HOW DOES YOUR CHILD LEARN?

We re only in our 3rd year of homeschooling, but I ve done lots of study and research on right brain learners/visual spatial learners. They don t fit very well in the public school system and that is why we pulled ours out to homeschool.

My right brain learner is 10 years old and doing 3rd grade curriculum for the most part. We use the Core Knowledge Foundation books What your ______ Needs To Know as our spine. The following is how I ve adapting my teaching and/or her learning to her learning style.

Reading & Writing -
We hit a brick wall a couple months ago in regards to reading and writing which made me go back and do more research. These are the typical problem areas for the right brain learner/visual spatial learner. My right brain learner wants to learn and enjoys learning everything. She can create wonderful sentences and stories, but she can t write them, so we utilize dictation. She dictates and I write or type. She can t spell. With reading she struggles with tracking and is always mixing up the sight words, but gets a long difficult word right. She still reverses letters when writing and struggles still with the sounds various letters and vowels make. For reading programs we ve done the complete Starfall program, the complete 80 lessons of Headsprout and Time4learning. None of these have really worked for her. So, as I said I went back and did more research. We are now trying the Brain Integration Therapy program by Dianne Craft. So that will be our only reading, grammar, spelling and writing plan for now. It seems to be working quite well. It incorporates exercises that are used in Brain Gym and lots of visuals.

Math
Math is another problem area for right brain learners, at least the addition and subtraction part.
We have been studying money with some very colorfully illustrated worksheets and playing The Allowance Game with real money not play money.
For math we ve done Math-U-See and Time4Learning. She loves the manipulatives of Math-U-See, but the worksheets are boring. No color, just black and white numbers. Time4Learning math is more fun for her and she is doing quite well with it. When we do worksheets I find ones that have lots of color and graphics. She gets more excited about those and wants to do them.

Drawing, music and a creative imagination are real strengths of a right brain learner/visual spatial learner.

History & Geography -
She loves history, it is one of her two favorite subjects.
We do the history and corresponding related material in chronological order.
I read her the books.
We use lots and lots of visual media (a must for right brain learners) such as videos by Schlessinger Media, http://www.neok12.com/, http://www.watchknowlearn.org, YouTube, and the videos on Discovery Education Streaming Plus (my favorite we use daily, I can find video for almost everything).
She listens to audio books.
We do music and art projects relating to the current studies.
No written work.

Science -
She loves science.
I read her the books.
We use lots of visual media as indicated above.
Do lots of hands on experiments.
Regular visits to the Pacific Science Center and the Burke Museum (a natural history museum).
Very little written work.

Literature -
I read her the books. If there is a movie of it, we ll watch it after the book has been read.
Visual media when applicable as indicated above.
She listens to audio books.
Attend live theatre productions regularly.
No written work.

Nature Study -
She loves nature study, it is her other favorite subject.
I read her the books.
We use lots and lots of visual media as indicated above.
Lots of field trips, bird watching and zoo visits.
She is a Bug Club member and attends meetings at the zoo once a month.
We create a lapbook of the current species that is being studied. One a month.
Some written work, which I help with (she tells me what to write).
And lots of drawing.

Music
Weekly piano lesson.
Piano practice 5 days a week for 15 minutes and 5 minutes of creative playing.
Music study/appreciation. Utilize lots of audio and visual media as indicated above.
Attend live concerts.
I read her the books when applicable.
She is teaching herself how to play the recorder with Kids Can Play Recorder with Mel Reeves dvd.

Art
Art materials are always out for her to access, clay, watercolors, oil pastels, markers, colored pencils, etc. She draws independently everyday.
I schedule a Meet the Masters or Art Appreciation session with her at least once a week along with a drawing session with Mark Kistler s Online video lessons once a week.
I read her books when applicable.
Regular visits to the Art Museum
We also utilize visual media when applicable as indicated above.
Also we do a very in depth art project at least once a month. Last month we did relief printmaking.

Crafts
At least once a week she works on spool knitting (often does this while listening to audio books).
Also a cooking lesson once a week.

Spanish
Three times a week a 15-minute session of learning Spanish. We are currently using Salsa, a free program online.

I ve found the following books/resources to be the most helpful
: Discover Your Child s Learning Style
Willis & Hodson
Brain Integration Therapy Manual
Dianne Craft
Teaching the Right Brain Child & video
Dianne Craft
Smart Kids Who Hate to Write! video
Dianne Craft
Right Brain Phonics Program
Dianne Craft
Brain Gym
Paul Dennison

http://www.therightsideofnormal.com/

http://www.brightkidsathome.com/identify/visual-spatial.html

http://www.custom-homeschool-curriculum.com/visual-spatial-homeschool-curriculum.html

http://www.squidoo.com/Right_Brained_Learner

I hope this information may be of help to others.
Thank you.

My 4th grader gives me her math facts and spelling orally while she bounces a ball. The rhythm helps her get it all out and she rarely misses one!

