Summary of Eight Ways of Teaching

(Armstrong, 2000a, p. 41)

Intelligence
Verbal/Linguistic

Logical-Mathematical

Visual/Spatial

Bodily-Kinaesthetic

Musical

Interpersonal

Intrapersonal

Naturalist

Teaching Activities
lectures, discussions,
word games, storytelling,
journal writing
brain teasers, problem
solving, science
experiments, mental
calculation, number
games, critical thinking
visual presentations, art
activities, imagination
games, mind-mapping,
metaphors, visualisation
hands-on learning,
drama, dance, sports,
tactile activities,
relaxation exercises
rhythmic learning,
rapping, using songs that
teach
cooperative learning,
peer tutoring, community
involvement, social
gatherings, simulations
individualised instruction,
independent study,
options in course of
study, self-esteem
building
nature study, ecological
awareness, care of
animals

Teaching Materials
books, tape recorders,
computers, stamp sets,
books on tape
calculators, maths
manipulatives, science
equipment, maths games

Instructional Strategies
read about it, write about
it, talk about it, listen to it

graphs, maps, video,

LEGO sets, art materials,
optical illusions, cameras,
picture library
building tools, clay, sports
equipment, manipulatives,
tactile learning resources

see it, draw it, visualise it,

colour it, mind-map it

tape recorder, music

collection, musical
instruments
board games, part
supplies, props for role
plays

sing it, rap it, listen to it

self-checking materials,
journals, materials for
projects

connect it to your personal

life, make choices with
regard to it, reflect on it

plants, animals,
naturalists' tools (e.g.
binoculars), gardening
tools

connect it to living things

and natural phenomena

Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence

quantify it, think critically

about it, put it in a logical
framework, experiment
with it

build it, act it out, touch it,

get a "gut feeling" of it,
dance it

teach it, collaborate on it,

interact with respect to it

Traditional linguistic strategies involving textbooks, worksheets, and lectures are only one
small part of a vast repertoire of teaching strategies for linguistic intelligence.
Storytelling-

Weave essential concepts, ideas, and instructional goals into a story that you tell
directly to the students

Storytelling doesnt have to be limited to conveying knowledge in English or SOSE, it

can also be applied in other learning areas such as maths and science- for example, to
teach the idea of multiplication, teachers can tell students the story of a group of
brothers and sisters who have magical powers and whatever they touch multiplies
Brainstorming-

Brainstorming can be about anything- words for a class poem, ideas for developing a
group project, thoughts about material in a lesson, etc.

Teachers should encourage students to share whatever comes to mind that is relevant,
create a learning environment where students are free from put-downs or criticisms,
and use a special system such as an outline, mindmap, or Venn diagram to organise
ideas
Tape recording-

Tape recording offers students a medium through which to learn about their linguistic
powers and helps them employ verbal skills to communicate, solve problems, and
express inner feelings

Students who are not good writers may also want to record their thoughts on tape as an
alternative mode of expression
Journal writing-

Keeping a personal journal involves students in making ongoing written records related
to a specific domain that could be broad and open-ended or on a specific topic

Journals can be kept in maths, science, literature, or other subjects

They can also incorporate multiple intelligences by allowing drawings, sketches,
photos, dialogues, and other nonverbal data
Publishing-

By providing students with opportunities to publish and distribute their work, teachers
can show students that writing is a powerful tool for communicating ideas and
influencing people

Publishing takes many forms- students writings may be photocopied and distributed
or keyed into a word-processing program and printed in multiple copies; students can
submit their writing to a school or city newspaper or a childrens magazine; writing
can be bound in book form and made available in a special section of the class or
school library; or published on a school website
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Use storytelling to explain _____

 Conduct a debate on _____

Write a poem, myth, legend, short play, or news article about _____
Create a talk show radio program about _____
Conduct an interview of _____ on _____

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
Calculations and quantifications-

Teachers should take advantage of opportunities to talk about numbers both inside and
outside of maths and science, to show students that maths is a part of all areas of life

In subjects such as history and geography, you may focus on important statistics- lives
lost in wars, populations of countries, etc.

In literature, there are some poems, novels, and short stories that make reference to
numbers
Classifications and categorisations-

Organising information around central themes or ideas make them easier to remember
and discuss

Example of logical-frameworks include Venn diagrams, time lines, 5W organisers

(diagrams that answer who, what, when, where, and why), and mindmaps
Socratic questioning-

In Socratic questioning, the teacher serves as a questioner of students points of view

and participates in dialogue with students, rather than simply talking at them

Students share their hypotheses about how the world works or their views regarding an
issue, and the teacher guides the testing of these hypotheses for logical
coherence, clarity, and relevance through questioning
Heuristics-

The field of heuristics refers to a loose collection of strategies, rules of thumb,

guidelines and suggestions for logical problem solving

Examples of heuristic principles include- finding analogies to the problem you wish to
solve, separating the various parts of the problem, proposing a possible solution to the
problem and then working backwards, and finding a problem related to yours and then
solving it
Science thinking-

Teachers should take advantage of applying scientific knowledge, principles, and skills
to other learning areas- for example, students could study the influence scientific ideas

have had on history (e.g. how the development of the atomic bomb influenced the
outcome of WWII), or they could learn about global issues such as AIDS or the
greenhouse effect that require some science background to be well understood
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Translate a _____ into a mathematical formula

Design and conduct an experiment on _____
Make up syllogisms to demonstrate _____
Make up analogies to explain _____
Describe the patterns or symmetry in _____
Others of your choice _____

Visual/Spatial Intelligence
Visualisation-

Students could create their own inner blackboard in their mind where they can
place any material they need to remember, such as spelling words, maths formulas,
history facts, etc.

Students could also close their eyes and picture what theyve just read or studied, and
then draw or talk about their experiences
Colour cues-

There are many creative ways of putting colour into the classroom as a learning tool,
such as using a variety of colours of whiteboard markers and transparencies when
writing in front of the class; providing students with coloured pencils and pens and
coloured paper for assignments; and encouraging students to use different coloured
markers to colour code material they are studying
Idea sketching-

This involves asking students to draw the key point, main idea, central theme, or core
concept being taught, and can be used by teachers to help evaluate a students
understanding of an idea or concept

To prepare students for this kind of drawing, it may be helpful to play the game
Pictionary so that students are used to the notion of making rapid drawings that convey
central ideas
Graphic symbols-

Teachers should use drawings and graphic symbols to depict concepts and ideas to
reach wider range of learners in the classroom

 Examples- showing the three states of matter by drawing a solid mass (heavy chalk
marks), a liquid mass (lighter curvy marks), and a gaseous mass (little dots)
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Chart, map, cluster, or graph _____

Create a slide show, videotape, or photo album of _____
Create a piece of art that demonstrates _____
Invent a board or card game to demonstrate _____
Illustrate, draw, paint, sketch, or sculpt _____

Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligence
Body answers-

Ask students to respond to instruction by using their bodies as a medium of expression

This strategy can be varied in any number of ways- instead of raising hands to indicate
understanding, students could smile, blink one eye, hold up fingers, etc
The classroom theatre-

To bring out the actor in each of your students, ask them to act out the texts, problems,
or other material to be learned by dramatising or role playing the content

Classroom theatre can be as informal as a one-minute improvisation of a reading

passage during class or as formal as a one-hour play at the end of the term
Hands-on thinking-

Teachers should also provide ample opportunities to learn by manipulating objects or

by making things

Many teachers have already provided such opportunities by incorporating

manipulatives (e.g. Cuisenaire rods) into maths instruction and involving students in
experiments or lab work in science

Other hands-on activities could include making three-dimensional models, forming

spelling words in clay or with pipe cleaners, or even expressing complex concepts by
creating sculptures or collages
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Create a movement or sequence of movements to explain _____

