My favorite comment I get when someone learns I’m homeschooling my son is, “That must be really hard. My child wouldn’t listen to me.” News flash. It is really hard if you don’t know how to teach your child. In fact, frustration and teaching can sometimes go hand in hand. Do you know how to teach your kids? What’s their learning style?
Learning Style
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What’s your child’s learning style? Get a pretty good idea here. (QUIZ) Once you know which way to teach your child you can look at what curriculum might work well for you.
- Visual (spatial) Learner [1]
- Aural (auditory) Learner [2]
- Verbal (linguistic) Learner [3]
- Physical (kinesthetic) Learner [4]
- Logical (mathematical) Learner [5]
- Social (interpersonal) Learner [6]
- Solitary (intrapersonal) Learner [7]
What Style Does Your Child Learn?
Identifying your child’s learning style is one of the best ways to start teaching your child. It will save you money on curriculum, frustration from teaching the “wrong” way, and sanity when things just don’t work.
One thing to remember is that no one is 100% one learning style. Your child will lean one way but may have some of the characteristics of other learning styles too.
Primary Learning Style
Primary learning styles are visual, aural, verbal, kinesthetic, and logical. Learn more about each here.
How do visual learners learn best?
Visual learners learn best through the things they see. They will be drawn to pictures. So sight-words with pictures will be useful for them than just the word alone. They may also really enjoy art projects. [1]
How do aural learners learn best?
Aural learners learn best by hearing what they are learning. They may love audiobooks or podcasts. A song to remember their multiplication tables would be easier than a chart to learn. [2]
How do verbal learners learn best?
Verbal learners learn best through words. They have may love worksheets. They can learn languages faster than other learners. Writing or reading about a topic will be more interesting than drawing to learn. [3]
How do kinesthetic learners learn best?
Kinesthetic learners learn best through hands-on learning. Interacting with physical objects or active movement while learning. Make hopscotch with letters and numbers, do science experiments, or act out sight-words. All of these will help your kinesthetic learners enjoy learning. [4]
How do logical learners learn best?
Logical learners learn best through facts and logic. They will love the chance for order, steps, and methodical processes. They rather focus on the facts than large chunks of text. Get out the charts, graphs, and maps. They may also enjoy hands-on learners like kinesthetic learners. [5]
Secondary Learning Style
The secondary learning style is combined with the primary style. You may have a social or solitary learner. Learn more here.
How do social learners learn best?
Combining your child’s primary learning style with the secondary style social. Your child needs others to learn well. They can interact with siblings or parents. Or other homeschoolers in a co-op or playdate setting. [6]
How do solitary learners learn best?
Combining your child’s primary learning style with the secondary style solitary. Your child needs to learn alone. Give them plenty of space and time to read or write. [7]
What do I know about my child?
For Aiden, that’s the kinesthetic learning style and is a social learner.
He doesn’t sit still well but he’s pretty smart. My son is very hands-on. If it’s a learning activity he’s all for it. As a kinesthetic learner, he doesn’t love learning in the traditional sense.
He’s much happier with a math game than doing a new concept on paper. All the workbooks I’ve gotten for him don’t work as well as something like the Cuisenaire Rods or Pattern Blocks.
Now that doesn’t mean no worksheets. It does mean that when we do the worksheet he says, “That’s so easy!”. That’s because we did it in his learning style first.
He also needs others to feel happy. That means we have to find friends to hang out with and play with. We do our best to spend time with other homeschoolers and kids from the school system too.
Learning vs. Knowing.
I deeply believe in teaching first in your child’s learning style than helping them know through all the other forms. You want your child to master the concepts so they can be built upon in the future.
The final step of mastery is teaching it to someone else. Giving them the opportunity to teach something to a friend or younger sibling will give you proof that you’re teaching is working.
Check out these books for more info
Homeschooling Learning Style, How Do You Teach?
Do you know what your child’s learning style is? When it comes to teaching it makes life easier and curriculum easier to choose from. Learning how to teach your child is worth your time.
Are you a homeschooler? Check out more homeschooling guides here:
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HOMESCHOOLING AN ACTIVE KID
BACK TO SCHOOL HOMESCHOOL EDITION
HOMESCHOOL PRE-K CURRICULUM (FREE PRINTABLE)
I took the quiz, and I think my son is a kinesthetic/physical learner, too! Not sure about my daughter yet, since she’s only 2, but she’s probably the same. Haha.