First of all I observe my kids (as babies/toddlers) to see what they like while we're playing - are they more hands-on, do they listen to directions or follow written/drawn instruction - do they see something on TV and then try to mimic it, once I see how they are when they are little it gives me a head start on when they hit school age. I enjoy sitting back observing them at play when they are young and it gives me a LOT of insight into how they learn best. Of course as they get older I do sometimes need to adjust because as they grow they change, so what works one time doesn't always work. The key is being adaptable and able to change at a moments notice. Thankfully I have enough kids that I tend to have a lot of different methods ready anyways for each lesson and can adjust what I need to at a moments notice. I always keep extra worksheets, lists of videos that are online or on DVD for each lesson, a list of websites that correspond to what they are learning, a lot of different books that approach the subject each a different way and have other "experts" of each subject ready in the event that we need help with something even I don't quite grasp - makes those home school support groups that much more valuable because within the group there are some parents that are better at science, some better at math, some better at language arts/english, etc. We all keep each other on speed dial in the event that one of our kids needs help with something! We also keep lots of what we call "fidget" toys around that they can use if they need to mess with something while learning - like play dough, stress balls, extra pencils, etc. - along with lots of gum & peppermint candies to suck on. I have found that regardless of their learning style that things like gum & peppermints help ALL kids while studying. I think it is key to realize that each child is a different person and that we (as parents/ home school "teachers") need to be adaptable and have a wealth of tools at hand because what works one time may not work the next. Your child may be a visual learner in math, but auditory in english. So being able to adapt to change at a moments notice is very important.

One of the things I do with my 7yr old daughter is I get her to compose songs with me. She loves music and especially singing. If I want her to remember something all I have to do is put it to music and it really works if she has a part in arranging it. For example, we were learning about vowels and she had a really hard time remembering them so she chose to sing aeiou to the tune of "Bingo". Her song was great and because she thought of it, she remembered it. "....and Vowels was his name-o!". haha. So cute...

Over the years, through trial and error, I ve learned the importance of teaching my son in his learning style. He is an auditory learner. I am a visual learner. If I teach him in my learning style he ll learn but he won t enjoy learning nearly as much or as deeply as he will in his learning style. Because this is his education I have to step out of my comfort zone and into his. I ve also learned that he is a mover and shaker. Meaning: When concentrating on a task it s important that he be able to stretch, wiggle, or sit on his head if it s the most comfortable way for him to learn at the moment. When we first began homeschooling I thought there was no way he could be focusing on anything related to what I was teaching while stretched across two kitchen chairs with his head resting on the floor. The student became the teacher when I said to him at various times, There is no way you were listening to a word I ve said! Only to hear him recite almost verbatim everything I d just covered. In fact, if my son is sitting quietly, with a scholarly look upon his face, I know that he s actually a knight sitting on his armored steed awaiting his orders from the king. Therefore, he s usually drawing, playing with two action figures (yes, I limit him to two), or stretching Thinking Putty while he s learning. At times I just have to look away and remind myself that just because he s not learning my way doesn t mean it s not the right way.

Our school is all about teaching my children to love the things we are learning. Since my children are still very you g we learn a lot through play. We play math learning games, reading and spelling games, we learn through cooking, painting, singing, etc. my kids really enjoy hands-on sensory learning. We also read lots and lots of books. We regularly visit the library, but also have a large library of our own. I am building up a collection of manipulatives and great educational games, books and toys that they can use. We go on lots of field trips, and nature walks, too.

My 3 youngest students are a good example. My 6 year old son prefers hands on. We do things that require him to touch, feel, see, actually get into what he is learning. Lego's, cars, other manipulatives work well. He also likes his computer. My 5 year old daughter is more digital. She learns really well using the computer so she has her own with her own curriculum but she also has "games" on my phone. My 3 year old is musical and artistic. Videos, music, rhymes, songs, painting, coloring, these all work well for her. For all of them, games together work well. If they are having fun, no matter what it is, they have a tendency to soak in more of the information that I want them to have. 99% of the time, they don't realize its "school work" but I notice them using what they've learned so it's a win win.

Knowing your child's learning style is as simple as listening...well, sometimes that is NOT so simple when you have a house full of 4 teenage boys, 2 little girls and one little boy who is outside more than inside! After years of asking myself and other mothers I evaluate, "What does your child get excited about?" The answer lies in a Biblical principle: "Listen more. Speak less." When your child comes running in excited about something, how does s/he explain it? Using colors, shapes, saying "it looks like..." there's your visual child; using loud, soft, fast, slow, saying "it sounds like..." there's your auditory child; using moving, making, doing, creating, dancing, playing words...there's your kinesthetic child. Of course that is just the beginning. All children are kinesthetic until they are 7 years old and then they lose it - or keep it and share it with auditory or visual tendencies, too. What does your child choose to do when it is free time? Legos, painting, video games - visual (kinestetic); talk to friends, tell stories, play music - auditory; sports, dance, cooking - kinestetic. Now, what to do with it? Just try to develop the other modalities and use the favored one to teach new concepts. And pray. God knows and loves our child even more than we do!

