Learning Styles

Here are some excerpts that I really like from a book called School Proof, by Mary Pride:

What can we give each child that is special?

Recognize children's different learning styles.

Adjust the content of teaching to their roles & talents, &, to a lesser extent, their interests.

Adjust the speed of teaching.

Not penalize children for their legitimate difference, e.g., by grades & labeling.

God gave us four main ways to take in data:

Visual Learners

Are you easily distracted by new sights? Do you remember where you put things? Are you good at catching typos & doing puzzles? Are you very aware of visual details in drawings? Do you remember names better when you see them on a name tag? If you answered "yes" to these questions, you are a visual learner.

Visual learners need to see what they are supposed to do. Some materials that are good for visual learners are:

FLASH CARDS

MATCHING GAMES

PUZZLES

INSTRUCTION BOOKS

CHARTS

PICTURES, POSTERS, WALL STRIPS

Auditory Learners

Do you like to talk a lot? Do you talk to yourself? As a child, were you a "babbler"? Do you remember names easily? /can you carry a tune? Do you like to "keep the beat" along with the music? Do you read out loud or sub-vocalize during reading? Can you follow oral directions more easily than written directions? When taking tests, do you frequently know the answer, but have trouble expressing it on paper? Then you are an auditory learner.

Auditory learners learn best by hearing. They need to be told what to do. Good materials for auditory learners are:

CASSETTE TAPES

EDUCATIONAL SONGS & RHYMES (LIKE THE ABC SONG)

RHYTHM INSTRUMENTS

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners

Were you always grabbing for things? Did you always run your finger across the boards when walking past a fence? Do you move around a lot & use animated gestures & facial expressions when talking? Can you walk along the curb without losing your balance? Do you prefer hugs from your spouse rather than verbal praise? Do you like to take things apart? Are you always fooling with paper or something on your desk when you're on the phone? If so, then you're a kinesthetic learner.

Hands on learning is a must for kinesthetic learners. Kinesthetic learners learn to read best by learning to write. Kinesthetic learners do not like sitting at a desk for hours staring at the blackboard. For kinesthetic learners, try:

LONG NATURE WALKS

MODEL KITS

YARD WORK & GARDENING

TEXTURED PUZZLES

TYPING INSTEAD OF WRITING (IT'S FASTER & LESS FRUSTRATING)

Manipulative materials & a good phonics program cure reversals in kinesthetic learners, who are the group most frequently labeled "dyslexic."

(end of excerpt)

Cool Parents

Here's to Steve and Abi, fun co-workers and fellow parents! I think they are tops as far as parenting goes and I'm quite happy to be working side by side with them. Their wee ones are a source of constant joy and amusement to all of us. My youngest is five now...so I really enjoy their one and two year-old antics!

Visual Learning Experiment

I've been quite interested in learning styles lately. I'm already fascinated by the human psyche, the "why's" and "how's" of life, etc. So learning to tune in to my kids so that I can understand what they need has been a rewarding experience. Of course, having a direct link with Heaven and all its wisdom has enhanced the experience!

Anyhow, recently I tried a little experiment with Ryan, 7 years old. He's my special boy, a twin, who never fails to put a smile on my face. He's spacey and dreamy, has a difficult time being still for long periods of time, fails to follow directions properly sometimes, struggles with school, etc...yet his intelligence shines so brightly in his eyes. When he's encouraged for his efforts, his eyes literally shine. It's powerful!

Back to my experiment. First, I got some colored markers and index cards together. Then I called Ryan over and asked him if he wanted to do some fun spelling with me. He was delighted with the idea. I asked him to tell me a word that he thought was difficult for him to spell. He said "incredible". I then wrote the word on the index card, writing each syllable of the word in a different color. Then I asked him to look at the word and "take a picture of it" with his mind. In other words I asked him to visualise the word. When he told me that he was ready, I turned the card over and asked him to spell the word out loud. He had not trouble doing that. Then I encouraged him to spell the word backwards out loud. He was able to do that also though a bit more slowly. We tried a few more words and then moved on to something else. Ever since then, when I ask him to spell one of the words we did, he gets it every time. This is such an exciting activity for him and also a fun way for him to learn his spelling lists!

I think Ryan is a visual learner. He's more likely to understand what he's learning if he can visualize it. He also needs to be able to use his sense of touch in his learning experiences. I suspect that if I had also made puzzles out of the words on the index cards, for him to piece together, he would get even more out of the experiment.

Understanding a child with ADD

This is a quote that really stood out to me. It's from a book called Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey.

"Follow the face of a little girl who doesn't read very well and is told to try harder; who tends to daydream and is told she better pay attention; who talks out in class when she sees something fascinating, like a butterfly on the windowpane, and is told to leave the class and report to the principal; who forgets her homework and is told she will just never learn; who writes a story rich in imagination and insight and is told her handwriting and spelling are atrocious; who asks for help and is told she should try harder herself before getting others to do her work for her; who begins to feel unhappy in school and is told that big girls try harder. This is the brutal process of breaking down the spirit of a child."

It seems like there are many such children in our lives. Lord help us to use positiveness to lift them up and enable them to reach their highest potential!

Indian Girls: My daughter Anika (7) with Mellow

Recently, we had a cowboy/Indian fair for all the kids in the area ages 6 - 11, planned by our area Kids Club committee. Stalls were set up with a variety of challenging games and we also had a food booth. The kids were given a certain amount of tickets at the entrance which they used to pay for the games and buy food. Each time they won a game they were given tickets. We also had a few fun contests. It turned out to be loads of fun for all of us and well worth the effort!

Live the Truth!

There are so many parenting sites, books, and organizations offering all sort of advice for us parents, not to mention well-meaning relatives and friends. In fact, often we will be faced with contradictory advice!

What to do??

The most important thing to remember is that each child is unique, an individual, that can't be compared to another and we, the parents, are also unique! Each human being on this earth is an individual without a replica. How we react, feel, and think in life depends on our character. If we seek, we will find. When we ask, we will receive. And in doing so, we will find the Truth for our selves and our children.--And the Truth will set us free! :-)

The most important thing is that we are living what we believe, that we find happiness and joy in doing so, and that we stand on our convictions. If we are happy, our children will be happy, and that's what's most important!

Introduction

Parenting is not easy but it's got to be the funnest, most fulfilling job in the world! If all you do is care for your kids and pour into them, you are doing one of the most important jobs that exist! Why? Because you are molding their lives for the future. You are preparing them for the "big world out there". They are tomorrow's leaders.

I was never much of a child oriented person before I started having my own kids. I was what you could call a "career girl", ambitiously looking for adventure. When my precious kids came into my life, I discovered something wonderful: these little ones that God sent my way were amazing and quite the adventure!

Kids are so smart and learn much faster and easier than we adults do, they have so much faith, they cheer us up in our lowest moments, they are a ready and willing sponge, ready to soak up any input that you give them, they are adorable, and the list can go on and on.

If we as parents, learn to turn each minute with our children into a time of discovery as well as communication, then we will already be giving them a good foundation for their lives. When a child feels free to explore in order to discover, he/she learns to love the learning that comes with the exploration and subsequent discovery! And, if the experience is enhanced with communication, he/she learns to relate what is learned to the world around him/her.

I have often been guilty of impatience with my kids resulting in unwittingly cutting a delightful learning opportunity short. Many mistakes have been made due to being so busy with the important things in "my world" to the neglect of my child's world...which in reality is like the sun of "my world". Without it, my world would die.

But, it's never too late. Mistakes and all, we must continue on! After all, how can we become professional parents and teachers if we never make mistakes we can learn from?