Generation NeXt Parenting

Guest Blogger...Cara Putnam

Learning Styles

I know they’re important, especially now that I’m teaching my kids at home. It’s right up there with love language. I need to learn how to speak to and teach my kids in a way that is easy for them to grasp.

So how do you figure out a child’s learning style? Take me for instance. Okay, so I’m not 12 anymore, but I had to laugh when I took a learning style test. I answered yes to both of these stsatements “I need to hear instructions” and “I need to read instructions.” Now those two options are supposed to be mutually exclusive, but for me they aren’t.

I take voracious notes when sitting in a lecture or listening to a sermon. I always remember twice as much that way. But just reading or just listening isn’t as effective. I need to interact with the material both ways. So me thinks I’m visual with auditory leanings. Then I look at another test and think maybe I’m a kinesthetic learner. Yikes!

Then there’s my daughter. I’m trying, really I am, to figure out how she learns best. She’s almost a fluent reader, but at this point 90% of what we do is auditory, because I’m still reading aloud to her. So I have to quiz her to see what she absorbed. Fortunately, she’s got a quick mind and good recall. But when it comes to math, I often have to visually demonstrate principles to her.

So what’s a parent to do? How have you learned to work with your child/children’s learning styles to make them successful in the classroom and life? For an interesting summary on learning styles, check out this page. And here’s a great chart from Cynthia Tobias to use with your child’s teacher.

Cara C. Putman
Canteen Dreams -- October 2007; Sandhill Dreams -- May 2008 and Captive Dreams -- September 2008 (Heartsong Presents) Deadly Exposure -- June 2008 (LI Suspense) http://www.caraputman.com/
Craftie Ladies of Suspense http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/
Original Writer for Jake Tremaine at Scenes & Beans:
http://kannerlake.blogspot.com/

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 9:05 AM