcome to the 5th and final post in the Understanding Multiple Intelligences 5-day series! Read the whole series from the beginning here.

In the first post of the series, we talked about what the theory of Multiple Intelligencesis and how it can transform the way you and your kids look at intelligence. Next, we looked at two of the intelligences (or smarts) that are associated with strong academic performance: Word and Logic Smarts. Then we looked at what I call the Artistic Smarts: Picture and Music Intelligences. The 4th post was on the Street Smarts: Nature and Body Smart Kids. Today we’ll look at the People Smarts: People and Self Intelligences.

As you read through the signs and struggles associated with each strength, mark where you think your kids fall on a simple graph like the one below.

People Smart Kids

People who are people smart are interested in… people. They tend to make friends easily partly because they understand people so well. They are also good at reading body language.  They think and process their thoughts better by bouncing ideas off of others. Connection is their strength.

People Smart Signs

• Like to watch people
• Make friends easily
• Offered to help when needed
• Feel confident when meeting new people
• Can easily guess how people feel just by looking at them
• Enjoy getting people to see things their way
• Enjoy group activities and lively conversations
• Help the people around them get along better
• Like to organize activities for their friends
• Know how to get people involved
• Preferred to work with others rather than alone
• Are concerned with issues of fairness and right and wrong

People smart kids learn well from mentors. I made the mistake a while back of having my incredibly people smart son doing most of his school on the computer. As the oldest of the 6 kids I was currently homeschooling, it seemed logical. Boy, was that kid miserable! I wish I had known about Multiple Intelligence Theory when he kept asking me if I could teach him.

People Smart Struggles

• Can be great motivators but also great manipulators
• Can be prideful about how many friends they have
• Can become prideful of their ability to manipulate
• May struggle learning on their own

People Smart Careers

People smart people are happiest when they get to interact with people. They may be drawn to service jobs because they can often discern peoples’ needs. One of my dear friends is always thinking of ways to bless our family. When I travel to speak about homeschooling kids with learning differences, she often brings food or offers to watch our kids for a few days while I’m gone. People smart people make the best of friends.

• Public speaker
• Counselor
• Politician
• Lawyer
• Social worker
• Receptionist
• Travel agent
• Advertising
• Personnel director
• Sales person
• Consultant
• Nurse
• Police officer
• Missionary
• Inventor

Self Smart Kids

My Self Smart kid is my easiest kid. Give her some constructive criticism and she takes it to heart by her very nature. Self Smart people think deeply inside of themselves. They can appear to be slow thinkers and they like to think a lot before speaking. They are very reflective. When they’re excited, they may like to go off on their own and think. Many Self Smart kids enjoy reflecting on their past, analyzing the present, and predicting their future. They tend to be effective goal setters.

Self Smart Signs

• Prefer to work alone rather than with others
• Stand up for beliefs even if unpopular
• No their own feelings well
• Enjoy keeping a journal
• Have a good sense of who they are
• Like to set and meet their goals
• Worry less about what other people think of them than others
• Spend time thinking about things that deep the matter to them
• Have a strong sense of what they’re good at
• Think about the future and what they’d like to be one day

Self Smart Struggles

• Their independence and comfort with being alone can lead to self-centeredness
• They may be prideful of their own ideas
• They can believe that their ideas are more important than anyone else’s
• They can have trouble being open to others’ ideas
• Can become unteachable
• Can have high standards that result in being hard on themselves
• Being alone can lead to hopelessness or fear

Self Smart Careers

• Often self-employed
• Entrepreneurs
• Private investigators
• Poets
• Writers
• Pastors
• Counselors
• Social workers
• Teachers
• Therapists
• Guidance counselor
• Personal trainer

Key Takeaways on Multiple Intelligences

Everyone has all 8 intelligences but 2-3 primary strengths.

Every job will consist of responsibilities that touch on several intelligences.

Create relevant experiences for your children to develop and nurture their strengths.

Know that not all experiences will develop into a ‘smart but all experiences will stretch and grow any strength.

Don’t be hyper-focused on high paying jobs. Look for where your kids interests and abilities intersect – this is often where their calling or vocation lies.