I am in my 24th year of homeschooling and have experienced a wide variety of learning styles with my six children. One child is a "hands-on" learner and he is my only son so we incorporated lots of reading aloud during which time he could draw or doodle, so he could stay focused on what I was reading. Otherwise his mind would wander. He loved K'nex, so we incorporated them into the study of simple machines. I had a few children who were the "classic" learners and did well and actually enjoyed the workbooks. Most of my children, however, loved the unit studies where we incorporated crafts, lap books, art, cooking and projects. Any way that I could combine different styles, I would do so. One daughter LOVES music and still studies with music playing all the time. I learned that this helped her to focus better; it did not distract her! She learned how to "sing" her multiplication tables and it worked!

I have a son. I am a female with no brothers. I don't always, (OK, most of the time) "get" my son. But I have learned, in the short time we've been learning together, that he needs to be physical sometimes to focus. When he's getting frustrated, I make him stop and do some jumping jacks, touch his toes, do some somersaults, anything to get his brain switched over and clear out the "muddies", as we call them now. Then he's ready to begin again!

My kids love to play, so we make just about everything into a game. Our favorite is the game of LIFE. It can be adapted to teach just about anything. I have found it especially helpful in teaching the kids how to count money, make transactions with each other, and how to understand things like insurance and stocks. Monopoly is another great game for teaching. I also adapt the games by taping tabs on spots that they land on. For example, we are teaching the the virtues from the products by We Choose Virtues. I place tabs on the games little trail and when the kids land on those tabs, they have to recite or explain what that particular virtue is. If they are successful, then they get a monetary bonus in the game. It's a real motivator for the kids to learn their lessons. I can't overstate just how awesome games can be for teaching!

I have a very tactile learner. We will toss a ball back and forth while reciting math facts. We play a hopscotch type game with spelling. Even letting him fiddle with something while studying seems to help.

My daughter does okay with the computer or worksheets, etc. She shuts down quicker though when she is stuck inside, so I like taking her to the library, stores, even Walt Disney World often to find things for her to learn. We are in a homeschool group that meets often at the Disney parks to teach through disney. Epcot is still my favorite to teach her about different countries. We love the flower and garden festival she gets hands on learning about plants and history of gardens etc.

My boys (6 & 3) love learning thru board games and card games :) and I love that they are having fun and learning simultaneously! :)

My daughter is always on the move. She has an amazing memory and remembers almost anything said to her. She seems to have a block with addition facts though. It's frustrating to both of us. We have figured out that if she dances while working on her facts, they stick! My oldest, on the other hand, learns and thinks just like me, so it was easy to teach him!

As a new homeschooling Mommy I was filled with much self doubt. As I grow more comfortable with my new role I have found that my children learn very differenty. My son likes to do things in a computer format or from the TV. My daughter wants to learn everything directly from me from books or hands on. I love exploring new methods and have collected quite a neat stack of literature and ideas for this upcoming year. I next expenditure is Life of Fred Math. I can't wait to use it! The Amazon gift certificate would get me started with the first few books.

My oldest has Asperger syndrome and is academically gifted but socially and emotionally immature. He has been doing high school level courses, but we actually spend more time learning life skills. Any writing he is required to do is play-based (creating a game or writing a song) because fine motor skills have always been a challenge. Also, he only prefers to read text and getting him to read fiction was impossible, so I read higher level books with him, stoping often to explain idioms, etc.

for our family we deal with a lot of medical issues for my youngest so we have had to change things yearly based on what is going on with him so my time doesn't always allow for hitting each learning style for all subjects but I try to do it as much as I can. My 13 yr old is more independent and so we have used computer learning and dvd lessons plus this year he uses a science that is completely on his own. No fluff for him, just strong non fiction books and facts. He doesn't care for re-alouds because he can read so much faster and it gets him frustrated to wait so I try to limit those together. More visual then audio. My daughter on the other hand at 11 yrs old wants stories and art so she reads a lot of history through fiction chapter books and for her science I follow up using a lapbook as her review for the chapter instead of a written test. This gives her the chance to cut and paste and color and be more creative. She also gets a lot of drawing books from the library to work on independently. And then as a whole family we spend a lot of time outside observing nature. That hits all learning styles since we can listen, look, and feel at the same time.

We were very blessed to learn early that my daughter is an auditory learner. When I would give her an assignment to work on in first grade, I would be in the other room and hear her reading out loud. Then I realized (thanks to some very good books written on the topic of learning styles) that she needed to hear things to understand better. So now in fifth grade (and it never fails) if she ever comes to me with a question about her school work, I ask her to read the question or math problem to me. Ninety-nine percent of the time she figures it out while reading to me! If that doesn't work, then I'll read it back to her and she gets it!

Write something...

