multiple intelligences - Outside the Box Learners

The Self-Smart Kid

This is the 8th and final post in the series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts.

You can find the first seven posts here: Nature-Smart Kid ,Word-Smart Kid, Logic-Smart Kid, Picture-Smart Kid, Music-Smart Kid , Body-Smart Kid and People-Smart Kid.

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

This post is all about the self-smart kid.

Just as one can be an introvert AND be people-smart, one can also be an extr0vert and be self-smart. One can also be both people-smart and self-smart (people that are this way can often confuse themselves and others!) It is not a “one or the other” thing. And we can all grow in any of these 8 areas!

Learning about the smarts should be used as a tool to help us understand our natural giftings more. It should empower us to be who God created us to be. But it should aslo not prevent us from growing and trying new things, and growing in those areas that aren’t as natural to us!

What A Self-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks with reflection.
When excited they like to spend time alone, thinking.
May struggle with decision fatigue.
Relate learning to their own lives and may come across as self-centered.
Wants to know things in depth.
Wants to understand and consider everything before answering a question. (which presents itself as a slow thinker)
Tend to be quiet and independent.
Aware and cautious.
Know what they believe and why.
Thinks about the future often.
Tend to be more critical of themselves and others. Tend toward perfectionism.

Possible Careers for a Self-Smart Kid:

Sales
Research
Entrepreneur
Private Investigator
Writer
Counselor
Pastor

How You Can Nurture Self-Smart Kids:

Allow them time to be alone.
Provide individualized teaching and independent study.
Give them time to think before answering.
Encourage them to participate in groups, even though it’s uncomfortable for them (not only is it good for them to build confidence in sharing with others, but others will appreciate their unique perspective on things!)
Allow choice and options when it comes to what they are learning.
Provide a suitable environment for learning (since self-smart kids think with reflection, they may be distracted by people.)
Encourage and assist them in finding friends (this is harder for self-smart kids.)
If a self-smart kid wants to participate in a sport, but is uncomfortable with the idea of a team sport, consider an individual sport (such as running, tennis, swimming.)
Use alternate ways of communicating to connect with them (texting, journaling back and forth, etc.)

Resources for the Self-Smart Kid

Puzzles
Books
Legos
Journals (My daughter and I use this one to write back and forth to one another!)
Big Life Journal (focuses on growth mindset)

The People-Smart Kid

This is the 7th post in the series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts. You can find the first six posts here: Nature-Smart Kid ,Word-Smart Kid, Logic-Smart Kid, Picture-Smart Kid, Music-Smart Kid and Body-Smart Kid.

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

This post is all about the people-smart kid.

A quick word before I dive into the profile of the people-smart kid…

It’s easy to group extroverts as people-smart and introverts as self-smart (self-smart is the final smart I will cover in my next post!) However, it’s not that simple.

One can be an introvert AND be people-smart.

Don’t assume that just because your child (or yourself) is introverted, that they are not people-smart. They are just someone who needs to THINK with others but is ENERGIZED by time alone. Alternatively, if you are an extroverted people-smart person, you will need to THINK with others, and also be ENERGIZED by being with others.

We are complex beings, not easily boxed in. 🙂

What A People-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks with people.
When excited they talk more to people.
Processes ideas with others.
They get joy from sharing knowledge with others and understanding others.
Aware of other’s emotions (if they’re angry, sad, or happy) and responds appropriately to those emotions.
Intuitively know to befriend someone who may be feeling sad or lonely.
Wise in friendship. Knows who is a good friend, and who to keep a distance from (whether temporarily or permanently.)
Likes to bounce ideas off others. Clarifies thoughts when talking with others.
Works well in groups. Good at organizing others and keeping the peace, too.

Possible Careers for a People-Smart Kid:

Administrator
Pastor
Counselor
Politician
Lawyer
Social worker
Nurse
Missionary

How You Can Nurture People-Smart Kids:

People-smart kids will have difficulty with too much alone time. Provide opportunities for them to share ideas and think with others (whether that’s family or friends.)
Incorporate role-playing and discussions into their learning experience.
Read biographies and autobiographies of people they want to learn more about.
Talk with them, not at them.
Ask them questions, and answer their questions. Mull over ideas with them.