Resources for Learning More About Multiple Intelligences

Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice by Howard Gardner
The first decade of research on MI theory and practice was reported in the 1993 edition of Multiple Intelligences. This new edition covers all developments since then and stands as the most thorough and up-to-date account of MI available anywhere. Completely revised throughout, it features new material on global applications and on MI in the workplace, an assessment of MI practice in the current conservative educational climate, new evidence about brain functioning, and much more.

 

You’re Smarter Thank You Think: A Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligence by Thomas Armstrong

Written directly to kids, this is a fascinating read. As kids read the book, they stop asking “How smart am I?” and start asking “How am I smart?” This powerful learning tool is recommended for all kids—and all adults committed to helping young people do and be their best. Resources describe related books, software, games, and organizations. This revised and updated edition includes information on a newly researched ninth intelligence, Life Smart—thinking about and asking questions about life, the universe, and spirituality.

 

8 Great Smarts: Discover and Nurture Your Child’s Intelligences by Kathy Koch

Dr. Kathy Koch loves seeing children flourish and helping parents make it happen—and it’s never too late to start. Now is the time to help your child be all that God designed him or her to be.Accept and affirm your child’s unique smarts.
Motivate your child to learn and study with all 8 smarts
Reawaken any “paralyzed” smarts
Redirect misbehavior in new, constructive ways
Guide your child spiritually, relationally, and to a good career fit

How Understanding Mulitple Intelligences Has Helped my Family

When I began to look at my kids who are ‘outside-the-box’ learners through the lens of MI theory, I was better able to define what I already knew. My kids who couldn’t read or spell well could do things that I could never do. My kids who couldn’t remember their math facts to save their lives were amazingly intelligent in other areas – areas that had value.

I hope that this series on Muiltiple Intelligences has helped you in this same way.

How has learning about the theory of Multiple Intelligences changed the way you look at your own kids’ intelligence?

 

Welcome to the 4th post in the Understanding Multiple Intelligences 5-day series! Read the whole series from the beginning here.

In the first post of the series, we talked about what the theory of Multiple Intelligences is and how it can transform the way you and your kids look at intelligence. Next, we looked at two of the intelligences (or smarts) that are associated with strong academic performance: Word and Logic Smarts. Then we looked at what I call the Artistic Smarts: Picture and Music Intelligences.

Today we’ll look at the Street Smarts: Nature and Body Intelligences.  As you read through the signs and struggles associated with each strength, mark where you think your kids fall on a simple graph like the one below.

 

Nature Smart Kids

Nature smart kids have a profound affinity for animals. I have a few nature smart kids. One of them is nicknamed ‘the squirrel whisperer’ for her uncanny ability to coax even the most resistant squirrels out of their hideaways to nibble a cracker just inches from her hand. This daughter almost never played with dolls but preferred to play with stuffed animals. Nature smart people think with patterns. They are good at classify things in nature like birds and trees etc. This is closely tied in someways to being picture smart but they don’t think in pictures rather in patterns. Their interest can be animals or plants or even weather. Basically, these people are tuned into their surroundings.

Signs You May Be Nature Smart

• Like animals
• Notice nature wherever they are
• Enjoy camping and hiking
• Have a green thumb
• Enjoy taking care of pets
• Like going to parks, zoos, or aquariums
• Have a good memory for details of places where they’ve been and the names of animals, plants, people, and things
• Have ‘street smarts’
• Ask a lot of questions about the people, places, and things they see in their environment
• Enjoy figuring out what things are and then placing them into categories (i.e. bird watching or classifying cars)

Nature Smart Struggles

One of my nature smart kids once asked me, “Mom, is it weird that I prefer animals to people?” For that child, it was always a delicate balance between her becoming too isolated because she just preferred the tranquility and peace of animals over people.

• May struggle in their relationships with people
• May feel awkward around people
• May struggle to put adequate time into their studies

Nature Smart Careers

There is a wide range of careers that would be suited to a person with strong nature smarts. Remember there is a hierarchy among the various smarts and that each individual will have their own unique career path.

