Using Multiple Intelligences in the Elementary Classroom

Kirsten 0:09

Hello there, and welcome to another episode of the social studies teacher podcast. I am so excited to bring you another episode relating to understanding and cultivating your classroom environment for your students, and building a positive classroom community. If you look back on the podcast feed, I do have an episode about using the Enneagram in the upper elementary classroom, and I wanted to share another exciting and really fun way to get to know your students, and that is through multiple intelligences. So in this episode, we are going to be talking about the theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner, and the theory in depth a little bit, we're going to be talking about the eight different learning styles, or learning profiles, or intelligences, however you want to call them, and some characteristics of each one. We're also going to be sharing some ways you can best support all intelligences with strategies and activity ideas to incorporate within the classroom. The great news about this is that a lot of the different strategies and activity ideas do overlap with each intelligence. So that's always great. It's more efficient that way, so it's not as overwhelming.

Kirsten 2:10

The other thing I wanted to mention before we start about talking about the multiple intelligences is that I do have a multiple intelligences for big kids resource that I highly recommend you check out. This is perfect for upper elementary, and students are going to take a student friendly learning style quiz. They're going to also use a writing reflection activity to reflect on their strengths and smart and best ways to learn. So this is really great to implement in the first few weeks of school or first month of school, or really any time of the year. It includes the quiz, the results sheet, some informational text, writing, reflection activity, a class chart for teachers, so you can keep track of your students and their strengths, and also some extra bonuses, like color, black and white options you can do a Google version. So that is something that I highly recommend you take a look at, and I'll make sure to put the link in the description and in the show notes. All right, so let's go ahead and get started in this multiple intelligences Crash Course.

Kirsten 3:14

Kirsten 4:17

We'll take a look at each of these intelligence profiles and characteristics of each. People with verbal linguistic intelligence can understand written and spoken language pretty easily. They typically do well in reading and writing, have a rich vocabulary, and can be really good at learning new languages. Some potential careers with this type of intelligence would be a teacher, lawyer, journalist, copywriter, editor, anything related to written and spoken language. Those with logical mathematical intelligences are very curious and understand rules and procedures pretty easily. They typically do well with patterns and relationships and reasoning and problem solving. Potential careers with those with this intelligence would have to be scientist or math teacher or engineer, accountant, computer programmer. There's a lot of different careers with that, and it's something that they really enjoy. Those with visual spatial intelligence can visualize and create images really easily. They typically do well with maps and charts, lists, and color coding. They also might have a really vivid imagination. Some potential careers with visual spatial intelligence would be an artist or a photographer, architect, graphic designer and even a pilot. People with naturalistic intelligence can identify and understand the world around them. They typically appreciate nature. They love animals and enjoy outdoor activities. Potential careers with naturalistic intelligences would be a chef or a marine biologist, astronomer, zoologist, anything related to the world around them and different outdoor activities or nature. People with bodily kinesthetic intelligence can use their body to express themselves really easily. They typically do well in sports, are very coordinated, and have a lot of energy. Some potential careers with this intelligence would be an actor, actress, dancer, mechanic, athlete and even a construction worker. Those with musical intelligence can identify and express rhythm and sounds very easily. They typically recognize and learn songs and melodies really quickly, have a good ear for music, and are good at imitating sounds. Some musical intelligence careers could be a musician, DJ, songwriter, composer or choir director. Those with interpersonal intelligence can understand and identify the emotions and motivations of other people very easily. They typically enjoy social activities, are good at understanding others, and also make friends really easily. Potential careers would include being a sales agent, politician, teacher, travel agent or counselor, and those with interpersonal intelligence are recognizing and understanding and appreciating their own feelings, emotions and motivations. They typically like to spend time alone, and they like to learn and reflect independently. Some potential careers would be an entrepreneur, librarian, researcher, inventor and psychologist.

Kirsten 7:24

I'm going to share with you some examples of learning style activities that can be used for each intelligence. I want you to pick and choose which ones you like, try them out, see if your students respond well to them. So let's go ahead and dive in. Students with verbal linguistic intelligence could have learning style activities related to spoken directions, written directions, book reports, reading and writing responses, oral presentations, speeches, debates and podcasts. The next intelligence would be logical mathematical, giving clear rules or goals using graphic organizers, timelines, hands on projects, digital activities, clear steps and quiet learning spots and puzzles. Learning style activities for visual spatial intelligences would be to create visual charts, anchor charts, quiet learning spots, concept maps, activities with art, digital activities, hands on activities, and photos and videos. Naturalistic intelligence activities could involve something that's hands on, a field trip, going in some type of open classroom space, opportunities to work outside, watching videos or films related to nature, taking care of or having class pet or plants, and also food crafts relating to the concept that they're learning. Bodily kinesthetic intelligence learning style activities could be hands on activities, manipulatives and materials, flashcards, field trips, dramatic play demonstrations and working around the classroom. Musical intelligence, really, some activities could be using spoken directions, creating songs and rhymes, read alouds, listening to music and creating songs and melodies to learn concepts. Interpersonal intelligence could have activities with working in groups or partners, collaborative activities, discussions, board games, role play activities, demonstrations and working around the classroom. And lastly, we have our intrapersonal intelligence, where you can have learning style activities such as checklists, reflection or journal activities, quiet classroom, working alone, working in an area that allows for independent study and self paced activities. I hope you noticed with all eight of these intelligence profiles that some of these learning style activities are actually overlapping. You might have noticed that, for example, with the interpersonal intelligence, there are multiple intelligences that allow for working around the classroom. So that's the really great part. You don't have to have eight different activities going on for eight different people in your classroom. You can mix and match and have a couple of options that will still fit in.

I hope you enjoyed the informative episode all about multiple intelligences. I also wanted to share that this is part of a four part workshop all about differentiating instruction using learning styles. So you were able to hear a little bit from a couple of lessons, but there's actually four lessons included about understanding learning styles, identifying students strengths, determining assignments that have the potential for differentiation and also establishing learning style activities. So it walks you step by step at how to best differentiate instruction while keeping learning styles in mind. This is all part of the membership in the workshop and training hub. So if you are a member, you can get access to that. If you're not a member, you can always join the wait list, and I'll link that in the description. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week, and I will talk to you next time.