Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Does your child learn best by sight, by hearing, or by touch? This week on Home School Heartbeat we're exploring learning styles, and today, Michael Farris, Chairman and General Counsel of Home School Legal Defense Association, speaks about the specific strengths and needs of the visual learner.

Michael Farris:

For those of you who are homeschooling more than one child, you've probably discovered that each one learns a little differently. The educational community calls these preferences learning styles, and today we're talking about those who learn best by seeing-visual learners.

If your child is a visual learner, he probably is very observant and tends to be organized. He understands concepts best if you sketch out a drawing or diagram, and will find his way around best with a map as opposed to verbal directions. When teaching this child, your best tools are flashcards, maps, charts, pictures, and organized workbooks. For fun, pull out a puzzle, a matching game, or computer game, and for a reward system, try a chart with shiny gold stars.

One of the pitfalls you'll have to watch for in teaching your visual learner is his initial tendency to prefer look-say reading over phonics. Stick to phonics no matter what—it's best for all learning styles in the end. While emphasizing your child's visual learning style, don't forget to incorporate elements of hearing and touching into the learning process.

Make the most of your child's individuality, and he will truly love learning. This is Michael Farris.