We have been homeschooling for 21 years (with 6 more to go). With five children, I have had to LISTEN and LEARN from them on what they needed in order to thrive academically, spiritually, and socially. The greatest lesson I learned throughout the first several years is that homeschooling is not a "one size fits all." Some of my children learn simply by reading the text; others had to have their hands on something at all times while learning or they were distracted. We taught each one according to his or her "bent" as Proverbs teaches us to do. Don't be afraid to pass curriculum along to others or sell it if it isn't working for your child. The investment of yourself to line up with their learning styles is worth far more than any money you feel you may have wasted on curriculum. Believe me...It works!

Step 1... Pray, pray, pray
Step 2... Know your child's heart & love your child.
Step 3... Pray, pray, pray
Step 4... Work with the interests of your child - building, reading, crafting, etc.
Step 5... Pray, pray, pray
Step 6... Be willing to change your plans if something is not working for your child.
Step 7... Pray, pray, pray
Step 8... Learn with your child - don't assign schoolwork and walk away.
Step 9... Pray, pray, pray
Step 10... Realize that how your child learns is how God made them, and work with that.

When our boys were 6 and 8 and both very active learners we were presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity to do some traveling. So, instead of reading to them about American history, we rented our house out, got an RV, and toured the country for a year so that they could actually SEE American history. We rode our bikes where Paul Revere rode his horse. We talked to "Pilgrims" on board the Mayflower II. We ground our own corn in Jamestown. We stood where the Boston Massacre took place and listened to our guide tell the story. The boys learned how to tightly pack necessities into a wagon, then drove those horse-pulled covered wagons in a wagon train and got attacked by natives! We followed Lewis and Clark and traced the etched names of pioneers on Register Cliff. As a family we adapted not only our teaching style (we went from structured to almost unschooling for a year), we adapted our whole lives to teach our children about the beauty and amazing history of our country, and it was worth every minute! We have lots of great pictures and memory quilts, made from t-shirts that we bought on our trip, that will last a lifetime. Years later, when we revisit American history, my kids have pictures in their heads of what we're reading about or discussing. I can say, "Do you remember how steep Little Round Top was?" And they do.

My first son learns really well from books and worksheets, but he needs me near by to talk to, but not about the work. My second son if very auditory - he really needs to talk things through. If he's going to understand it we have to talk about it. Two very different kids!

My granddaughter is both an auditory and visual learner. I believe that her learning style is both inate and learned. From a very young age, around 3 months, her mom and I started her on a balanced program of video/TV, reading time, playtime, and alone time. No , at the age of 2, she naturally gravitates to each ot these times pretty much by herself. She cannot read yet; however, she can identify all of the letters and most of the letter sounds, and numbers up to 10. She communicates well, too, speaking in completete sentences. Because of her balanced lifestyle, she varies in her educational needs - sometimes she wants things shown to her while other times she wants to figure things out for herself.

My daughter is a kinestetic learner and has difficulty with spelling.When she was younger she enjoyed making the letters with her whole body. I happen to know a little sign language and finger spelling so I taught her the alphabet. Now that she's older she loves practicing her spelling words by fingerspelling them to me! Her spelling has vastly improved and so has her attitude about it!

My son does best with auditory learning and pretend play. In fact, when he was 4 years old I once asked him to do something right after watching a video, and he said to me, but Mom, don't you know, after I watch something I have to play it! So we have had dramatizations of the germs fighting the antibodies with pillows in our living room, animals in their different habitats, and of course acted out literature we are reading like Little House on the Prairie books. We also do as plenty of read alouds (although he's getting to be a great reader himself!) For spelling, we found that he learns his words much more quickly if I quiz him for a few minutes while we are in the car running errands than if he writes them on paper.

My nine year old girl learns best through stories. She loves history because I read aloud many books, some quite beyond her reading level, and she absorbs it all. Recently I found a story book on logic so we are learning logical fallacies through the stories. When she was younger she learned a good deal of science from the Magic School bus series. A series like that for older children would be great. She loves the Basher science books because they turn science concepts into cartoon characters, but they are light on explanations. We recently found the Life of Fred math series which teaches math through stories and will read those soon. She also learns through computer games, especially Minecraft. We play together and take on many historical architecture projects. Since we studied ancient history this year we built a step pyramid, ziggeraut, hanging gardens, greek temple, and light house. She also reads the Minecraft wiki and keeps up to date on all the new building materials and recipes. So I guess my child learns through stories and by doing. Perhaps that makes her a typical girl. :)

It is quite a challenge to homeschool my 4 kids and still meet each one's unique learning style. I have a precociously intelligent 10 yr old, an 8 year old who is smart but has to overcome multiple learning and neurological disabilities, a 5 year old who is very much an art lover and them my sweet toddler who insists on being included in school!
I have discovered lap books are AH-MAZING! I can take a theme and very easily adapt it to each unique child! I can include more in depth reading and study for #1, more "together work" for #2, more artsy stuff for #3 and fun things like themed stickers and color pages for #4! They are all learning, they are all having fun (so important) and no one is neglected!

