Many Intelligences, Many Doors: Helping Children Find a Way into Learning

Carrie Kennedy
Mar 21
4 min read

Updated: Apr 23

When we call someone “intelligent” or “smart,” what do we actually mean? This post explores how Harvard professor Howard Gardner disrupted long-standard beliefs about IQ by exploring the many ways people learn, think, and demonstrate their understanding.

For decades, people thought the best way to determine a person’s intelligence was with a standardized test that determined their intelligence quotient—or IQ. The resulting number revealed information about what the person had learned and could predict their success in certain subjects, but there was something incomplete about this fixed number.

Then in the late 1970s, the cognitive psychologist Howard Gardner began studying other ways to identify intelligence. He didn’t think an IQ score was an accurate measure of a person’s true potential, especially outside of traditional school settings. So in 1983, he published Frames of Mind to present his theory on multiple intelligences. His research on how the brain processes information and then puts that information to use allowed him to suggest there are actually eight valid ways to express intelligence.

linguistic (word smart)

People who like to use words to share their thoughts and ideas. They enjoy reading, writing, and talking and have a good vocabulary.

mathematical (logic smart)

People who use clear thinking to solve problems. They like learning how things work and enjoy subjects like math and science.

spatial (picture smart)

People who notice colors, patterns, and details and have vivid imaginations. They visualize things well, can solve puzzles, and often show great talents in the arts.

kinesthetic (body smart)

People who think well when they move. They show skills in sports and other activities where they use their whole bodies, and they may also like to create or build things with their hands.

naturalistic (nature smart)

People who like to be outside. They show great interest in how the natural world works, and they’re often very good with animals. They may also show skills as a gardener, baker, or chef.

musical (music smart)

People who have a good sense of rhythm. They may excel at singing, playing an instrument, or dancing. They may also be sensitive to the mood of different music.

intrapersonal (self-smart)

People who are aware of their own strengths and work hard to get better at things. They like talking with other people about big ideas but also enjoy spending time by themselves.

intrapersonal (self-smart)

People who are aware of their own strengths and work hard to get better at things. They like talking with other people about big ideas but also enjoy spending time by themselves.

Gardner’s MI theory has been embraced by educators and parents as a way to celebrate learning strengths and to understand the different ways children can think, process, learn, and demonstrate their understanding of material. Gardner says people’s intelligence can be seen as the way they express their own unique blend of these cognitive strengths. And unlike a fixed IQ score, Gardner believes our intelligence profiles are fluid and that most people can develop strengths in many of these areas through attention and effort.

“It’s not how smart you are, but how you are smart.”

— Howard Gardner, developmental psychologist and Harvard professor

Multiple intelligence and the arts

The arts play a particularly powerful role in nurturing and celebrating Gardner’s intelligences.

Music naturally supports musical intelligence, but it also requires great kinesthetic skill and strengthens logical–mathematical skills through patterns and timing.
The visual arts support spatial intelligence by helping children think in images and represent ideas visually, and they also embrace how artists celebrate the natural world.
Theater and dramatic play engage the linguistic and kinesthetic intelligences and also promote interpersonal skills through collaboration and storytelling.
Creative movement and dance are wonderful for developing the kinesthetic and spatial intelligences, helping children use their bodies to explore rhythm, space, balance, and expression.
And all of the arts foster deeper personal intelligence by encouraging children to explore their emotions, communicate their ideas, and become more empathetic to other perspectives.

Some critics downplay Howard Gardner’s MI theory because it’s difficult to measure scientifically and does not fit neatly into traditional testing models. But this is actually its greatest value, because intelligence is not just a number or statistic. When embraced, the approach helps parents and educators recognize that children learn and express understanding in different ways. And when introduced in age-appropriate language, these ideas can empower children to think about their own thinking and celebrate their unique skills, strengths, and capabilities.

Other resources:

Thomas Armstrong, Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, 4th Edition, ASCD, 2017.
David A. Sousa, How the Brain Learns, Corwin, 2022.

Multiple Intelligence and the Artifact Creative curriculum:

The Artifact Creative curriculum works beautifully within the context of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences because it celebrates the rich, interdisciplinary nature of the arts and humanities. Additionally, the curriculum’s varied materials and assessments—including video delivery, visually rich lessons, engaging hands-on activities, and options for projects—give students multiple avenues to connect with the content and to demonstrate their understanding.

We consciously design our curriculum to engage students’ strengths and support their developing skills—linguistically, spatially, musically, logically, bodily, naturalistically, and through their interpersonal intelligences. And we bring this “learning about learning” to the forefront by presenting and explaining Gardner’s approach in teacher’s guides and within lessons at numerous points throughout our curriculum.

About the author:

Carrie Kennedy spent almost two decades in classrooms—including teaching art, English, and science— and now serves as the Director of Curriculum Content and Development at Artifact Creative. Kennedy has completed professional developments through Harvard University, including a weeklong Project Zero leadership course where she worked with David Perkins and Howard Gardner.

When students study subjects like music, visual art, theater, literature, dance, creative writing, and history, they learn to make meaningful connections to their own lives and to the world around them. Artifact Creative develops digital and hands-on educational material in these rich areas of the arts and humanities to inspire critical, creative, and compassionate thinking and to serve as an essential foundation for authentic, lifelong learning.

For more information, visit ArtiFactCreative.org or contact Dana.Corradi@ArtiFactCreative.org