Homeschooling is about freedom. It is freedom to choose your curriculum and work on your schedule. But it doesn’t mean this freedom is always easy. It does take intention. One of the areas that requires intention is understanding learning styles.
There are so many curriculum choices out there. It can feel pretty overwhelming sometimes. But the variety gives you a lot of choices to pick a curriculum that fits your child’s learning style.
This is another strength of homeschooling. You don’t need to settle for a one-size fits all curriculum. It is possible to tailor learning to fit your child’s needs. You are able to teach in a way that makes learning easy for your children.
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That Time I had an Epiphany
It was our second year of homeschooling. I thought I had our curriculum figured out. You know every homeschool mom’s dream. Our first year was a disaster, so getting the curriculum just right was a big deal.
While this second round of curriculum wasn’t a disaster, neither was it a good fit either. So now for the epiphany. I realized one of the major reasons I homeschool is to tailor learning for each child. And I didn’t need to settle for a curriculum that wasn’t the right fit.
On the heels of this realization came the need to understand each child’s learning style.
Where did Learning Styles Come From?
As early as 1904, researchers have been studying the relationship between memory and oral or visual methods. Scientist and researches continued to build on these studies. There is a conflict in the scientific community on learning styles. Some calling the theory as scientific as a horoscope.
Many researchers view learning style as more personal, and it has more to do with personality than as an education theory.
While there isn’t a conclusive scientific study to prove or disprove learning styles. We do know this. Each child is unique with a unique personality. In my scientific lab, called my home, I know they each learn differently. And each of our children learns in a way that is unique to them.
Whether this is scientifically proven by checking a box on learning styles. Or we just see it in their personalities. As moms, we know that our children learn in different ways.
Understanding learning styles helps to put the wonder and excitement in learning. If learning is frustrating for your children, then the only thing they will learn is how to despise school.
Learning styles should be used as a guide, instead of a prescriptive methodology. If your kids are learning in a way that fits their learning style, then it will be less frustrating and more enjoyable for both of you.
The 4 Learning Styles
There are several schools of thought on learning styles. They essentially all fall into four main learning styles. Remember, learning styles should only be used as another tool in your mom bag. This isn’t intended to provide a comprehensive or prescriptive how to on learning. It is just meant to give you an idea on the best way your child learns. Keep in mind your child probably has more than one learning style.
Let’s get into the four main learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.
Visual
This one is pretty straightforward. You child needs to see things to learn. Think diagrams, pictures, models, words, etc
How do you know if your child is a visual learner? Observe them. Does he like pictures and illustrations? Can he remember written facts and things he’s read really well? Is he very observant of the world around him? Does he learn better by looking at examples instead of having things explained to him?
These are all indications of a visual learner.
Auditory
This one is pretty explanatory too. Your child learns by hearing. Think talkative, conversational teaching style, and need to talk through instructions.
Your child may be an auditory learner if she enjoys being read to. Does she enjoy auditory input like music? Is there a preference for audio books? Are verbal instructions easy to follow?
If you child is a reluctant reader, then she might be an audio learner. Embrace audio books.
My husband is a strong auditory learner. If you hand him a book, he won’t even attempt to read it. But he will see if he can find the audio version of it. He finished his bachelor’s degree by listening to all of his textbooks. Yes, it is possible to make it through college as an auditory learner.
Reading/Writing
I know some think this should be grouped with visual, but I see one of my sons as a strong read/write learner, and I see the difference from visual learning. He understands by writing everything down. His notebooks are everywhere. If your child is a bookworm, then he probably is a read/write learner.
Have you observed any of the following in your child. He will read and write outside of school. Does he write down instructions to a task? Is he a note taker?
My son struggled with textbooks. It was hard, and he didn’t get much out of them. When we switched to a literature based curriculum, he thrived.
Kinesthetic
This child learns through touch and experience. It is not always easy to find hands-on curriculum. But you can really use any curriculum as long as you add a hands-on component. Add manipulatives to math. Act out the story you are reading. There are simple ways to add a hands-on component.
You child might be a kinesthetic learner if he moves or fidgets a lot while learning. Does he need to keep his hands busy to understand instructions? Are arts and crafts a favorite?
This learning style will cause you to think outside of the box, but it doesn’t need to be complicated.
Curriculum by Learning Styles
These suggestions are just that, suggestions. I am just listing them to give you ideas and get the juices flowing.
Visual
Curriculum with lots of pictures and diagrams is great for this style.
- The Good and the Beautiful
- Abeka
- Sonlight
- BookShark
- Charlotte Mason
- Veritas Press
- Math-u-See
- Essentials in Writing
- Curriculum with lots of examples
Auditory
You want curriculum with lots of audio input. Video based curriculum is great for this style.
- Greg Landry Homeschool Science
- Mr D Math
- Abeka
- BJU
- Essentials in Writing
- Math-u-See
- Audio books
Read/Write
Think outside of the textbook. This learner will love getting a pile of books at the beginning of the school year. Literature based curriculum is perfect.
- Sonlight
- BookShark
- Charlotte Mason
- Memoria Press
Depending on the student, you could also use more traditional curriculum. This didn’t work for my read/write student, but it may work for yours.
- Abeka
- BJU
- Veritas Press
Kinestetic
- Think hands-on with learning.
- Unit studies (like this unit study for art)
- Timberdoodle (this is the best all-in-one curriculum for a hands-on learner)
- Field trips
- Experiences
- Unschooling
Is it Still Possible to Work and Tailor Curriculum for Learning Styles?
If you are wondering if you can tailor curriculum and work from home, you can! Check out The Momtrepreneur’s Guide to Curriculum for a more in-depth look at curriculum.
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