As a homeschooling parent you go through considerable preparation before teaching your child something new. Be it a concept or a subject, the homeschool teacher will usually have a detailed outline to follow in the lesson plan. But what happens when your homeschool student is not able to get you? If the painstakingly put together lesson doesn’t seem to be understood by the child, you may be left wondering what went wrong after all that preparation.
The Different Learning Styles
There are three primary learning styles based on the sense a child favors the most. These correspond to the eyes, the ears and the hands. Some children are visually oriented and find pictures, images, graphics and videos the best way to learn. Other are more auditory and need to be told each step clearly. Yet others are kinesthetic or tactile and require a hands on approach where they ‘do and learn’. A physical activity associated with what is being taught makes it much easier for them to learn.
Identify Your Child’s Learning Style
If you are having trouble getting through to your child, it would make sense to identify your child’s learning style and structure your lesson plans based on it. Doing this does not require any test, just some pertinent observation on the part of the homeschool teacher. Here are some clues that you can look for relevant to each learning style.
A visual learner will prefer to read the instructions on their own rather than have you read them. Visual learners also enjoy a lot of color and design in their worksheets. They have a good knack for understanding charts, maps, info graphics and tables.
An auditory learner tends to say out loud whatever you have just said to understand it better. They tend to speak while they are reading a book or watching a movies to process what is being seen or read better.
A tactile learner is the one who can’t keep his hands still. This type of learner needs some physical activity all the time. They find it hard to sit still and are usually tinkering with something or the other. Touching new textures is a particular joy for them.
Once you have identified your child’s learning style all you need to do is ensure that your lessons address the child’s learning style. Then your homeschool student is sure to get you.
