These are handouts for a seminar conducted through Animas Centre for Coaching in the U.K. delivered on April 4, 2024. In the presentation, I talk about the eight intelligences in Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, explaining how to assess them in oneself and others, how Gardner came up with these particular intelligences, and how MI theory can be applied to coaching practices such as career advice, learning strategies, and problem-solving styles. Finally I share something about the six books I've written on the topic, including 7 Kinds of Smart, Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, and In Their Own Way.

1. Eight Kinds of Smart:
Building on a Neurodivergent Client’s Assets to
Help Them Succeed in Home, Work, and Life
Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
Animas Centre for Coaching
April 4, 2024

2. Agenda
 The Eight Kinds of Smart
 Foundations of MI Theory
 Assessing Your Own MI
 Coaching Applications
 Problem-Solving Styles
 Learning Strategies
 Career Issues
 Q & A

3. The Eight Kinds of Smart
 Word Smart
 Number/Logic Smart
 Picture Smart
 Body Smart
 Music Smart
 People Smart
 Self Smart
 Nature Smart

4. Six Criteria for an Intelligence
 Potential Isolation by Brain Damage
 Existence of Exceptional Individuals
 A Distinctive Developmental History
 An Evolutionary History
 Susceptibility to Encoding
in a Symbol System
 A Diverse Cultural Presence

5. Four Key Points for MI Theory
 Each of us has ALL eight (or nine) intelligences
 There are many ways to be intelligent in each category
 Most people can develop an intelligence to an adequate level
of competency
 Intelligences usually work together in complex ways

6. MI Inventory for Adults (page 1)
Check those statements that apply:
Word Smart
__ Books are important to me.
__ I can hear words in my head before I read, speak, or write them down.
__ I get more out of listening to the radio or a spoken-word cassette than I do from television or films.
__ I enjoy entertaining myself or others with tongue twisters, nonsense rhymes, or puns.
__ Other people sometimes have to stop and ask me to explain the meaning of the words I use in my
writing and speaking.
__ English, social studies, and history were easier for me in school than math and science.
__ When I drive down a freeway, I pay more attention to the words written on billboards than to the scenery.
__ My conversation includes frequent references to things that I’ve read or heard.
__ I’ve written something recently that I was particularly proud of or that earned me recognition from others.
Number/Logic Smart
__ I can easily compute numbers in my head.
__ Math and/or science were among my favorite subjects in school.
__ I enjoy playing games or solving brainteasers that require logical thinking.
__ I like to set up little “what if” experiments (for example, “What if I double the amount of water I give to my
rosebush each week?”).
__ My mind searches for patterns, regularities, or logical sequences in things.
__ I’m interested in new developments in science.
__ I believe that almost everything has a rational explanation.
__ I sometimes think in clear, abstract, wordless, imageless concepts.
__ I like finding flaws in things that people say or do at home and work.
__ I feel more comfortable when something has been measured, categorized, analyzed, or quantified in some
way.
Adapted from Thomas
Armstrong, 7 Kinds of Smart:
Identifying and Developing Your
Multiple Intelligences (Plume,
1999).

7. MI Inventory for Adults (page 2)
Picture Smart
__ I often see clear visual images when I close my eyes.
__ I’m sensitive to color.
__ I frequently use a camera or camcorder to record what I see around me.
__ I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, mazes, and other visual puzzles.
__ I have vivid dreams at night.
__ I enjoyed art a lot in school.
__ I like to draw or doodle.
__ Geometry was easier for me than algebra in school.
__ I can comfortably imagine how something might appear if it were looked down upon from directly above in a bird’s eye
view.
__I prefer looking at reading materials that have lots of pictures in them
Body Smart
__ I engage in at least one sport or physical activity on a regular basis.
__ I find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time.
__ I like working with my hands at concrete activities such as sewing, weaving, carving, or model building.
__ My best ideas often come to me when I’m out for a long walk or a jog, or when I’m engage in some other kind of
physical activity.
__ I sometimes get “gut feelings” about things (e.g. I actually feel it in my body).
__ I frequently use hand gestures or other forms of body language when conversing with someone.
__ I need to touch things in order to learn more about them.
__ I enjoy daredevil amusement rides or similar thrilling physical experiences.
__ I would describe myself as well coordinated.
__ I need to practice a new skill rather than simply read about it, or see a video that describes it.
Adapted from Thomas
Armstrong, 7 Kinds of Smart:
Identifying and Developing Your
Multiple Intelligences (Plume,
1999).

