Special Intelligence Indicators
The following descriptors are an adaptation, synthesis, or summary from many popular MI
authors. (i.e. Thomas Armstrong; David Lazear; Bruce & Linda Campbell, as well as from the
work of the parent MI conceptualizer, Dr. Howard Gardner.
Linguistic Intelligence - (Word Smart)
Writes better than average for their age
Spins tales and tells jokes and stories
Has a good memory for names, places, dates, and trivia
Enjoys word games
Spells words accurately
Appreciates nonsense rhymes, puns, tongue twisters, etc.
Enjoys listening to the spoken word
Has a good vocabulary for his/her age
Communicates to others in a highly verbal way
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence - (Number Smart)
Asks a lot of questions about how things work
Computes arithmetic questions in his/her head quickly
Enjoys the challenges of math class
Finds math games and math computer games interesting
Enjoys playing chess, checkers, or other strategy games
Enjoys working with logic puzzles and brainteasers
Likes to experiment in a way that shows higher order thinking processes
Thinks on a more abstract levels than peers
Has a good sense of cause and effect relationships for his/her age
Musical Intelligence -(Music Smart)
Tells you when music is off-key or disturbing in some other way
Remembers the melody of songs
Has a good singing voice
Plays a musical instrument or sings in a choir or other musical group
Has a rhythmic way of speaking and/or moving
Unconsciously hums to him/herself
Taps rhythmically on the table or desk as he/she works
Is sensitive to the environmental noises, like rain of the roof
Can easily imitate the voices and inflections of others
Spatial Intelligence - (Picture Smart)
Reports clear visual images
Reads maps, charts, and diagrams more easily than text
Daydreams more than peers
Enjoys art activities
Draws figures and pictures that are advanced for age
Likes to view movies, slides, or other visual presentations
Enjoys doing puzzles, mazes, “Where’s Waldo?” or “hidden picture” or “I spy”- types
activities, and challenges like hidden pictures or similar games
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Builds interesting three-dimensional constructions for age Legos)
Gets more out of pictures than words when reading
Doodles on workbooks, worksheets, or other materials
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart)
Excels in one or more sports
Moves, twitches, taps, fidgets while seated for a long time in one spot
Cleverly mimics other people’s gestures and mannerisms
Loves to take things apart and put them back together again
Has trouble keeping his/her hands off something new just seen
Enjoys jumping, wrestling, or similar activities
Shows skill on a craft or good fine-motor coordination in other ways
Has dramatic way of expressing him/herself
Reports different physical sensations while thinking or working
Enjoys working with clay or other tactile medium, and enjoys hands on art activities
Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart)
Enjoys socializing with peers
Seems to be a natural leader
Gives advice to friends who have problems
Seems to be people smart -- attuned to others
Belongs to clubs, committees, or other organizations
Enjoys informally teaching other kids
Likes to play games with other kids
Has two or more close friends
Has a good sense of empathy or concern for others
Others seek out his/her company
Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Smarts)
Displays a sense of independence or strong will
Has a realistic sense of his/her strengths and weaknesses
Does well when left alone to play or study
Marches to the beat of a different drummer in his/her style of living and learning
Has an interest or hobby that he or she doesn't talk about much
Has a good sense of self-direction
Prefers working alone to working with others
Accurately expresses how he/she is feeling
Is able to learn from his/her failures and successes
Has high self-esteem
Naturalistic Intelligence (Nature Smarts)
Has a strong affinity to the outside world, to the beauty in nature, or to animals
Enjoys subjects, shows, or stories that deal with animals or natural phenomena
May show unusual interest in subjects like biology, zoology, botany, geology,
meteorology or astronomy
Is keenly aware of his/her surroundings and changes in the environment
Has highly developed senses that help him/her notice similarities, differences and
changes in his/her surroundings
May be able to categorize or catalogue things easily
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May notice things others might may not be aware of
Likes to collect, classify, or read about things from nature — rocks, fossils, butterflies,
feathers, shells, and the like
Prefers to be outside and readily appreciates and embraces activities like camping,
hiking, scuba diving, bird watching, gardening, or climbing, or perhaps he/she may
just like sitting quietly and noticing the subtle differences in his/her environment
Note on the ninth intelligence - existential intelligence:
There are many people who feel that there should be a ninth intelligence, existential
intelligence (A.K.A.: "wondering smart, cosmic smart, spiritually smart, or metaphysical
intelligence"). The possibility of this intelligence has been alluded to by Gardner in several of
his works. He has stated that existential intelligence might be manifest in someone who is
concerned with fundamental questions about existence, or who questions the intricacies of
existence. And while Professor Gardner has offered a preliminary definition as:
Individuals who exhibit the proclivity to pose and ponder questions about life, death, and
ultimate realities
he has yet he has not fully confirmed, endorsed, or described this intelligence. Perhaps the
difficulty is that Gardner wisely believes that this will open a can of worms best left out of the
arena of education. Or, since a great deal of the importance and credibility of Gardner's work
rests on neurological evidence of site specific locations within the brain, it might be that it is a
bit risky for any author or scientist to definitively pinpoint the exact biological seat of spiritual
wonder or cosmic awareness without offending any number of people, or some cultural or
religious groups. It is important to remember that part of the power of Gardner's work
depends upon careful examination of the available data and scientific evidence. So, at this
point in time, it might be safer to say that existential intelligence is the "half" in 8-1/2
intelligences that comprise MI Theory.
Despite this avoidance on Gardner's part to definitively commit to existential intelligence,
there are many who have accepted the presence of this intelligence as fact and have
attempted to clarify what it might look like if it were part of the MI array. For those who have
met children who appear to have "old souls," it is often easy to accept the existence of
existential intelligence as something very real and important. These are the children who
appear to have a sixth sense, they may be psychic, or ones who pose, and sometimes even
answer, life's larger questions. Like:
Why am I here? Why are we here?
Are there other dimensions, and if so what are they like?
Can animals understand us, or do animals go to heaven?
Are there really ghosts?
Where do we go when we die?
Why are some people evil?
Is there life on other planets?
Where is heaven?
Why does God live?
These may be those children who can be described as "fully aware" of the cosmos -- of its
diversity, complexity, and wonder. Frequently, these are the children who persist in asking
those "big" questions that adults cannot answer.
Adapted from: https://thesecondprinciple.com/optimal-learning/multiple-intelligence-indicators/
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