Make task or puzzle cards for _____

 Build or construct a _____

Plan and attend a field trip that will _____
Bring hands-on materials to demonstrate _____

Musical Intelligence
Rhythms, songs, raps, and chants-

Take the essence of whatever you are teaching and put it into a rhythmic format that
can be either sung, rapped, or chanted

Examples include spelling words to the rhythm of a metronome; singing the times
tables to a song; identifying the main idea of a story or central theme of a concept by
placing it in a rhythmic format

Teachers could also encourage students themselves to create songs, raps, or chants
that summarise, synthesise, or apply meanings from subjects they are studying
Supermemory music-

In the 1970s, educational researchers in eastern Europe discovered that students could
more easily commit information to memory if they listened to the teachers instruction
against a musical background- Baroque and classical musical selections in 4/4 time
were found to be particularly effective
Mood music-

Locate recorded music that creates an appropriate mood or emotional atmosphere for a
particular lesson or unit, such as sound effects, nature sounds, or classical or
contemporary pieces that facilitate specific emotional states or highlights the main idea
in your lesson
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Give a presentation with appropriate musical accompaniment on _____

Sing a rap or song that explains _____
Indicate the rhythmical patterns in _____
Explain how the music of a song is similar to _____
Make an instrument and use it to demonstrate _____

Interpersonal Intelligence
Some students need time to bounce their ideas off other people if they are to function
optimally in the classroom- these social learners benefit most from the emergence of
cooperative learning
Peer sharing-

Ask students to turn to the person next to them and share with them their thoughts
about material just coverd in class, or begin a lesson with a peer brainstorming session
to reveal their existing knowledge about a topic

You may want to set up a buddy system so that each student shares with the same
person each time or you may want to encourage students to share with different
members of the class

Sharing periods can be short (30 secs) or extend (up to an hour)

Peer sharing can also evolve into peer tutoring or cross-age tutoring
People sculptures-

A people structure involves a group of students collectively representing in physical

form an idea or concept

For example, if students are studying the skeletal system, they can build a people
structure of a skeleton in which each person represents a bone or group of bones

In algebra, students can create peoples sculptures of different equations, each

person representing either a number of a function in the equation
Cooperative groups-

Students could work in small groups and tackle a learning assignment in a variety of
works- they may work collectively on a written assignment with each member
contributing ideas, or they may divide its responsibilities in a number of ways
Board games-

On one level, students are chatting, discussing rules, throwing dice, and laughing- and
on another level, they are engaged in learning whatever skill or subject happens to be
the focus of the game

Topics can include a wide range of subjects, from maths facts and phonics skills to rain
forest data and history questions

Teachers can also design their own board games based on open-ended or activitycentered tasks

Simulations-

A simulation involves a group of people coming together to create an as-if

environment

This temporary setting becomes the context for getting into more immediate contact
with the material being learned

For example, students studying a historical period might dress up in costumes of that
time, turn the classroom into a place that might have existed then, and begin acting as if
they were living in that era

Through conversation and other interactions, students begin to get an insiders view
of the topic they are studying
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Conduct a meeting to address _____

Intentionally use _____ social skills to learn about _____
Participate in a service project to _____
Teach someone about _____
Practice giving and receiving feedback on _____
Use technology to ____

Intrapersonal Intelligence
One-minute reflection periods-

One-minute reflection periods offer students time to digest the information presented in
a lesson or to connect it to happenings in their own lives- they also provide a change of
pace that helps students stay alert and ready for the next activity
Personal connections-

The big question that accompanies strongly intrapersonal students through their
school career is what does all this have to do with my life?