8. MI Inventory for Adults (page 3)
Music Smart
__ I have a pleasant singing voice.
__ I can tell when a Music Smart note is off-key.
__ I frequently listen to music on radio, records, cassettes, or compact discs.
__ I play a Music Smart instrument.
__ My life would be poorer if there were no music in it.
__ I sometimes catch myself walking down the street with a jingle or other tune running through my mind.
__ I can easily keep time to a piece of music with a simple percussion instrument.
__ I know the tunes to many different songs or Music Smart pieces.
__ If I hear a Music Smart selection once or twice, I am usually able to sing it back fairly accurately.
__ I often make tapping sounds or sing little melodies while working, studying, or learning something new.
People Smart
__ I’m the sort of person that people come to for advice and counsel at work or in my neighborhood.
__ I prefer group sports like soccer, volleyball, or softball to solo sports such as swimming, jogging, and
weight training.
__ When I have a problem, I’m more likely to seek out another person for help than attempt to work it out on
my own.
__ I have at least three close friends.
__ I favor social pastimes such as Monopoly or bridge over individual recreations such as video games and
solitaire.
__ I enjoy the challenge of teaching another person, or groups of people, what I know how to do.
__ I consider myself a leader (or others have called me that).
__ I feel comfortable in the midst of a crowd.
__ I like to get involved in social activities connected with my work, church, or community.
__ I would rather spend my evenings at a party than stay at home alone.
Adapted from Thomas
Armstrong, 7 Kinds of Smart:
Identifying and Developing Your
Multiple Intelligences (Plume,
1999).

9. MI Inventory for Adults (page 4)
Self Smart
__ I regularly spend time alone meditating, reflecting, or thinking about important life questions.
__ I have attended counseling sessions or personal growth seminars to learn more about myself.
__ I am able to respond to setbacks with resilience.
__ I have a special hobby or interest that I keep pretty much to myself.
__ I have some important goals for my life that I think about on a regular basis.
__ I have a realistic view of my strengths and weaknesses (borne out by feedback from other sources).
__ I would prefer to spend a weekend along in a cabin in the woods (or some other solitary place) than be at a resort with
lots of people around.
__ I consider myself to be strong willed or independent-minded.
__ I keep a personal diary or journal to record the events of my life.
__ I am self-employed or have at least thought seriously about starting my own business.
Nature Smart
__ I have pets that I love and/or enjoy animals when I’m around them.
__ I enjoy gardening and/or like to have plants around me at home or work.
__ I can find my way around unfamiliar natural terrain with some ease.
__ I like to visit nature museums, aquariums, zoos, or other places that display living things.
__ I prefer to spend my free time in some kind of natural setting (e.g. lakes, mountains, rivers, etc.).
__ I sometimes just enjoy looking at clouds, mountains, trees, or other natural formations.
__ I have an ability to identify different kinds of birds, plants, or other living things.
__ I have a pretty highly developed sense of ecological awareness and/or sense of responsibility for helping to take care
of Mother Earth.
__ I enjoy TV programs and/or reading about nature topics (e.g. Nature on PBS or National Geographic).
__ I have been involved in organizations or clubs that focus on nature issues (e.g. Sierra Club, bird study group,
hiking group, animal rescue etc.).
Adapted from Thomas
Armstrong, 7 Kinds of Smart:
Identifying and Developing Your
Multiple Intelligences (Plume,
1999).

10. MI Inventory for Adults (page 5)
Life Smart
__ I think a lot about life and death
__ I get into serious discussions with my parents, religious authorities, friends, or others about religious, spiritual, or
philosophical issues
__I have had special experiences that lifted me out of the everyday concerns of life and into a deeper perspective about the
universe.
__I spend time by myself thinking about the meaning of life, existence, God, death, or other existential themes.
__I’ve had dreams that had to do with the nature of existence, the purpose of life, the meaning of our time on this planet,
or other similar cosmic issues.
__I’ve had a brush with death that caused me to look at life in a totally different way.
__I read a lot about philosophy, religion, or the cosmic dimensions of science.
__I’ve had special psychic, mystical, spiritual, or other non-ordinary experiences that I couldn’t really explain to anyone
around me.
__I’ve participated in some kind of religious, spiritual, or philosophical community activities that have been very meaningful
to me.
__I’ve found meaning in engaging in meditation, reflection, prayer, or some other individual experience that have opened me
up to the bigger questions of life.
Adapted from Thomas
Armstrong, 7 Kinds of Smart:
Identifying and Developing Your
Multiple Intelligences (Plume,
1999).

11. Self
Smart
Word
Smart
Number/
Logic
Smart
Picture
Smart
Body
Smart
Music
Smart
Nature
Smart
People
Smart
MI Pizza

12. Word Smart Number/
Logic Smart
Picture
Smart
Body
Smart
Music Smart People
Smart
Self Smart
Reading Deducing Visualizing Gut
Feelings
Making
Music
Relating Reflecting
Writing Calculating Doodling Making Hearing
Music
Confiding Feeling
Verbalizing Categorizing Diagram-
ing
Moving Composing
Music
Coopera-
ting
Planning
Listening Quantifying Designing Touching Feeling
Music
Organiz-
ing
Dreaming
Different Problem-Solving Styles

13. Boyle’s Law - 8 Ways
 Word Smart - verbal definition
 Number/Logic Smart - equation
 Picture Smart - visual metaphor
 Body Smart - mouth experiment
 Music Smart - Boyle’s Law chant
 People Smart – cooperative demo
 Self Smart – personal metaphor
 Nature Smart – marine biology

14. Examples of MI “Mismatch”
 Picture Smart individual in job requiring word processing
 Body Smart individual in 9-5 desk job
 Self Smart individual as a team manager
 Nature Smart individual stuck in an office
 Life Smart individual stuck in an organization with questionable ethics
14

15. Matching Career to MI
 Word Smart
 Librarian
 Editor
 Translator
 Writer
 Journalist
 Legal assistant
 Lawyer
 Secretary
 Language teacher
 Other_______
 Number/Logic Smart
 Accountant
 Math or science teacher
 Scientist
 Computer programmer
 Data analyst
 Purchasing agent
 Statistician
 Investment advisor
 Actuary
 Other_____

16. Matching Career to MI
 Picture Smart
 Architect
 Urban planner
 Graphic artist
 Fine artist
 Interior decorator
 Photographer
 Art teacher
 Inventor
 Video game designer
 Other _____
 Music Smart
 Music teacher
 Piano tuner
 Sound engineer
 Choral director
 Orchestra conductor
 Instrumentalist
 Singer
 Disc jockey
 Songwriter
 Other _____

17. Matching Career to MI
 Body Smart
 Physical therapist
 Actor
 Mechanic
 Craftsperson
 PE teacher
 Professional athlete
 Dancer
 Recreational worker
 Sports coach
 Other _____
 People Smart
 Administrator
 Manager
 Counselor
 Personnel worker
 Arbitrator
 Public relations person
 Marketing expert
 Social director
 Salesperson
 Other _____

18. Matching Career to MI
 Self Smart
 Psychologist
 Psychology teacher
 Entrepreneur
 Life coach
 Career counselor
 Program planner
 Motivational speaker
 Personal growth leader
 Creativity consultant
 Other _____
 Nature Smart
 Farmer
 Forest ranger
 Camp counselor
 Landscape designer
 Marine biologist
 Veterinarian
 Tree surgeon
 Zoo keeper
 Surveyor
 Other_____

19. Matching Career to MI
 Life Smart
 Theologian
 Philosopher
 Religious leader
 Cosmologist
 Existential psychologist
 Religious studies professor
 Spiritual healer
 Other _____

20. MI Job Skills Inventory
 Word Smart
__ Reading reports, memos, emails or other verbal material
__ Writing reports, memos, Power Point slides, emails or other verbal material
__ Giving oral presentations
__ Doing research requiring reading and writing
__ Listening and making notes at meetings
__ Speaking on the phone
__ Keeping written records
__ Using typing skills with word processing software
__ Reading information on the internet
__ Communicating orally with clients/customers/employees/bosses
 Number/Logic Smart
__ Analyzing data
__ Managing spreadsheets
__ Creating and/or interpreting statistics
__ Managing budgets or working with finances in other ways
__ Using logical strategies to solve problems
__ Maintaining calendars and/or timelines
__ Creating, editing, or reading computer programming code
__ Using scientific ideas, principles, or knowledge
__ Using mathematical tools (e.g. calculus, geometry, trigonometry etc.)
__ Doing research requiring quantitative analysis

