March 2026 "The Tutor Club: Where do We Fit in as Learners?" by Ulysses Ochoa, Alexandra Covarrubias, and Alonso Rios

    Howard Gardner, a professor of cognition and education, was the developer of the M.I. theory in 1983. A summary of Gardner’s theory: There are eight different intelligences that each person has, some of them higher than others (Example: someone can be good at math, while struggling at English). And the key point of Gardner’s theory: All intelligences can be nourished and grown. In other words, Gardner challenged the notion that everyone had just one intelligence that could not be grown or nourished. In this article, we, both as students and tutors, will cover the different intelligences and how they can be nurtured, specifically when it comes to learning.

 Naturalist learners are people who enjoy nature. How can someone identify a naturalist learner? Maybe you know someone very passionate about issues that have to do with environmentalism, has a green thumb (they love gardening and they are good at it), likes classifying things in nature. (“I, for one, love bird watching” -Alexandra). They also feel more comfortable outside, which means naturalist learners learn best in an environment that has a nature-filled ambience or presents them with the opportunity to take breaks or work outside. Using visual charts or allowing these students to categorize their ideas nurtures this intelligence, since visual intelligence is also linked with naturalist intelligence.

 A person with intrapersonal intelligence is usually a person who self-reflects a lot, is aware of their emotions or their own strengths and weaknesses, and is comfortable being alone. How can you identify an intrapersonal person? They are usually daydreamers or tend to be very deep in thought (hmm...). Maybe you know someone who loves journaling, for instance. A good environment for an intrapersonal learner is usually a quiet one, one that allows them to reflect, and the learning techniques that help these learners are ones that allow them to reflect and organize their ideas (they tend to have lots).

Visual intelligence is demonstrated when someone excels at remembering their surroundings and images. They’re also the kind of person who typically remembers faces before they remember a person’s name. They’re also really good at visualizing the result of an artistic endeavor when they begin it! Isn’t that pretty nifty? With a skill like that, it’s no wonder that visual learners enjoy painting, drawing, and photography. Visual examples of how to do something would greatly help students who are visual learners. Diagrams and charts also help them greatly to remember concepts. Combining these elements with watching videos on the subjects they are studying are some of the keys to success for visual learners to crush their academic goals.

     Kinesthetic intelligence is the definition of handy. They are extremely aware of their body and have complete mastery over their motor skills. Because of this mix of traits, kinesthetic learners take to sports like fish take to water. Kinesthetic learners are also great tinkerers. They live to understand the inner workings of things and how they function. If you're a kinesthetic learner, try walking around while you study to get your mind going. Or try mixing your studying with your favorite sport to make a game out of learning to keep yourself engaged. While this sounds kind of corny, role-playing scenarios based on what you’re learning is also a helpful strategy to try as a kinesthetic learner. As long as they’re moving, kinesthetic learners can internalize whatever they are trying to learn.

     Linguistic intelligence, (“My realm”- Uly)of expertise are people who are good at learning through reading and writing. Linguistic learners naturally love both reading and writing as something to do for fun. This leads to them shining in academic settings and yearning to learn new languages. Linguistic learners take to traditional forms of studying very well, and are also able to communicate complex ideas because of all that studying. A great way to help linguistic learners remember key concepts is for them to try putting what they are learning into their own words. This kind of activity will keep them engaged as they try to articulate the concept and check to see if they are right. Word games like word searches or crosswords, as well as creative writing centered on the material they are learning, are more out-of-the-box ways for linguistic learners to study. A linguistic learner can read or write out of any problem they face in the classroom.

   Logical intelligence is displayed when someone enjoys learning through logical means of conclusion. (“This is the type of learning that I (Alonso) am most familiar with.”) Logical learners usually enjoy activities like doing math as well as solving puzzles. They also usually feel most comfortable within organized rather than hectic workspaces. Are you good at finding patterns in everything you see? To a logical learner, the ability to recognize patterns is usually a critical skill used throughout the learning process. Do you excel at making connections between various topics? Making connections is often a preferred method while learning for logical learners as well. If you answered yes to either of these questions, you may possess some traits of a logical learner!

    Musical intelligence is characterized by excellent listening and pattern recogonition for sounds. It allows the ears guide learning! Musical l are those who typically excel at creating music, but their musicality doesn’t end there. Whether it's using music as a means of concentration or as a means of memorization, musical learners incorporate sound into their learning. A strategy that musical learners may find helpful is the strategy of putting information to song. The act of viewing information and humming, singing, or even just tapping while reviewing can help by placing something unfamiliar inside the familiar. Music for many people is used as a means of concentration, but this is especially true for the musical learner, as it is a great strength to lean on.