Katie Callahan

DIFF 510 Differentiated Instructional Strategies

March 2014

Multiple Intelligences Resources in Early Childhood Education

Effective teaching in the early childhood setting requires a positive emotional

climate, sensitivity to student needs, and lessons that recognize the students need for a
sense of autonomy and control, for an active role in their learning, and opportunities for
students to engage in all areas of intelligences. There are different types of
intelligences, all of which measure abilities in unique ways; these intelligences can be
used as a basis for discovering the strengths of your students and nurturing their
weaknesses. Early childhood teachers must know their students well enough to apply
student specific intelligences into their daily activities and routines.

It is essential that you are familiar with the types of activities that children in your
classroom are likely to engage in. The types of activities your students gravitate to in
the classroom reflect their predominant intelligences. Through systematic observations,
during play and throughout the school day, a profile can be created of your students
strengths and weaknesses which can then be used for planning functional interventions
and useful enriching activities. Every child has strengths, and these should be nurtured;
the weaknesses can be strengthened through supportive methods of instruction.

When implementing multiple intelligence based strategies you will most likely not
be able to apply each intelligence to each lesson. However if your lesson objective is
meant to target certain students you may consider their abilities and preferences in

planning. This works especially well in small group or individual one-on-one practices
or assessments. In these scenarios it is important to target student interest and
intelligence to allow them to demonstrate their knowledge.

Although it is necessary to recognize and appreciate the strengths and

intelligences in each child, non-threatening methods of instruction may be used to
strengthen and nurture any weakness. For example a student may show weaknesses
in interpersonal skills, they would then need support in social aspects of lessons. A
lesson that includes group work and social interaction, though it is not this particular
students predominant intelligence, would still be viably beneficial in order to improve
upon their weaknesses.

Resources
Christodoulou, J. (2009). Applying multiple intelligences: How it matters for schools
today, 25 years after its introduction by howard gardner. School Administrator,
66(2).
Family Education. (2014). What are your child's special gifts? evaluation.. Retrieved
from http://school.familyeducation.com/multiple-intelligences/learning-styles/childsspecial-gifts/66373.html?detoured=1
Gardner, H. (1987). Multiple Intelligence: The theory in practice. New York: Basic
Books.
Hirsh, R. A. (2004). Early childhood curriculum: Incorporating multiple intelligences,
developmentally appropriate practices, and play. Pearson.
Lowenthal B. (1997). Useful early childhood assessment: Playbased, interviews and
multiple intelligences, early child development and care, 129(1). 43-49.

Phipps, P. (2010). Multiple intelligences in the early childhood classroom. Frog Street
Press. Retrieved from http://www psjaisd.us/ourpages/auto/2012/10/
19/41512061/MultipleIntelligencesIntheEarlyChildhoodClassroom.pdf
Pianta, R., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Clifford, R., Early, D. (2005). Features of prekindergarten programs, classrooms, and teachers: Do they predict observed
classroom quality and child-teacher interactions? Applied Developmental Science,
9(3).144-159.
University of Virginia. (2013). Measuring and improving teacher-student interactions in
pk-12 settings to enhance curry school of education students learning. Informally
published manuscript, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning.