by Sarah Major, M.Ed
As homeschooling parents, you have the privilege of teaching your children in a way that meets the needs of each without having the limitations many public school teachers face. One good way to ensure your children get the most out of their learning time is to determine which learning styles come most naturally to them and then tailor your teaching methods to reflect this.
In The Way They Learn, Cynthia Tobias states:
“If you are a parent with more than one child, you’ve already discovered that even children growing up in very similar circumstances and environments can have dramatically dissimilar approaches to life. You begin to realize that people are fundamentally different. The individual bents that cause each person to be unique often bring an overwhelming challenge to parents. It is not enough to simply decide how children should be reared and then apply the same techniques to each child. Parents need to get to know their children, and no two will be the same!”
It is a challenge to communicate and lead multiple children successfully. Thus it is vital to take steps that will help you understand your children better. It will be an investment of time, but the rewards will be unmatched.
Start by spending time with each child individually. Let the child choose what he or she wants to play. During the time set aside for each child, try not to direct what they do or give directions. Watch them play, engage with them, but try not to direct what they do. You are there to observe what they do, how they do it, what they pay attention to, what they prefer, and to listen to what they say.
Questions to Guide Your Observation
• What is your child doing when he’s most able to focus? (especially if you have an active child)
• What does he spend the most time doing when he’s allowed to choose an activity?
• If conflict arises between your child and a sibling, what is the conflict about?
• What type of activity least interests your child?
• What type of activity is your child doing when she becomes frustrated?
Now, let's look at some learning profiles, using Dr. Gregorc’s Mind-Styles™ model. As you read them, try to discern which style comes most naturally to your child, keeping in mind what you observed in your one-on-one time.
The Concrete-Sequential Learning Style
Organized, stable, productive, perfectionist
Concrete-Sequential learners are gifted with great organization, attention to detail, tendency to always complete tasks, productivity, and dependability. The very best approach when working with CS children is to be consistent, organized, stick to routines or at least allow them to follow established routines, display common sense, and explain expectations and desired outcomes as clearly as possible. It's also important to not talk in generalities, but to be as literal and specific as possible, especially when you expect something from the child. If things are going to change, it is kind to give the child advance warning, if possible, so he can prepare himself.
What They Prefer
• A quiet, neat, orderly environment
• Clear expectations and step-by-step directions
• Enough information to ensure success
• To know the accepted way of doing something
• Hands-on projects that result in a specific product
• To see an example of what is expected
• Approval for specific work done
• To fine tune their work until it is perfect
• Literal communication
• Consistency
• A time frame
What Is Hard for Them
• Having to make up the steps to solve a problem
• Having unclear or incomplete directions
• An unclear final product
• Working with abstract ideas
• Being asked to “use your imagination”
• Having to infer or intuit where something is not clearly stated
• Open-ended questions with no right or wrong answer
• Discussions for the sake of discussions
• Working in groups
• Working in a disorganized space
• Seeing the big picture
• Making predictions from “what if” questions
• Dealing with opposite views
• Making choices
As you might see, this type of learner will be most uncomfortable with a parent who likes to shake things up a bit. They won’t necessarily welcome statements such as, “Sit anywhere you want today” or “Here are the art materials and tools. Make anything you want.”
The Concrete-Random Learning Style
Curious, hands-on, impulsive, impatient
Things tend to go far better when teaching or parenting a concrete random dominant child if you take an approach that is different from how you would approach other learning styles. The concrete random learner can make you dizzy, startle you, amaze you with their inventiveness, and make you laugh and cry in rapid succession. However, one thing is for sure: CRs are creative, dynamic people.
Characteristics
• Solves problems creatively
• Hands-on
• Makes real but original products
• Self-directed, driven by what interests him
• Enjoys a variety both in environment and in what they work at
• Thinks on her feet
• Gets in and out of tight spots with equal ease
• Inspires action in others
• Charming, friendly, and charismatic
• Sees many options and many solutions to problems
• Can visualize future events
• Accepting of and caring for many kinds of people
• Risk taker
What Is Hard for Them
• Being told exactly what to do and how to do it
• Being told it can’t be done
• Having to follow steps someone else made up
• