Tips for Homeschooling with Learning Preferences

April 14, 2019
Written by:
Jamie Gaddy
Elementary Homeschool, Homeschool High School, Homeschool Resources, Homeschooling - Getting Started

There are seven primary styles of learning and, while no one is really limited to one, most people have preferences. Identifying which learning preference your child prefers can be simple, but implementing methods to suit each style can be a bit more difficult. This is especially true if you’re teaching multiple children with different preferred methods of learning and we have a few tips on handling each:

  1. Visual – Your child likes using pictures to learn and understands images and diagrams easily.
    1. For teaching math, draw diagrams of how different problems work. Show them visually how to work through equations.
    2. In history, make use of timelines and maps. Have them draw their own to deepen their understanding of the material.
    3. Mind maps and color coding are great tools for every subject.
    4. Standard Deviants Accelerate showcases videos that include lots of graphics, visuals, and animations to foster visual learning.
  2. Auditory – Your child learns well-using sound.
    1. For reading comprehension, books on tape might be your best bet. Reading aloud to them is a great option as well, but a book on tape is considerably easier on your voice.
    2. With new vocabulary, spelling words out loud is a great way for your child to learn them. This goes for learning the definitions as well.
    3. When trying to memorize information, help your child come up with mnemonics or songs to well-known tunes. You’ll be surprised how quickly they pick it up.
    4. Standard Deviants Accelerate has many features to support auditory learners. In the vocabulary section, students can even click the audio symbol to have keywords and definitions read to them.
  3. Kinesthetic – Your child likes learning by doing and relies on their sense of touch.
    1. You’ll want to rely on physical objects as much as you can. Cut out numbers to do math problems or words to learn vocabulary.
    2. Building models is not only fun but will help your child to get the hands-on experience they need with new information.
    3. When it comes to science, experiments are your best bet.
    4. Drag-and-drop diagrams are featured in each lesson of Standard Deviants Accelerate to engage kinesthetic learners.
  4. Linguistic – Your child depends on speech and writing for comprehension.
    1. One great way of accommodating this learning style is by having your child teach the material to you after they’ve learned it. Putting it in their own words is key.
    2. You can also have them explain concepts in writing, whether that’s through note-taking or simple summaries.
    3. SDA has writing activities in every lesson and also includes an activity where kids can present a lesson to a parent, called Act It Out.
  5. Logical – Your child takes a logical approach to learning, preferring patterns and systems.
    1. Help your child to identify patterns in their learning material. Breaking things down step by step will be very helpful to them.
    2. Organize and categorize information. Charts, diagrams, and lists can help them to better process and comprehend information.
    3. Through a consistent layout and intuitive navigation, Standard Deviants Accelerate makes a great tool for logical learners.
  6. Solitary – Your child learns well alone and can even teach themselves some material.
    1. One great technique is having your child relate information to themselves or to their lives. An emotional connection is good for comprehension.
    2. Give them time to process new material and even explore it on their own.
    3. Allow them to use their imaginations, put their own spin on information, and connect things to their interests.
    4. Standard Deviants Accelerate is easy for students to navigate on their own and use independently, with little help from parents.
  7. Social – Your child learns well with others.
    1. Role-playing is a wonderful technique for social learners as it requires collaboration and discussing concepts with others.
    2. If you have an only child, allow them to bounce ideas off of you and turn learning into less formal discussions as often as you can.
    3. Work with them on projects or experiments. Allow them to do the work and learn, but provide a helping hand.
    4. With SDA, many parents choose a hands-on approach and watch the videos with their kids, discuss the quiz questions, and complete writing activities verbally.

 

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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].