Multiple Intelligences and Reading Achievement: An Examination of the Teele Inventory of Multiple Intelligences

Abstract

With increased interest in the theory of multiple intelligences (MI), there is a need to identify and evaluate instruments designed to assess them. This study was designed to evaluate the reliability of the Teele Inventory of Multiple Intelligences (TIMI) and the relationship between intellectual preferences and reading achievement. The TIMI was administered to 288 urban 4th-grade students. Results suggest that the TIMI subscales, which examine preferences for linguistic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, spatial, and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences, were found to have poor to moderate reliability. Students with higher scores on logical-mathematical intelligence were more likely to demonstrate at or above grade-level reading comprehension scores compared with students who scored lower on logical-mathematical intelligence, but none of the other MI scales was predictive of student achievement. Implications for test development and assessment of MI are discussed.