•  Various science careers
• Animal shelter worker
• Flower shops
• Camp counselor
• Park Ranger
• Veterinarian or a veterinarian assistant
• Environmental inspector
• Landscape designer
• Nature photographer
• Missionary
• Pet sitter

Body Smart Kids

Body Smart kids think by moving and touching. When they are excited, they move more. Motion is very important to them. They learn and think with their entire body. Their hands are busy building, writing, touching, twisting hair, playing etc. Their feet are busy tapping, shifting in place, or walking.

Signs That You May Be Body Smart

• Dance gracefully
• Mimic peoples’ gestures and expressions
• Enjoy acting in skits or plays
• Like to move around and be active
• Think better when moving around
• Learn physical skills easily
• Do crafts or build models with skill
• Good at sports
• Have a good coordination or sense of timing
• Love recess

Body Smart Struggles

Kids who are body smart can use those strengths for the wrong reasons in unique ways. Teaching kids to be smart with their smarts will both affirm their strength and help them develop much-needed self-control.

• Constant motion can be distracting for others
• May hurt others when angry or upset
• Punching, kicking or biting
• Shoving their way to the front of the line
• May lack boundaries when wrestling for fun

The Story of Gillian Lynne

I want to share an interesting Body Smart story. The story is about a little girl named Gillian Lynne who grew up in England in the 1930s. Gillian’s teacher complained to her mother that she was having a hard time sitting still in class and that her behavior was distracting the rest of the students. This teacher suggested that Gillian see a doctor to figure out what was going on with her.

At the doctor’s office, Gillian’s mother told the doctor about the teacher’s report of Gillian’s behavior. After asking some questions, the doctor and Gillian’s mother stepped out of the office for a moment. Before they left, the doctor turned on a small radio.  Peering in the small office window the doctor pointed out Jillian’s behavior. She was dancing.

The doctor told Gillian’s mother that there was nothing wrong with her – that she was a dancer. The doctor suggested that Gillian join a dance school. Julian’s mother was able to enroll her in a performing arts school. Gillian was reported to have said of the other students, “They’re all like me!”

Gillian went on to become an accomplished dancer with the London Ballet. She also became a world famous choreographer and is best known for her work on musicals such as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.

Gillian’s story is a powerful example of how we are all created uniquely and for a purpose. Imagine if Gillian had grown up in today’s schools? Medication, anyone?

Body Smart Careers

Body Smart people gravitate toward careers that rely on a sense of touch, hand-eye coordination, and or large motor movements. We all benefit from professionals with Body Smarts, from a chiropractor’s adjustments, a dentist’s drill or a hair dresser’s scissors.

• Chiropractor
• Dentist
• Hairdresser
• Mechanic
• PE teacher
• Orchestra conductor
• Carpenter
• Plumber
• Welder
• Truck driver
• Stunt person
• Physical therapist
• Surgeon
• Actor
• Seamstress
• Sports coach

 

How has learning about Mulitple Intelligences changed the way you look at learning and your kids so far? Let us know in the comments below.

Join us here tomorrow when we’ll look more closely at The People Smarts: People & Self Intelligences.

Linking up to the iHomeschool Network 5-Day Hopscotch. Click the image below to read more great posts in this series.

Welcome to the 2nd post in the Understanding Multiple Intelligences 5-day series! Read the whole series from the beginning here.

In my first post, we talked about what the theory of Multiple Intelligences is and how it can transform the way you and your kids look at intelligence.

Over the next few days, we’ll look more closely at each of the 8 Intelligences proposed by Dr. Gardner. As you read through the signs and struggles associated with each strength, mark where you think your kids fall on a simple graph like the one below.

Today, we are going to dive into the actual intelligences (or ‘smarts’ for short). We’ll look at 2 smarts each day. Today we’re looking at Word and Logic Smarts, otherwise known as the school smarts. Kids who have these as their main intelligences tend to have an easier time in school. Let’s look at some of the signs, struggles, and careers for people who are Word ad Logic smart.