How to Strengthen Kids’ People-Smarts

Put down the devices and interact more with others.
Watch movies/shows together and talk about the characters and their emotions.
Set your kids up for success by providing smaller groups for them to interact where they don’t shut down. This can also boost their confidence.

Games/Resources for People-Smart Kids

The Body-Smart Kid

This is the 6th post in the series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts. You can find the first five posts here: Nature-Smart Kid ,Word-Smart Kid, Logic-Smart Kid, Picture-Smart Kid, and Music-Smart Kid.

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

This post is all about the body-smart kid. This is personally my weakest smart. And when I see people who are body-smart, I am in awe of the things they can do! An important distinction is that body-smart is not the same as a kinesthetic learner. Kinesthetic learners remember things by doing them (I’m actually this way!), but body-smart people think with movement.

What A Body-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks with movement and touch.
They move when they’re excited.
Have busy hands and feet- whether building, “talking” with hands, playing, tapping feet, walking (or running!)
Have good control of their body, and usually don’t struggle with large and small motor movement.
May thrive in activities like dancing, sports, acting, etc.
Generally, have good hand-eye coordination.
May have a diagnosis of ADHD
Move to think (kinesthetic learners move to remember.)

Possible Careers for a Body-Smart Kid:

Hairdresser
Fitness trainer
Mechanic
Orchestra Conductor (especially if tied with music-smart)
Surgeon
Seamstress
Physical Therapist
Truck Driver

How You Can Nurture Body-Smart Kids:

Invest in activities they gravitate towards (sports, drama, etc.) Helps them establish a healthy identity and a sense of belonging.
Consider chores that involve the body (sweeping, moving big items, folding laundry)
Give them lots of body breaks while learning. Sitting for a long time can be hard for body-smart kids!
Let them move while learning. Examples: math facts on the trampoline, pacing during read-aloud, doing bookwork while laying on their bed, or the floor, have them narrate a writing assignment to you while they move around.
Use lots of manipulatives with learning. These kids think with their hands!
Affirm their energy and movement as a positive quality. They will grow frustrated if constantly told to “sit down” or “stop that.”

How to Strengthen Kids’ Body-Smarts

Model physical activity.
Put away the technology and get outside!
Make time for gross-motor and fine-motor activities.
Consider chores that involve the body (sweeping, moving big items, folding laundry) Yes, this action point is for both body-smart kids and kids who can grow in this smart!
Consider sports they can grow in individually (Taekwondo was a great one to help my kids strengthen their body-smarts! Alternatively, running was a sport that helped awaken and strengthen my own body smarts when I was in middle school.)

The Music-Smart Kid

This is the 5th post in the series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts. You can find the first four posts here: Nature-Smart Kid ,Word-Smart Kid, Logic-Smart Kid, and Picture-Smart Kid

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

This post is all about the music-smart kid. I especially enjoyed learning more about this “smart” as we have a few people in our family who have this as one of their top smarts!

What A Music-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks with rhythm and melodies
They make music when they’re excited.
They recognize music in everyday sounds.
Likes to compose or make up their own jingles.
Taps their fingers to the beat of the song.
Can play one or more instruments.
Likes to have music playing in the background.
Might be interested in many different types of music.
May do well with memorizing of vocabulary words or math facts.

Possible Careers for a Music-Smart Kid:

Composer
Music teacher
Worship pastor
Music therapist
Advertiser
Piano tuner
Sound engineer
Website/video designer

How You Can Nurture Music-Smart Kids:

Invest in music lessons.
Have them play/sing for nursing home residents or at church.
Don’t overly critique their practicing or performances.
Attend their performances.
Go to concerts with them.
Play and talk about a variety of music styles.
Play music in the background.
Buy soundtracks to their favorite movies.
Tie into history by playing music from whatever time in history you’re learning about.
Listen to music with them and ask why they like the music they do.
If they tend towards perfectionism, help them understand that mistakes are part of the process.

