- Student diversity
of all eight abilities—more of one and less of another—that helps to constitute that person’s individual cognitive
profile. Since most tasks—including most tasks in classrooms—require several forms of intelligence and can be
completed in more than one way, it is possible for people with various profiles of talents to succeed on a task
equally well. In writing an essay, for example, a student with high interpersonal intelligence but rather average
verbal intelligence might use his or her interpersonal strength to get a lot of help and advice from classmates and
the teacher. A student with the opposite profile might work well alone, but without the benefit of help from others.
Both students might end up with essays that are good, but good for different reasons.
Table 11: Multiple intelligences according to Howard Gardner
Form of intelligence Examples of activities using the intelligence
Linguistic: verbal skill; ability to use language well •verbal persuasion- writing a term paper skillfully
Musical: ability to create and understand music •singing, playing a musical instrument - composing a tune
Logical: Mathematical: logical skill; ability to reason,
often using mathematics - solving mathematical problems easily and
accurately - developing and testing hypotheses
Spatial: ability to imagine and manipulate the
arrangement of objects in the environment - completing a difficult jigsaw puzzle
- assembling a complex appliance (e.g. a bicycle)
Bodily: kinesthetic: sense of balance; coordination in
use of one's body - dancing
- gymnastics
Interpersonal: ability to discern others' nonverbal
feelings and thoughts - sensing when to be tactful
- sensing a “subtext” or implied message in a
person's statements
Intrapersonal: sensitivity to one's own thoughts and
feelings - noticing complex of ambivalent feelings in
oneself - identifying true motives for an action in oneself
Naturalist: sensitivity to subtle differences and
patterns found in the natural environment - identifying examples of species of plants or
animals - noticing relationships among species and
natural processes in the environment