Signs That Your Child May Be Word Smart

Word Smart kids talk. A lot. They talk to think, talk during play, talk to everyone, and talk to no one. Word smart kids think in words and when they are excited, they almost always talk. On a recent trip to Chicago, my husband and I traveled with our two preteen daughters. It was interesting to observe them in light of their unique mix of intelligences. Our word smart daughter talked, and talked, and talked some more about everything she was seeing and thinking. While our nature smart daughter (which we’ll get to in a few days) hardly said a word. However, when she did talk, she was full of observations of the patterns she had been noticing about the workings of the airport and aboard the airplane. Fascinating! Being Word Smart is a school smart because much of the time our kids spend in school involves reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

• May talk early
• Curious about letters and writing while young
• Like to write letters emails
• Able to remember details
• Has a large vocabulary
• Loves to read
• Likes to tell stories
• Enjoys talking about ideas with others
• Has a good memory for names

Word Smart Struggles

Remember that negative behaviors can point to strengths that are being used badly.

• Gossiping
• Teasing
• Lying
• Arguing
• Needing to have the last word
• Talking when they should be listening
• Can be prideful of their intellectual abilities

Remember what we learned on day one of the series. It’s important to correct our kids without shutting them down.

Word Smart Careers

Careers that involve word smarts are any careers that have to do with learning, speaking, listening, reading, writing, and teaching.

• Journalist, writer, editor
• Teacher, librarian
• Pastor, counselor
• Public relations, radio or television
• Proofreader, editor
• Screenwriter, speech writer
• Storyteller, translator, web editor

Signs That You May Be Logic Smart

Logic smart kids think with questions and when they’re excited, they ask more questions. They have a high need to know why and for things to make sense. They’re often asking “Why?”  When combined with people smarts they can make great leaders. This is another school smart. Many logic smart kids enjoy science, math, and nonfiction reading. They enjoy analyzing, predicting, and inventing.

• Find numbers fascinating
• Like science
• Can easily do math in their head
• Enjoy counting things
• Enjoy discovering how things work
• Remember numbers and statistics easily
• Enjoy strategy games
• Notice connections – cause and effect
• Spend time doing brainteasers are logic puzzles
• Love to organize information on charts and graphs
• Use computers for more than playing games

Logic Smart Struggles

Not only can logic smart kid solve problems, they can also cause them often without being caught! These are the kids that when mom or dad says parentheses don’t step over that line parentheses will put their foot in the middle of the line and argue about it.

• Curiosity can lead to trouble
• Intellectual pride, thinking they have all the answers
• Judging others
• Arguing to make their points
• Being angry when they’re confused
• Tend to worry when things don’t make sense

Logic Smart Careers

• Accountant, bookkeeper
• Electrician, engineer
• Auditor, banker
• Appraiser
• Computer programmer
• Meteorologist or another science field
• Auto mechanic
• Plumber
• Phone repair technician
• Researching or teaching

How has learning about Mulitple Intelligences changed the way you look at learning and your kids so far? Let us know in the comments below.

Join us here tomorrow when we’ll look more closely at The Artistic Smarts: Picture & Music Intelligences.

Linking up to the iHomeschool Network 5-Day Hopscotch. Click the image below to read more great posts in this series.

I am one of the most left-brained, linear people I know.  Being the mother of 7 kids who are about as right-brained and creative as they come has taught me a LOT.

For many years I tried as hard as I could to pound those ‘square pegs’ into round holes. Maybe you can relate? Maybe you too have tried to force your children to be good readers and good mathematicians – you know, ‘good students’. After all, this is the road to success, isn’t it?

I am very left brained and linear but I’m also a mother. And it didn’t take long for me to realize that my teaching methods, my ideals and ideas of what education was – of what intelligence was –  were hurting my kids and needed to be re-examined. A big part of the reason that this website exists is due to my determination to figure out why my own children who are very bright and capable struggled to learn.

This is when I learned about Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. If you are struggling to understand your child who just isn’t learning like other kids – your world may be transformed by this information as well.

What is the Theory of Multiple Intelligences?

The theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI), was proposed by the brilliant Harvard scientist and researcher Dr. Howard Gardner in 1983. His theory was a backlash against the notion that intelligence could be reduced to a formula and be measured by a test. Dr. Gardner theorized that there were many ways to be smart – 8 in fact.

Eight Kinds of Intelligence

Gardner suggested eight intelligences (there are several others being considered).