21. MI Job Skills Inventory
 Picture Smart
__ Creating visual presentations
__ Working with graphic design software, animation software, and/or video software
__ Using visual thinking in solving problems
__ Using graphic organizers (e.g. decision trees, mind mapping etc.)
__ Drawing pictures, diagrams, or other visual representations
__ Employing photography or video
__ Creating three-dimensional models with clay, styrofoam, or other plastic material
__ Putting data into graphic form (e.g. graphs, diagrams, flow charts, scattergrams etc.)
__ Getting and using information from the Internet via movies (e.g. You Tube), and images (e.g. Google Images)
__ Doodling to give rise to new and/or creative ideas
 Body Smart
__ Using manual dexterity to handle, manage, and/orrepair objects.
__ Engaging in tasks requiring physical strength and endurance.
__ Communicating with clients/employees/bosses using body language
__ Managing tasks by wandering, moving, around or engaging in other physical activities
__ Building prototypes, inventions, models, products, or other tangible structures.
__ Using hands-on strategies for diagnosing and solving problems.
__ Physically sorting, categorizing, or arranging tangible materials toward meeting a goal on the job.
__ Using specialized tools to make something, repair something, or invent something.
__ Driving any kind of vehicle to meet a goal on the job.
__ Using physical cues (e.g. gut feelings) as a way of making decisions or solving problems.

22. MI Job Skills Inventory
 Music Smart
_Using music to increase productivity in the work place.
__ Putting on background music to create a more pleasant working environment.
__ Employing music in advertising, web design, etc. to boost sales.
__ Utilizing music to enhance customer relations.
__ Using Music Smart thinking as part of strategic problem-solving
__ Using music in communications with others (e.g. on answering machine, emails, online etc.)
__ Employing music or Music Smart knowledge as a way to communicate better with co-workers, clients, bosses.
__ Using music in creating presentations at meetings, conferences, consultancies etc.
__ Employing music software, or music on the Internet (e.g. iTunes) in some aspect of your work.
__ Using a music substitute (such as ‘’white noise’’) as a background to combat noise pollution in the workplace.
 People Smart
__ Communicating one-on-one with clients/bosses/employees etc.
__ Networking with others.
__ Using consulting skills to help others solve problems in the workplace.
__ Working as a part of a team.
__ Giving presentations to groups.
__ Understanding the needs of others in marketing, problem-solving, or engaging in
some other aspect of your work.
__ Managing others in the workplace.
__ Engaging in social media as a part of the job.
__ Delegating work tasks to others
__ Using leadership skills in advancing a project, idea, product, or service.

23. MI Job Skills Inventory
 Self Smart
__ Creating and running your own business
__ Developing a mission statement and/or business plan for your work
__ Setting specific goals on a daily basis
__ Making inventory of your strengths and weaknesses
__ Making decisions in the course of your workday
__ Utilizing stress reduction techniques to deal with work pressures
__ Coordinating many different tasks for yourself on a daily basis
__ Engaging in self-evaluations on a periodic basis
__ Taking self-improvement courses to increase your satisfaction on the job
__ Using time management strategies or other business strategies to be more effective in your work.
 Nature Smart
__ Using an understanding of some aspect of nature in your work
__ Employing nature metaphors in solving problems on the job
__ Managing plants or animals brought into the workplace
__ Making decisions on the basis of ecological considerations
__ Designing a workspace that allows access to the outdoors
__ Working out in nature
__ Scheduling work retreats out in nature to gain a fresh perspective on your work.
__ Engaging in work-related efforts to improve the local environment
__ Managing food choices in the work place to reflect better health and/or environmental considerations.
__ Working for an organization that is in some way connected to animals, plants, trees, weather, and/or other natural features.

24. MI Job Skills Inventory
 Life Smart
__ Utilizing moral and/or ethical principles in the course of the job.
__ Working for an organization that make a place for regular religious devotion, meditation, prayer, and/or philosophical reflection
__ Working for an organization that operates according to moral, religious, or spiritual ideals.
__ Assisting co-workers in dealing with work-related difficulties through spiritual and/or religious counseling and/or consulting
__ Using religious, spiritual, and/or philosophical understanding n the course of solving problems on the job.
__ Taking part in work-related campaigns, causes, or fund-raising to improve the lives of others in the community who are less fortunate
__ Engaging in work-related tasks that are aligned with a deeper religious, philosophical, or spiritual purpose in life
__ Being employed by an organization that is directly concerned with the spiritual, religious, or moral wellbeing of others.
__ Making decisions in the workplace on the basis of how it will impact the lives of the greater community
__ Making work-related changes when goals, tasks, or decisions are not in alignment with ethical, moral, and/or spiritual purposes.

25. MI Lesson Plan Mind-Map
Word Smart -
Logic/ Number Smart -
Picture Smart -
Music Smart -
Body Smart -
Nature Smart -
People Smart -
Self Smart -

26. Contact Me
Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
thomas@institute4learning.com
@Dr_Armstrong
https://www.institute4learning.com