The Many Kinds of Smart

Contrary to popular belief, there are many ways in which students are smart. While the popular kind of smart is "book smart" or "test taking smart", there are many ways a student can display intelligence. Below are some helpful ways students can learn about the many sides of smart. These are taken Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/ed_mi_overview.html. Enjoy!

Linguistic (Word Smart) These children love words, reading, and writing. They need words to learn. They might end up being writers, teachers, journalists or public speakers. Logical Mathematical (Math Smart) These children have good reasoning and problem solving skills. Not only do they like numbers, but time, calendars, patterns and riddles. They might end up being math teachers, engineers, or economists. Visual Spatial (Art Smart) These children are able to plan and use space with color. They look around and see details of their world. They are often good at solving puzzles and love to draw. They’re destined to be graphic designers, artists, architects or inventors. Bodily Kinesthetic (Body Smart) These children see their world through movement. They have great eye hand coordination. They may like to work with their hands. They could be dancers, athletes, surgeons, or physical therapists. Musical (Music Smart) These children learn through music. They appreciate music and are moved by it. They have a sense of rhythm. They could end up being musicians, music teachers, singers, songwriters or composers. Naturalist (Nature Smart) These children learn through nature and will focus on the Earth. These children are good at categorizing things, even things outside nature. They love to be outdoors. They may be Forest Rangers, farmers or scientists. Interpersonal (People Smart) These are the children that work best in a group, that need to be with people to function. They are great at communicating and mediating. They do well in student government. They might become politicians, salesmen, managers or teachers. Intrapersonal (Self Smart) These are the children that work best by themselves and recharge their batteries by being quiet. They know themselves well. They keep journals, plan for the future and think about the past. These children might become philosophers, psychologists, theologians or lawyers. Existentialist (World Smart) This is sometimes not considered one of the intelligences but I like it. These children understand the big picture. They may ask big questions about the Earth and people around the world. These are the spiritual people of the world.