Multiple Intelligences

Our excellent faculty work every day to design challenging curricular opportunities for learning and growth that combine our knowledge of brain development with opportunities that also nurture and develop the Multiple Intelligences strengths that all children possess.

What is the theory of multiple intelligences?

The theory of multiple intelligences (MI), conceived by Harvard University Professor Howard Gardner, has been used as a tool for teaching and learning at New City School since 1988. This unique academic learning approach develops a student's inherent strengths and creates a deep level of understanding that allows children to use what they’ve learned in new and different situations. 
Gardener believes there are eight intelligences to be nurtured and developed in all children: bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, naturalist, and spatial. These eight intelligences reflect different ways of thinking, solving problems, and learning: all activities that are intimately connected to the developing human brain.

Linguistic

sensitivity to the meaning and order of words

Musical

sensitivity to pitch, melody, rhythm, and tone

Naturalist

sensitivity to the connections and patterns in the natural world

Bodily-Kinesthetic

adept at physical activities and able to handle objects adroitly

Interpersonal

the ability to understand people and relationships

Intrapersonal

understanding one's own strengths and weaknesses

Logical-Mathematical

adept at using reasoning and number skills to solve problems

Spatial

the ability to accurately perceive the visual world