Today's tip is to Know Your Children. That may sound simple, but what I really mean is to know their learning styles. The way a child takes in information, remembers it, and recalls it so they can use it, greatly affects their learning ability. If we are giving them information in a way they can't take in ... then we can't expect them to remember it or use it.
Each of my three older daughters learns differently. I have a daughter who learns easily through reading. I can hand her a book and say "read this" and she absorbs the information in that book easily. One of my other daughters struggles with reading, and learning in that way. She learns better when she sees and hears a lesson, and she remembers what she hears more than what she reads. My other daughter learns best when she is moving in some way. I need to know that, and give her positive ways to move, instead of fighting with her to get her to sit still.
As you begin to plan the next school year, perhaps you need to spend time studying or reviewing your children's learning styles. Is there an area of your homeschool that isn't going well? Could it be because of learning style differences? Are there changes you could make to help your children learn more easily?
There are many books and websites that can help you understand learning styles, identify them in your children, and learn to use them in your teaching. Here are some books I recommend:
- Homeschooling Methods by Paul and Gena Suarez
- The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
- Every Child Can Succeed by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
- Discover Your Child's Learning Style by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson
- How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and Onto Learning by Carol Barnier (for kinesthetic learners)
- 100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
Here are five homeschooling websites I found that looked very helpful for understanding learning styles:
- Debra Bell's 5 part article on Learning Styles
- A to Z's Home's Cool Learning Styles Page
- HomeschoolChristian.com's Learning Styles FAQ's
- Heart of Wisdom's Learning Styles Article
- HSB Front Porch: What Are Learning Styles And Why Should I Care?
April E. (ElCloud Homeschool) is a Homeschool Mom of 6. She has homeschooled for over 7 years, and enjoys sharing the things she's learned in her homeschool journey with others.