My almost thirteen years old son has ADHD and finds being still or quiet for more than a few minutes difficult. He is a visual/auditory learner. So, we read aloud usually and watch lots of documentaries. We pay a $50.00 membership fee to a neighboring county's library system. With thirty-nine branches it is well worth the money. We have watched dozens of videos covering everything from basic algebra, the American Revolution (and many other American wars), to grammar and biology. We are continuing school through the summer and will do only math and a video of some type every day. Between the library and Netflix< I have more than enough to get through the summer.

My daughter has Asperger's and is a very visual and kinesthetic learner. So she reads a lot and we do lots of hands-on activities together. I try to minimize the verbal information as much as possible b/c I know she tunes it out. If I need to "tell" her something, I write it down as well.... on a whiteboard or notebook so she can see it as I'm saying it.

I read aloud for a large portion of the day. My son is very aural and not only does he learn better this way, we all enjoy it!

I have two very active young children, and my daughter is definitely a right-brained kinesthetic learner. Rather than make them sit still to do drill work, I let them choose the motion. My daughter loves to do her flashcards over and over again hopping like a frog, doing jumping jacks, standing on one foot, etc. Also, for her independent drill, I have her "perform" it for her baby brother. It has made a big difference in her attitude toward her work.
Also, to get my visual learner in the mix, I have them both work together with our felt letters. My oldest (the visual) will spell a word on the felt board; then my daughter (kinesthetic) who is just learning to read will sound out the word. They have such a good time together learning! And it gives me a free minute to feed the baby. =)

I realized over the course of this year that anytime my daughter could do a creative art project in a day her whole attitude and demeanor brightened up. I've made it my goal to incorporate something artistic each day. One day it may be illustrating her cursive practice. Another she illustrates the history reading. Our science curriculum had the kids make Period-ic Playdough and form an atom for one element of the periodic table. That was a hit! Yesterday she drew a beautiful rendition of Psalm 18:1, 2. For writing she may write and illustrate a paragraph. I often make these projects up on the fly. Especially if she is struggling, I will try to think of a way to either incorporate her coloring or illustrating what she is doing or just take a break and "create" for a little while.

We recently completed the "A Self-Portrait" Online Learning Style Profile. Thanks Homeschool Buyers Co-op for making such a great resource available. I discovered that my 8 year old child has a relational disposition and learns best when acting out the lesson. So, to reinforce alphabetical order skills I took her to my non-profit workplace as a volunteer and taught her to file our client files. Also, as a reward, she was allowed to work with the volunteer cashier and bag items in our thrift store - she loved this. Not only is she getting retail experience, but with her relational disposition, she is learning about customer service.

I painted the side of my fridge into a blackboard and as my saughter is a visual learner and my son an audiitory learned. I write and explain as we go. I have been surprized at how much his spelling and reading has improved with this approach.

My next son likes doing, and variety , so I sometimes let him do i t on the board or sidewalk. He also does bettr under pressure so if he doesn't have someone to race with, i ask him how long he thinks it should take him to do one part and subtract a couple of minutes and set the timer

My 2nd daughter does not do well under pressure and altho academics are not always easy for her she has a determination that stands her in good stead.

I so enjoy their differances.....

Write something...
My children both love arts, crafts, and telling stories. Thus, for many of our writing projects I have had them write and illustrate a story. For geography we have had fun making paper mache globes: first for the continents, then for countries.
My children are both full of energy so we occasionally sit at a table to work, but often we move from room to room to work sometimes sitting on the floor, sometimes standing next to a counter, and sometimes sitting on our couch. Also because they have so much energy, I put it to use while we learn. For example to learn new spelling words I have them do a jumping jack (or other exercise) for each letter while spelling the words. Both of my children are avid readers as well, so I search bookstores, the library and the internet for novels and children's books that present the topics we're learning about. There are plenty of books about historical concepts, but I've found many books on science, math, music, language skills and art concepts that we have enjoyed as well.

Write somethWrite something...
Our daughter processes at a third grade level and up, across the board, but is only 6 in body and social skills. A learning style assessment and other assessments have demonstrated that she is a strong spatial and auditory learner; has an auditory and visual memory; and is very kinesthetic.

Our greatest challenges have been any and all math work book pages, cards and such. She knows the answers, learns at first introduction of a concept but she sometimes cries, and nearly always checks out or "watches a movie channel, listens to a book, and think about my whole entire life" all at the same time, per her report. This happens almost immediately when a work book page is presented. Big or small. Avoidance.

Solutions:
-With the encouragement of our coach we have moved to mostly verbal work book pages instead of written. We have slowly been able to progress to her feeling comfortable independently writing the answers to 1/4 of the pages. This is all she really needs in order to practice the concepts.

-We introduce multiple math concepts in a lesson day, all of which are hands on demonstrations, which she enjoys the most.

