When we started the homeschooling journey I came across the words ‘in learning you teach, and in teaching you learn.’ They changed my outlook on most things. It was one of the things that led me to discover that children have different learning styles.
So when I started homeschooling my daughter, I taught her as I was taught. The classroom set-up was what I was familiar with and I adopted the same. It was fun for her to be on a desk and have a teacher up front; and we did have fun while at it. We played school very well, because she even had her own lunch packed.
The style was attractive to the young brother as well, who also started coming along at 3 years. So I would go to the office with my two kids in tow. Then we would go through our lines and the day would be done. One thing that exasperated me the most was that my son would want to have whatever was in his lunchbox 5 min after getting into the classroom 😡! All that after having insisted everybody finish their porridge at home.
Then I couldn’t really tell how different my children were. They would sit down, stand or play just as I instructed. It was only when they grew a little older that I noticed their different learning styles. Growing up I had never heard of learning styles, perhaps because I was not in Education. And in my ignorance it was something that added to my frustration in homeschooling. I had my lightbulb moment whilst going through books written by other homeschoolers.
Different learning styles
I noticed my kids’ different learning styles perhaps last year when my son got into his 4th year of life. I would read a story and then ask questions to my daughter who was in Grade 1. Sometimes she would stop to think and we would get the answer quickly from the brother. What was surprising was that during the lesson he would be playing all over and seemingly not paying any attention. Even when the Math lesson was not directed at him, more often than not, he had the correct answers! As I read around – especially books by Dr Mary Hood and Dr Raymond & Dorothy Moore- that is when I learnt of learning styles.
We immediately diagnosed our son as a predominantly auditory leaner. These are learners who take in information through their ears. Once they hear something they can internalize it. Mary Hood, in her book, ‘The joyful homeschooler’, describes this type of learner in college as a source of annoyance for others because they can fold their hands and not take notes in class, yet still ace an exam!
After a little while we switched and placed him in the kinesthetic or ‘hands-on’ category. He loves using his hands and being creative with stuff. To make him join in on anything you just need to take out something and start building, he will need no invitation. I concluded he is not yet ready for any ‘formal’ learning yet because he can’t sit still, he would rather kick his ball around. I do not give up on him entirely but I know he catches the crumbs falling from the table as I focus on the sister. When he is a little older it may be easier with him actually, because it won’t be his first time hearing those things.
My daughter is entirely different, she is a visual learner. She is the type who is always saying, ‘Let’s see, mum!’ or ‘Show me’. Sending her on errands is always a mission; you repeat two or more times😒.Things make more sense to her when her eyes get involved. She loves the board and relating with things in print. In my ignorance I tried to have her read alone but research showed me she would benefit more if I keep reading for her just a little longer. She has a huge appetite for books, just that she doesn’t enjoy gobbling them up herself 😁! Now I read to her, even when I don’t feel like it, and try to get her involved too. I have been reading ‘Pilgrim’s progress in modern English’ and she loves it, to my utter surprise.
I have learned to embrace these differences in learning styles in my children. And suddenly the things that annoyed me, now don’t bother me much. I just have to make sure I have them engaged for a little while, they still have short attention spans.