Games/Resources for Music-Smart Kids:

The Picture-Smart Kid

This is the 4th post in the series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts.

You can find the first three posts here: Nature-Smart Kid ,Word-Smart Kid and Logic-Smart Kid.

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.

It’s important to remember that the multiple intelligences are not meant to box people in. One can grow in any of the “smarts”, though some come much more naturally to any given person.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

This post is all about the picture-smart kid.

What A Picture-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks in pictures.
Appreciates the aesthetics and beauty of things.
Is a creative child who needs time to create and draw.
Observant.
Can visualize things well.
Likely artistic.
May have a photographic memory.
May not do well in school (especially if logic or word smart are one of their weaker “smarts”).

Possible Careers for a Picture-Smart Kid:

Photographer
Clothing Designer
Illustrator
Cartographer
Architect
Interior Designer

How You Can Nurture Picture-Smart Kids:

Visit the art museum together.
Go to craft shows together (if they’re into that!) My picture-smart girl LOVES craft shows because she appreciates the beauty in the hand-made items.
After reading a Bible passage together, ask them, “What did you see?” rather than “What did you learn?”
If they are Minecrafters or play other visual games on the computer/iPad, make sure to balance screen-time with non-screen-time. Be tech-wise. Picture-smart kids are usually the kids who LOVE Minecraft or other computer games that are very visual. And while that is helping nurture their picture-smarts there needs to be a balance.
Allow them to illustrate what they’ve learned, or what they know.
Allow them to doodle or sketch while listening to read-alouds, lectures, sermons, etc. This can help them avoid learning fatigue.
Show interest in their doodling. It may seem insignificant to you, but to them it is important. That doodling today could become the animating of movies of tomorrow.
If you are a homeschooler, consider art courses from ChalkPastel.com that incorporate art into history, science and geography.
Our youngest doing a chalk pastel class on Space!

Ideas to help strengthen Picture-Smarts:

Build things together (legos, magna-tiles, wedgits). Children are forced to practice visualizing while building.
If they’re having a hard time imagining something, have them close their eyes and picture it.
Read stories that have great illustrations and talk about the pictures together (Caldecott books are a great start!)

Games/Resources for Picture-Smart Kids:

Chalk Pastel classes with Nana (With newly added lessons to go with history cycles and lessons!)

Picture-Smart Bible (Bible Curriculum specifically designed for Picture-Smart kiddos!)

The Logic-Smart Kid

This is the third post in a series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts. You can find the first two posts here: Nature-smart kid and Word-smart kid.

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.

It’s important to remember that the multiple intelligences are not meant to box people in. One can grow in any of them, though some come much more naturally to any given person.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

If your kid never outgrew the intense question asking phase that most kids hit around 3 or 4, then you may have a logic-smart kid. That’s because logic-smart people think with questions.

This post is all about the logic-smart kid.

What A Logic-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks with questions.
Asks questions when excited.
Does well in math.
Loves puzzles.
Thinks for fun.
Needs things to make sense.
If bored, may resort to taking things can apart (think pens, computers, toys, etc.) This may look like a mischievous child who gets into everthing. 🙂
Reads non-fiction for fun.
Loves science.

Possible Careers for a Logic-Smart Kid:

Researcher
Electrician
Plumber
Meteorologist (especially when paired with nature-smarts)
Pharmacist
Forensic Scientist
Accountant

How you can nurture Logic-Smart Kids:

Give them time to ask their inevitable questions.
Research things together.
Don’t shut down their questions.
Affirm their curious spirit.
If they’re having trouble finding fiction they like, encourage them to check out mysteries (logic-smart kids typically like non-fiction better, but may enjoy the problem-solving part of a mystery.)
If homeschooling, consider allowing them to dive deeper into their passions/interests rather than only sticking to what is on your agenda.
If your logic-smart child struggles with learning to read, try using “easy to read” non-fiction material on topics that interest them.

Ideas to help kids who struggle with Logic-Smarts:

Ask them lots of “what if” questions.
Play trivia games.
Ask questions about things they are interested in. Have them think of questions too.