-We no longer plan daily math lessons and instead group them into twice to three times a week hands on sessions.

-I have also added art lessons on a math day, art seems to "get the wiggles out" and stimulates her in a positive way.

L

I have four children with four different learning styles.

My oldest would have probably been happy doing a school-at-home curriculum package with workbooks and schedules. She's very independent and self-directed. I've managed to incorporate some workbooks for her over the years and she's been fairly happy with that. Right now she's doing high school work and our curriculum is designed to be self-directed with once a week parent conferences. It works well for us.

My next child is a mover. She was NOT ready for sit-down school until she was 7 years old and even then, she'd randomly fall out of her chair during reading lessons. I was frequently talking to her bottom because she had this strong need to be upside-down. I just moved school to the couch and let her stand on her head on the couch as long as she promised not to fall over on me. She didn't always keep her promise but it helped her listen and I was so glad when she outgrew the upside-down stage. She wouldn't have survived public school. I'm so thankful I got to homeschool her. :) We use My Father's World curriculum which uses lots of literature and has plenty of hands-on activities. She very much enjoys the crafts even now at age 13. She also still needs to be moving so I read the literature to her while she either knits, draws or assembles a craft. It's been a good balance.

My son has language delays and doesn't always understand verbal instruction. So far that's not been a huge problem because he's still at the picture book age. Again, I'm thankful our usual curriculum is fairly hands-on. He really enjoys cutting and pasting, making his own little books and filling in worksheets. I've started to use lapbooks to reinforce the lessons since he doesn't always get the information the first time around. So far that's working very well. I also try to turn anything I'm reading to him towards him so he can read along with me. That helps quite a bit with his comprehension. Giving him extra time to let my words soak in and be processed is another tool I've picked up.

My youngest is a chatterbox! She loves talking and being talked and read to. So far her curriculum is just reading good books. She looooooves Beatrix Potter books and has memorized the Tale of Benjamin Bunny. She asks me to read it to her at least once a day. Looking ahead I think my best strategy with her will be to let her read aloud to me so she uses that strong need to verbalize everything. That should fit in well with our curriculum since there's a lot of reading to do.

Homeschooling has been such and adventure and I'm so thankful I get to be home with my children and know their needs. :)

As we have been homeschooling I've learned that my daughter is auditory...She loves for me to read outloud to her, and she loves to talk! So, I revamped my approach to history and literature after reading about a curriculum called sonlight that incorporates history through literature. This sounded perfect for my girl! Although we haven't purchased that curriculum yet, I have started checking out library books that enhance what she's learning in school (even fiction books that are based in certain time periods, in certain states or countries, etc). She also talk, talk, talks! So, she makes up sentences for her spelling words, and comes up with her own stories to tell. Now, she is also very artsy...she writes the stories down, draws pictures (for her little brother to practice reading) & draws pictures for eeeeeeeeeeverything she writes! Spelling words = pictures! So we make lapbooks for many subjects. My son is the opposite...he is happy to watch dvd clips of teaching segments or have me show him what he needs to do. oddly enough, my daughter enjoys these dvd segments that I find at the library or online. So, we use a wide range if styles in order to cover both kids. :) We've been fortunate to travel a little bit, which makes a world a difference! After going to Yorktown, VA we have all ben more interested in history/geography!Write something...

As we have been homeschooling I've learned that my daughter is auditory...She loves for me to read outloud to her, and she loves to talk! So, I revamped my approach to history and literature after reading about a curriculum called sonlight that incorporates history through literature. This sounded perfect for my girl! Although we haven't purchased that curriculum yet, I have started checking out library books that enhance what she's learning in school (even fiction books that are based in certain time periods, in certain states or countries, etc). She also talk, talk, talks! So, she makes up sentences for her spelling words, and comes up with her own stories to tell. Now, she is also very artsy...she writes the stories down, draws pictures (for her little brother to practice reading) & draws pictures for eeeeeeeeeeverything she writes! Spelling words = pictures! So we make lapbooks for many subjects. My son is the opposite...he is happy to watch dvd clips of teaching segments or have me show him what he needs to do. oddly enough, my daughter enjoys these dvd segments that I find at the library or online. So, we use a wide range if styles in order to cover both kids. :) We've been fortunate to travel a little bit, which makes a world a difference! After going to Yorktown, VA we have all ben more interested in history/geography!Write something...