Teachers should weave students personal associations, feelings, and experiences

into their instruction
Choice time-

Choice time consists of building in opportunities for students to make decisions about
their learning experiences

 Choices may relate to content (decide which topic you would like to explore or to
process (choose from this list a method of presenting your project)
Goal-setting sessions-

One of the characteristics of highly developed intrapersonal learners is their capacity to

set realistic goals for themselves

Teachers should provide students with goal-setting sessions which allow students to
establish both short-term and long-term goals

The goals themselves can relate to academic outcomes, wider learning outcomes, or
life goals

Students can also use different methods of representing those goals (through words,
pictures, etc.) and methods for charting their progress along the way (through graphs,
charts, journals, time lines)
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Describe qualities you possess that will help you successfully complete _____
Set and pursue a goal to _____
Describe one of your personal values about _____
Write a journal entry on _____
Assess your own work in ____

Naturalist Intelligence
More learning needs to take place for these kids outside in natural settings, and more of the
natural world needs to be brought into the classroom, so that naturalistically inclined students
might have greater access to developing their naturalist intelligence.
Nature walks-

The class could go on a walk in the woods or visit any other nearby natural
settings

Science and maths can be studied in the various principles at work in the the growth of
plants, the weather above, the earth below, and the animals around

If youre teaching a piece of literature or a history lesson that involves a natural

setting, you might use a nature walk as an opportunity to reconstruct a scene from the
story of period of history

 Nature walks are also good for getting your class ready to do some creative writing,
drawing, or other art-oriented activities
Plants as props-

Bring nature into your classroom- decoarate window sills and shelves with house
plants and and use plants as props or a background scenery for classroom theatre

In science and maths, students can measure the growth of the plants
In history, students might consider the plants function or usefulness as herbal
medicines, foods, or even poisons
Classroom pet-

A class pet provides the naturalistically inclined student with a safe place in the
classroom where they can have a direct relationship with the natural world

Having a pet in the classroom has many specific instructional uses- kids can develop
the scientific skill of observation by keeping notes on a pets behaviour; keep maths
records on their pets food intake, weight, and other vital statistics
Activity statements/Questions to use-

Create observation notebooks of _____

Describe changes in the local or global environment _____
Care for pets, wildlife, gardens, or parks _____
Use binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, or magnifiers to _____
Draw or photograph natural objects _____

Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

Description: Verbal-linguistic students love words and use them as a primary way of thinking and solving problems. They are good
writers, speakers, or both. They use words to persuade, argue, entertain, and/or teach.
Learning Activities and Project Ideas:
Completing crossword puzzles with vocabulary words.
Playing games like Scrabble, Scrabble Junior, or Boggle.
Writing short stories for a classroom newsletter.
Writing feature articles for the school newspaper.
Writing a letter to the editor in response to articles.
Writing to state representatives about local issues.
Using digital resources such as electronic libraries, desktop publishing, word games, and word processing.

Creating poems for a class poetry book.

Entering their original poems in a poetry contest.
Listening to a storyteller.
Studying the habits of good speakers.
Telling a story to the class.
Participating in debates.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Math Smart)

Description: Logical-mathematical students enjoy working with numbers. They can easily interpret data and analyze abstract patterns.
They have a well-developed ability to reason and are good at chess and computer programming. They think in terms of cause and
effect.
Learning Activities and Project Ideas:
Playing math games like mancala, dominoes, chess, checkers, and Monopoly.
Searching for patterns in the classroom, school, outdoors, and home.
Conducting experiments to demonstrate science concepts.
Using math and science software such as Math Blaster, which reinforces math skills, or King's Rule, a logic game.
Using science tool kits for science programs.
Designing alphabetic and numeric codes.
Making up analogies.

Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart)

Description: Students strong in spatial intelligence think and process information in pictures and images. They have excellent visual
receptive skills and excellent fine motor skills. Students with this intelligence use their eyes and hands to make artistic or creatively
designed projects. They can build with Legos, read maps, and put together 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles.
Learning Activities and Project Ideas:
Taking photographs for assignments and classroom newsletters.
Taking photographs for the school yearbook, school newsletter, or science assignments.
Using clay or play dough to make objects or represent concepts from content-area lessons.
Using pictorial models such as flow charts, visual maps, Venn diagrams, and timelines to connect new material to known

information.
Taking notes using concept mapping, mind mapping, and clustering.
Using puppets to act out and reinforce concepts learned in class.
Using maps to study geographical locations discussed in class.
Illustrating poems for the class poetry book by drawing or using computer software.
Using virtual-reality system software.

Musical Intelligence (Music Smart)

Description: Musical students think, feel, and process information primarily through sound. They have a superior ability to perceive,
compose, and/or perform music. Musically smart people constantly hear musical notes in their head.
Learning Activities and Project Ideas:
Writing their own songs and music about content-area topics.
Putting original poems to music, and then performing them for the class.
Setting a poem to music, and then performing it for the class.
Incorporating a poem they have written with a melody they already know.
Listening to music from different historical periods.
Tape recording a poem over "appropriate" background music (i.e., soft music if describing a kitten, loud music if they are mad

about pollution).
Using rhythm and clapping to memorize math facts and other content-area information.
Listening to CDs that teach concepts like the alphabet, parts of speech, and states and capitals (i.e.,Schoolhouse Rock!).

Bodily-Kinesthetic (Body Smart)

Description: Bodily-kinesthetic students are highly aware of the world through touch and movement. There is a special harmony
between their bodies and their minds. They can control their bodies with grace, expertise, and athleticism.
Learning Activities and Project Ideas:
Creating costumes for role-playing, skits, or simulations.
Performing skits or acting out scenes from books or key historical events.
Designing props for plays and skits.
Playing games like Twister and Simon Says.
Using charades to act out characters in a book, vocabulary words, animals, or other content-area topics.

Participating in scavenger hunts, searching for items related to a theme or unit.

Acting out concepts. For example, for the solar system, "student planets" circle around a "student sun." Students line up
appropriately to demonstrate events in a history timeline.
Participating in movement breaks during the day.
Building objects using blocks, cubes, or Legos to represent concepts from content-area lessons.
Using electronic motion-simulation games and hands-on construction kits that interface with computers.

Interpersonal (People Smart)

Description: Students strong in interpersonal intelligence have a natural ability to interact with, relate to, and get along with others
effectively. They are good leaders. They use their insights about others to negotiate, persuade, and obtain information. They like to
interact with others and usually have lots of friends.
Learning Activities and Project Ideas:
Working in cooperative groups to design and complete projects.
Working in pairs to learn math facts.
Interviewing people with knowledge about content-area topics (such as a veteran to learn about World War II, a lab technician

to learn about life science, or a politician to understand the election process).

Tutoring younger students or classmates.
Using puppets to put on a puppet show.

Intrapersonal Intelligence (Self Smart)

Description: People with a strong intrapersonal intelligence have a deep awareness of their feelings, ideas, and goals. Students with
this intelligence usually need time alone to process and create.
Learning Activities and Project Ideas:
Writing reflective papers on content-area topics.
Writing essays from the perspective of historical figures, such as Civil War soldiers or suffragettes.
Writing a literary autobiography, reflecting on their reading life.
Writing goals for the future and planning ways to achieve them.
Using software that allows them to work alone, such as Decisions, Decisions, a personal choice software, or the Perfect

Career, a career choice software.

Keeping journals or logs throughout the year.
Making a scrapbook for their poems, papers, and reflections.

Naturalistic Intelligence (Nature Smart)

Description: This intelligence refers to a person's natural interest in the environment. These people enjoy being in nature and want to
protect it from pollution. Students with strong naturalistic intelligence easily recognize and categorize plants, animals, and rocks.
Caring for classroom plants.
Caring for classroom pets.
Sorting and classifying natural objects, such as leaves and rocks.
Researching animal habitats.
Observing natural surroundings.
Organizing or participating in park/playground clean-ups, recycling drives, and beautification projects.