Games/Activities for Logic-Smart Kids:

Jig-saw puzzles, Sudoku, Brain teasers

The Word-Smart Kid

This is the second post in a series I am doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts.

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart. Check out my first post here on the Nature-Smart Kid.

It’s important to remember that the multiple intelligences are not meant to box people in. One can grow in any of them, though some come much more naturally to any given person.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

This post is all about the word-smart kid.

What A Word-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks with words.
May speak multiple languages or have the capacity to learn multiple languages.
School is easy for them.
Reads & writes for pleasure.
May have been an early talker.
Learned their letters easily.
Has a large vocabulary.
Good at explaining things.

Possible Careers for a Word-Smart Kid:

Teacher
Pastor
Counselor
Journalist
Lawyer

How you can nurture Word-Smart Kids:

Since school may come easy, they may get frustrated when something is hard. Encourage them to persevere and push through.
Encourage them to read books that will challenge them.
Be a listener when they need to verbally process something out loud.
Ask questions and engage in conversation about topics that are important to them.
Encourage them to be good listeners with others.
Look for opportunities to grow and develop their abilities.

Ideas to help kids who struggle with Word-Smarts:

Read aloud to them a lot!
Model writing lists and/or make lists together.
Look for opportunities for them to write letters to friends/family (thank yous, get well cards, etc.)
Talk with them frequently about new things they’ve learned.
If they dislike writing, create more interest in writing by getting scented markers or gel pens.

Games/Activities for Word-Smart Kids:

The Nature-Smart Kid

This is the first post in a series I will be doing on the Multiple Intelligences or 8 Great Smarts.

For an overview of ALL the multiple intelligences, make sure to check out this post: Multiple Intelligences: Discovering the Way Your Child is Smart.

Also, it’s important to remember that the multiple intelligences are not meant to box people in. One can grow in any of them, though some will come much more naturally.

I’m starting with Nature-Smart. Nature Intelligence is easy for me to write about as I’m nature smart, and two of my children are as well.

This blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

In fact, one of my kids has been talking about the weather since he began using words. Nurturing his nature-intelligence and passion for weather has had a profoundly positive impact on his life.

What A Nature-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Thinks in patterns.
Invigorated from spending time outside (and may get crabby if they don’t get outside enough.)
Aware of their surroundings and seek to understand nature better (For example, do the shape and color of those clouds tell us anything about the weather…?)
Might love animals, or gardening.
Enjoys things like camping, and going on nature hikes.

Possible Careers for a Nature-Smart Kid:

Veterinarian
Pet-sitter
Landscaper
Park Ranger
Meteorologist

How you can nurture Nature-Smart Kids:

Connect what they’re studying to nature. Examples: History – Research how people built things and how they grew their food at different points in history. Math – Make a chart of all the different geysers at Yellowstone National Park and compare how high they can get or how frequently they erupt.
Let them study outside if possible.
Go on nature hikes or drives.
When it comes to chores, consider giving them chores such as weeding, pruning, mowing the lawn, watering plants, taking care of pets
Grow something, whether a small plant inside or bigger garden outside.
Get a bird feeder to attract different birds to your backyard. Have binoculars nearby.

Games/ Activities/Books for Nature-Smart Kids:

Autumn Themed Poetry Tea Time – FREE PRINTABLE

We have been enjoying Poetry Tea Time each week. It is indeed a bright spot on our Tuesdays and we are loving having it as part of our weekly routine. We pull out the tablecloth, light a candle, spread out the poetry books and scrounge up whatever treats we can, just to make it special.

One thing I am discovering is the need to mix things up. Unfortunately, my current repertoire of poetry leaves much to be desired. So for now, I am relying on our local library. And I have discovered that not all poetry books are created equal. Some are ~~not very good~~ LAME. I haven’t had much success finding fall poetry books with the exception of Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh (affiliate link). I know quality fall poetry books are out there though!

With fall being in full swing, I wanted to “spice” things up a bit, so I decided we would take some time during Poetry Tea Time to write our own poetry. Because I’m having so much fun creating stuff on Canva, I made a template for an AUTUMN acrostic poem. Obviously, you don’t need a printable to do an acrostic poem, but I had fun adding images and making it look pretty.