My 8-year old is a very active & kinaestetic learner. We removed him from private school in August last year because his learning style & gross/fine motor skills weren't properly addressed. He was a struggling reader & subsequently resents reading, workbooks & worksheets. I let him do online Math & English games. I have also invested in Switched on Schoolhouse PC based Language Arts and Teaching Textbooks for Maths. Now school is a breeze even for me as they are both autograded. We use our Wii Fit for physical activities and also do Brain Gym daily. For History & Geography we currently utilize National Geographic & NatGeo Wild. He loves cutting up his worksheets for lapbooks & hasn't realized yet that he's still doing them even though they're just in a different format. We utilize educational PC & internet games to a large extent. Also online educational videos. We start our school day with "How Stuff's Made", "How They Do It" & "Mythbusters" on DSTV. I post regular progress updates on my blog at http://homeschoolblogger.com/trixishomeschoolacademy/

I am not sure which learning style my son falls into yet. He seems to touch on 3 of them in particular right now. We just finished K and I am still learning along with him. I try my best to see the world through his eyes and make everything a learning lesson. We do a lot of math lessons throuout a day. The other day t was raining and he wondered out loud why the rain made different patterns on the window when we drove faster. This turned into a physics lesson for him. We discussed it as we drove home and once we got home we followed up with some research on the computer. I am learning his signals of being done with a lesson though, and we stoped when he was ready with a review and then moved on to building with lego. At the moment I would say he is a Paul/Ian/Ron and I evaluate which one we need to pay attention to at the time and adapt his lessons accordingly. It takes some work on my part, but I am getting better and better each day at it. He also LOVES reading, so, I have signed up as a Usborne consultant to hopefully save a little on the cost of books in our home, plus to offer other homeschooling mom's the same oportunity. I hope it is ok to post it, here is my web site
www.myubam.com/M3393

My 7 yr ofd son is a visual learner, so whenever he gets stuck on something, especially if it's a new concept, I do my best to draw a picture of it, or show him some sort of diagram. We have used this in logical thinking, Language arts, math, and of course history with its maps and photos are always wonderful. Very quickly he has been able to make his own diagrams or drawings to figure things out, then pretty soon he doesn't need them any more. We also watch videos and documentaries to reinforce or even introduce some concepts. I've been very pleased with his ability to recall some things months later.
When it's time to find correct answers to a test , especially in history, I'll have him read his histroy text to find it. If it's true or false, he has to write down the page he found it on. This way he doesn't just "know" it's the opposite answer, he's actually researched it.

My approach to teaching is to incorporate as many modalities as possible. When we are reading a piece of literature, I often get the book on tape or CD so they can read along with it. The also annotate as they read or at the end of a chapter. For instance, when discussing the novel The Scarlet Letter, I use discussion to involve all learners rather than a lecture, which allows learners to zone out. Furthermore, I write on a white-board to allow them to see what we are talking about. Since I require them to write down their thoughts before they come to our discussion they are prepared and engaged. Lastly, they write down the notes from the board. This also gives a lesson and prepares them for notetaking in college.

My six-year-old son is a VSL, which is one of the main reasons unschooling suits us so well. So many of the prepared curricula cater to one type of learning style and it is difficult to adjust to my son's needs. We listen to a lot of audio books (everything from the Little House on the Prairie series to Jim Weiss' reading of The Story of the World (my son is a history buff). My husband and I both read aloud (many times a day) and we watch many types of documentaries. I also created a website for my VSL so he has the opportunity to view his interests safely while online. Basically, it is a blog that includes links to all of his interests (via their online homes). For example, he enjoys NOVA specials and there is a NOVA link. But, he also likes Dual Survivor, so there is a DS link. For fun, there are links to Dinosaur Train and the Playmobil site. His link to Reading Kingdom is also there. He loves having his own website and it caters to his VSL needs.

I have a special needs daughter and a gifted daughter. I have had to really learn how my children learn. My special needs child learns from music and videos and hands on and
of course repetition. She can remember many things, if we put it to music. My gifted child is very high in reading, so we use more literature based curriculum to her advantage. We also use history songs for American history and geography. They have historical facts and dates put to music. I can even play them in the car. I find when I go back and ask her a date or question, she'll pause and I can see her singing in her head until she reaches the answer. They both have learned from computer educational games like timez attack. They love playing video games and don't even know that they are learning and getting more proficient in a particular area. I try and give my children many opportunities to learn in different ways. Things will stick with them better if they love doing them!

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I have a visual-print learner daughter and a visual-spatial learner son at my house. What that looks like in real terms is a daughter enamoured of books and workbooks who does a lot of self teaching and learning through reading. My son on the other hand is easily distracted and loves nothing more than to spend the day drawing. He is a visual guy who loves videos, being read to, and creating things. To cater to my daughter, I buy workbooks from BJU, Evan Moor and Miquon and send a lot of time checking out books at our local library. For my son, I cater some of his learning to his interests, (i.e. superheroes) as this engages him to focus on his work. I work on reading with him in our "reading corner." After my son reads his reading lesson to me, I reward him by reading a hero book to him. Also, in between doing workbook pages, I allow him to draw a hero or whatever he would like for a bit. These little rewards have really kept him motivated. I also buy him superhero beginning readers to practice his reading. As long as I keep things engaging and creative, they both seem to focus better.

