Following are ten SmartStrategies™ from my Multiple Intelligence Toolbox. I've included these to give you some instant ways to incorporate SoundSmart into the mentoring, coaching, and training you provide.

The basic process for doing this is . . .

1. Name the content or information you want to teach. Get very clear on the specific concepts, ideas, processes, skills, etc. that you want to get across in your mentoring, coaching, or training session.

2. Write down the learning objective(s) you have for the mentoring, coaching, or training session. What do you want your participants to be crystal clear on at the end of the mentoring, coaching, or training session?

3. Look over the SmartStrategies™ below and select a couple of strategies you believe can help participants understand what you're teaching more fully in an SoundSmart way. Basically you'll be asking them to in some way create "visual representations" of the content you're teaching.

4. Outline your teaching plan, incorporating the SmartStrategies™ you've chosen into your mentoring, coaching, or training. You'll likely be teaching something you've taught before, but this time in a new way – accessing your and your participants SoundSmart.

[NOTE: The descriptions I've provided of the various tools are merely to help you get started working with this intelligence in your mentoring, coaching, or training. Feel free to redefine any of the tools I've provided and to add additional strategies to the toolbox!]

• Rhythmic patterns—illustrate a concept by producing rhythms and beats to show its aspects

• Vocal sounds/tones—illustrate something being studied with sounds produced by the vocal chords

• Music creation—compose/create music to communicate understanding of a concept, idea, or process

• Percussion vibrations—use of various kinds of vibrations/beats to communicate information to others and the self

• “Rapping”—utilize raps to help communicate/ remember certain concepts, ideas, or processes

• Environmental sounds—use the natural sounds which are part of something being studied/learned

• Instrumental sounds—employ musical instruments to produce appropriate sounds for a lesson or concept

• Singing/humming—create songs about various content or find existing songs which would go with what is being studied

• Tonal patterns—recognize the tonal dimension(s) of topics being studied/learned

• Music performance—make presentations/ reports in which music and rhythm play a central role

• Music/rhythm schemas–link musical or rhythmic with topics being learned or studied

• Sound sensitivity–recognize auditory elements in the immediate environment

• Consciousness shifting–use music to alter moods and change awareness

• Musical/rhythmic structures–associate music and rhythm with past memories/experiences

• Sound effects–communicate feelings, thoughts, and concepts through sounds alone

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