Here’s the autumn acrostic poem printable: AUTUMN (1)

Here’s the poem my daughter wrote. She’s “word smart” and whipped this up in no time.

For more on the 8 great smarts, go here.

Looking for other fall activities? You can find my Fall Scavenger printable here: Fall Scavenger Hunt (1)

Multiple Intelligences – Discovering the Ways Your Child is Smart

Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you).

I first heard of multiple intelligences when I was a college student taking loads of education classes. The idea of multiple intelligences completely resonated with me and set a framework for how I now see my own kids.

So what ARE multiple intelligences?

The idea started with a man named Howard Gardner who came up with the “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” which he proposed in 1983 in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences . As a side note – I have not read this book. I have read Dr. Kathy Koch’s book How Am I Smart? (now called 8 Great Smarts) which is all about multiple intelligences.

I am not here to debate the science behind this, but want to present the information for you to use as a tool to encourage and empower your own kids, especially those kids who may be “outside the box”.

According to Gardner there are eight different intelligences or “smarts”.

They include:

Spatial – “Picture Smart”
Possible careers: Architect, Illustrator, Construction Worker, Web Designer

Musical – “Music Smart”
Possible careers: Conductor, Disk Jockey, Music Therapist, Sound Engineer

Bodily-Kinesthetic – “Body Smart”
Possible careers: Actor, Carpenter, Dancer, Physical Therapist

Linguistic – “Word Smart”
Possible careers: Teacher, Lawyer, Politician, Writer

Logical-Mathematical – “Logic Smart”
Possible careers: Accountant, Banker, Computer Programmer, Scientist

Interpersonal – “People Smart”
Possible careers: Counselor, Teacher, Administrator, Nurse

Intrapersonal – “Self Smart”
Possible careers: Guidance Counselor, Comedian, Detective, Entrepreneur

Naturalistic – “Nature Smart”
Possible careers: Animal Trainer, Environmental Scientist, Meteorologist, Nature Photographer

Where do your kids fall in this list? OR, where do you fall? Happy learning!

This is merely a “cliff notes” version of Multiple Intelligences. I encourage you to check out the books(linked above) to learn more!

**For a more complete list of possible careers go to the Kathy Koch’s website listed below.**

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Here are some links for further reading:

www.8greatsmarts.com (Dr. Kathy Koch’s website on Multiple Intelligences)

http://multipleintelligencesoasis.org/ (This is Howard Gardner’s site on Multiple Intelligences)

Also, a book I just discovered while gathering info for this article is You’re Smarter Than You Think. I will be checking if our library has that one!

What A Self-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a Self-Smart Kid:

How You Can Nurture Self-Smart Kids:

Resources for the Self-Smart Kid

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What A People-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a People-Smart Kid:

How You Can Nurture People-Smart Kids:

How to Strengthen Kids’ People-Smarts

Games/Resources for People-Smart Kids

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What A Body-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a Body-Smart Kid:

How You Can Nurture Body-Smart Kids:

How to Strengthen Kids’ Body-Smarts

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What A Music-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a Music-Smart Kid:

How You Can Nurture Music-Smart Kids:

Games/Resources for Music-Smart Kids:

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What A Picture-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a Picture-Smart Kid:

How You Can Nurture Picture-Smart Kids:

Ideas to help strengthen Picture-Smarts:

Games/Resources for Picture-Smart Kids:

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What A Logic-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a Logic-Smart Kid:

How you can nurture Logic-Smart Kids:

Ideas to help kids who struggle with Logic-Smarts:

Games/Activities for Logic-Smart Kids:

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What A Word-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a Word-Smart Kid:

How you can nurture Word-Smart Kids:

Ideas to help kids who struggle with Word-Smarts:

Games/Activities for Word-Smart Kids:

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What A Nature-Smart Kid Looks Like:

Possible Careers for a Nature-Smart Kid:

How you can nurture Nature-Smart Kids:

Games/ Activities/Books for Nature-Smart Kids:

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So what ARE multiple intelligences?

According to Gardner there are eight different intelligences or “smarts”.

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