• Verbal-linguistic (or Word Smart)
• Logical-mathematical (or Logic Smart)
• Naturalistic (or Nature Smart)
• Interpersonal (or People Smart)
• Intrapersonal (or Self Smart)
• Visual-spatial (or Picture Smart)
• Bodily-kinesthetic (or Body Smart)
• Musical (or Music Smart)

Now clearly, we all have all 8 intelligences, but Gardner theorized that we are all stronger in 2-3 of the intelligences. Our unique mix of intelligences results in some phenomenal recipes for success.

As the mother of eight kids, I often joke that we are conducting our own genetics experiment over here! Honestly though, when I began to look at my ‘outside-the-box’ kids through the lens of MI theory, I was better able to define what I already knew. My kids who couldn’t read or spell well, could do things that I could never do. My kids who couldn’t remember their math facts to save their lives, were amazingly intelligent in other areas – areas that had value.

Why Understanding Multiple Intelligences Helps Kids

Increases confidence:  Everybody wants to be smart. After understanding MI, instead of asking, “Am I smart?? kids can ask “How am I smart.”

Gives purpose:  We teach our kids that they were created with a purpose.  As we begin to focus on what they love and what they are good at, that purpose becomes more and more clear.

Volunteering and career choice:  When a child’s purpose is openly explored, choosing a career or job becomes an organic outshoot of that knowledge leading to more fulfilling work.

How to Identify Your Child’s Intelligences

Pay attention to their interests.  What do they do in their spare time? What did they spend their money on? What do they keep talking about? What gets them up in the morning?

Pay attention to how they misbehave. Do they talk too much? Maybe they’re word smart. Do they wiggle and touch everything? Maybe they’re body smart. Are they manipulative? Maybe they’re people smart.Do they need a reason for everything? Maybe they’re logic smart.

Pay attention to their favorite school subjects. Do they love history, fiction, and creative writing? Maybe they are picture smart. Do they love science? Maybe they are logic smart. Do they love drama? Maybe they are people smart.

How to Nurture Your Child’s Intelligence

Observe and acknowledge their unique smarts. I am the daughter of an engineer and an accountant. Imagine the confusion my parents experienced when their son (my brother) showed strong picture smarts and wanted to pursue a career in art.  It isn’t enough to simple observe, we must also acknowledge thier intelligence – even if it is vastly different from our own!

Offer opportunities to strengthen their intelligences. Sign your picture smart child up for art classes. Allow your nature smart child to have a pet or two. Find a mentor for your logic smart child, if that is not one of your strengths.

Set healthy boundaries.  As a child, I loved to talk. In fact, my report cards often said things like, “Great student. Talks too much.” However, although I was occasionally consequenced for my talkative nature, I was never shut down or told to shut up. My parents and teachers set healthy boundaries for me and, interestingly, now I travel around the country every year speaking to families about homeschooling and parenting their kids!

How to Shut Down our Kids’ Intelligence

Watch your reactions. We can stifle our kids’ intelligence by how we react to them – even with simple things like our tone of voice or a look. You know that look! I have one music smart kid and I am here today to tell you that that kid is NOISY! He is often humming, tapping, and otherwise making noise, er, I mean music.

Criticize rather than correct.  Kids can become discouraged if we are continually disappointed and frustrated with them. Focusing on specific correction rather than criticism can help with this.

An attitude of perfectionism. Trying to find ways for our kids to grow and explore can be messy and, quite frankly, inconvenient.

Multiple Intelligence FAQs

• All of the intelligences are different but equal in value. While Word and Logic smarts are associated with academic success, this is not the only way to be successful.
• We’re not limited to one type of intelligence.  In fact, we have 2-3 prominent strengths that combine to give us our unique purpose or calling in life.
• Different intelligences work together. As you’ll see as we dig deeper into each intelligence, our top 3 intelligences work together uniquely to equip us in our unique calling.

The Eight Intelligences

Over the next 4 days, I will be diving into these 8 intelligences; including signs and strengths, struggles common to each strength, and possible careers for each intelligence.

The School Smarts: Word & Logic Intelligences

The Artistic Smarts: Picture & Music Intelligences

The Street Smarts: Nature and Body Intelligences

The People Smarts: People & Self Intelligences

Have you ever heard of the theory of Mulitple Intelligences? How has it helped your kids?

Linking up to the iHomeschool Network 5-Day Hopscotch. Click the image below to read more great posts in this series.