Using Visual Media to Enhance Your Homeschool Curriculum

June 18, 2018
Written by:
Jamie Gaddy
Homeschool Science

With a homeschooling education, you have the ability to tailor a child’s education to the desired framework, and also to their individual interests, strengths, and particular learning style. An effective homeschool curriculum allows children to continue to learn and grow on their own outside of the “classroom.”

There are several types of learners that children often fall into, or sometimes they find their strengths in a combination of more than one style. There are Auditory Learners, Kinesthetic Learners, Reading and Writing Learners, and Visual Learners. Most children are Visual and tactile learners, so we are going to focus on the Visual Learner.

The Visual Learner and Media

A Visual Learner learns best when they can see something demonstrated in front of them. These learners will respond better to charts and diagrams used during lessons, and you might see that your student will tend to doodle while being taught. For these types of learners, you can substitute a variety of subject material with educational videos. Watching an informative movie is a great way for a parent to provide additional learning opportunities at home. Science and Art are subjects in particular that benefits from this style of learning because visual learners can see experiments unfold before their eyes, or make art following on-screen instruction.

Math is often a subject that is harder to visually represent beyond using a whiteboard to explain the problems and solutions, but Khan Academy is a free educational resource with a strong homeschooling application that has a great selection of detailed math video lessons from beginner level all the way up to calculus available on YouTube. If you download the Khan Academy App, it can be viewed on any compatible tablet or phone. Embracing today’s technologies for the betterment of your homeschooler’s education is very beneficial since children are being raised surrounded by these technologies, and are open to embracing them in and out of the classroom.

Embracing Technology in the Homeschool

Another way to embrace the technology that surrounds our children and use it to help with their education is to look to tablets, computers, phones and game consoles for ways that parents can get involved at home. In addition to Khan Academy, there are a multitude of educational apps available on every app store for phones and tablets, and if your child likes to play video games such as Minecraft, look for a variety of educational opportunities and lessons online that resonate with Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic learners as well. Showing your children that you want them to learn and grow through things they already enjoy instead of pulling them away from their hobbies when it is time for learning will keep them engaged in the learning process.

There are some great benefits of using content and media as a teaching tool. Educational and age-appropriate content ensures value-driven learning. We know that media has potential to shape personalities and affect the way children (and adults) perceive the world, so being able to choose content that teaches children exactly how you want them to learn in your curriculum is very valuable.

Teaching with Movies

Pure Flix offers a library of homeschool resources by subject:

Science and Nature

History and Government

Biographies

For homeschooling educators, there are more resources available now than ever before. Using a varied mix of the tools at your disposal to cater to children with particular learning styles is valuable to their growth and education, and gives you even more control over ensuring a smooth and learning experience.

#HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES, #HOMESCHOOL SCIENCE

Jamie Gaddy

Jamie Gaddy, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D. has been a college education professor for over 17 years. Education has been a part of her life in both the classroom and as a principal. Six children later found her dissatisfied with traditional school and homeschool became the better fit. She is also a pastor’s wife, editor, and entrepreneur who now homeschools four of her six children in Georgia. Jamie loves to share about her homeschool experience to help other homeschoolers find success. Connect with her at [email protected].