My youngest is so right brained, everything has to be hands on, especially math and reading. To teach him to read, I start with Boggle Jr., having him sound out the letters needed to make the word. Then I use Upwords to build each word and other words with the same ending. I have to do this to show him the ending doesn't change when the first consonant is changed. Finally, I put the words on index cards, color coded with parts of speech for later reference, and we review what he has already learned. I use the cards to make sentences. Finally, I find books that use the words we have learned. The process is slow and time consuming, but he seems to retain what he has learned best when he has built the words with his hands.
For math, I use RightStart Math because of all the manipulatives. I could have gathered the manipulatives together for each lesson from a conventional math program, but I would rather use a program that is made for his learning style and spend my time in other areas.
Of course, I let him have plenty of free time to be constructive with boxes, paper, toys, etc.

My oldest is a whole brained, visual learner who is very good in math. My biggest struggle with him is having him pay attention when I read aloud. If he has something in his hands, he concentrates on that and not what I am reading. I need to have him read it first to himself, and then listen while I read it to both boys so we can discuss it. He needs curriculum with short lessons such as Answers In Genesis science series. He also needs lots of time to complete what he is working on since he is meticulous and detailed oriented.

Our house is full of BUSY BOYS and BUSY MINDS and I have finally come up with a way to teach multiple ages at the same time. They all enjoy and retain the information AND I retain my sanity. :) We use videos, plus discussion - the computer, plus discussion and book work, plus discussion. Discussion time reinforces our educational time, helps them articulate and teaches good listening skills. When we watch videos, each child takes notes based on his level of skill and at the end, they each stand up and present their 'report'. Children love to interact, and love to share their ideas. Building knowledge, self-esteem, character and communication skills and making learning fun - that's what school is all about!

I have two kinesthetic children who have auditory processing challenges and one balanced. For basic arithmetic I took a dry erase marker and made a number line across the floor. And then we played a modified game of hopscotch. (Stand on 2 and take 8 steps. Where will if you land?)

We also do a lot with audiobooks since their auditory attention span was so limited in the beginning. Now we do them primarily for fun. The auditory/kinesthetic children are also very visual so I make sure that we have lots of video teaching tools as well as loads of paper for drawing and doodling. They seem to catch on faster that way.

One thing I've learned for my APC children is that having watching shows that have closed-captioned helped them learn to read. The combination of visual text and the words helped them overcome their challenges with sounding out things, which is difficult when you're having problems differentiating the short "a" sound from a short "o" sound.

My balanced child gets sucked into all of these activities. She's a hands-on learner in that she's like Dee Dee from "Dexter's Laboratory" with that "what does this button do?" experimental tendencies.

Two of my children are solidly kinesthetic and the other two are evenly balanced. I use a number of techniques to accommodate kinesthetic learning. We keep exclusive fidget toys--slinky, large paperclips for stringing, small wooden puzzles and mazes, playdough, magnets--for use when they need to be still and listen quietly. For memorization of facts I've had them march or do jumping jacks while reciting the facts. For vocabulary, they will sometimes make up songs with hand and arm gestures. I include all four children in these activities, just to enrich their learning with a variety of learning styles.

My daughter is quite visual and loves to draw, so I have used several avenues to supplement studies. In addition to documentaries and electronic or local field trips, we've done old movies (especially musicals) to give a feel for historical times (and to discuss the level of accuracy and influences on the way Hollywood portrays history). Literature and history summaries can show up as storyboards or drawings. I've included manga/graphic novel versions of material on science, history, biography and literature when I could find such. Online games help with math. Later in middle school I plan to do a "movies as literature" course with her.

My 2nd son definitively do not learnthe same way has my firstborn. I've discovered this the hard way last year. Ugh. Firstborn is more visual like me while I have discovered that my 2nd born is more auditive like his dad. He had trouble learning his scriptures last year until I decided to put the CD first before we proceed to learn the scriptures. He is learning so much more with the songs it is unbelievable. This year, he finished his book ahead of everyone. I also found that for learning more difficult concept - even with the auditory aspect - my 2nd son need sometimes to have something in his hands to play with.

Knowing this makes it easier for me. Especially since he is struggling more to learn than his older brother who has more facility to learn. I have two otehr kids ages 5 and 3. I know that their learning style will be different too... I just have to remind myself of this.
My 3rd son is a mover. And I know that I need to stop every once in a while and let him move around the house.

My daughter is still young. I have to yet discover how she prefers to learn. But when her big brothers are at the table doing school, she is there too doing her preschool things. She is adorable!

I've learned that my kids seemed to do better with subjects like History if they could see it happening. So we've adapted to that by using videos of historical events. For instance, we are working through early American history. To help them grasp how things transpired, we've used America - The History of Us, Liberty's Kids, and any other videos (the History Channel DVDs have been fantastic) that present the facts in an entertaining way. They've gone from forgetting all the "boring facts" they've read in the books, to being able to recite specific events in spectacular detail due to the visuals they've seen. It's like they can replay those parts in their mind to remember how it happened and who was involved. After watching the videos we discuss what we've learned and do a project related to that event. My kids went from hating history, to loving it.