Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Mike:
Identifying your child’s learning style can inspire a fresh vision for your homeschool. How? Because such things as curriculum choice and lesson format are all impacted by how your student learns best.

If your child has a tendency to stare off into space in the middle of class, he could be a visual learner. This is the child who learns through what he sees. He may be a picture learner—one who responds most to information that is presented in pictures. Or he might be a print learner, who remembers information that is presented as words on a page. When he appears to be daydreaming in the middle of class, he’s simply trying to visualize the concepts he’s learning.

Help your visual learner get the most out of studying by using visual aids. Assign books that contain helpful illustrations. Hang posters, maps, and timelines on your classroom walls. Since visual learners love eye-catching colors and designs, provide attractive folders for organization, and allow your student to use colored pencils on his assignments.

Take the time to teach your visual learner good study habits. He should practice highlighting reading material and quizzing himself with flashcards. Honing note-taking skills is crucial. By drawing pictures, sketching diagrams, and color-coding notes, a visual learner can solidly retain information presented in lecture format.

When you teach to your child’s learning styles, a whole new world of teaching options open up. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.