Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Within this early educational setting, as the children are learning how to learn, our programs are planned with Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences in mind. This is through the intelligence domains:

Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence

  • Documentation during meeting time
  • Daily journal
  • Documentation of children’s words at project work and individual work – paintings and construction
  • Support of verbal interaction between children
  • Verbal interaction by educator with children
  • Reading of books and discussions about the story
  • Listening tapes

Intrapersonal Intelligence

  • Discussing thoughts and feelings with children
  • Reflection about behaviour, expectations/rules and basic respect for each other
  • Use of different thinking styles/models in planning of some experiences e.g. KWL – what we know, what we want to know, what we learned
  • Sharing information about self – e.g. ‘Holiday homework’

Interpersonal Intelligence

  • Socio-dramatic play experiences e.g. home area, rocket ship, hospital etc
  • Sand play
  • Block play
  • Meeting time
  • Group games
  • Letter writing table
  • Communication boxes
  • Project work
  • Constructive play (Lego, Mobilo, Brio etc)

Visual/Spatial Intelligence

  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • 3D construction with creative materials
  • 3D construction with manipulative / construction sets – Lego etc
  • Block building
  • Sand play

Kinaesthetic/Body Intelligence

  • Obstacle course
  • Ball games
  • Large and small block building
  • Digging
  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Using scissors, staplers, hole punchers, tape
  • Manipulative experiences-playdoh, clay etc
  • Specialist class – “Busy Bodies”
  • Constructive, manipulative sets
  • Puzzles

Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence

  • Singing songs during group time
  • Use of songs during play e.g. When jumping on board – singing “5 little monkeys!”
  • Tapping beat on body during group time, songs, play
  • Music played in environment during play
  • Music specialist class
  • Listening games – matching sounds, rhythms, tone and pitch

Logical/Mathematical Intelligence

  • Sorting, sequencing and seriating activities; e.g. memory, snap, ‘go fish’ etc games
  • Dice games
  • Computers
  • Use of magnets
  • Experimenting activities; e.g. growing table
  • Cooking experiences
  • Project work
  • Numbers, colours and shapes concept activities in small groups and individually
  • Puzzles
  • Group discussions at meeting time

Naturalistic Intelligence

  • Using natural materials in many ways (shells, seeds, stones)
  • Analysing natural materials (microscopes)
  • Experimenting activities –e.g. growing table
  • Caring for and interacting with animals (hatching chickens, worm farm)
  • Veggie garden at ELC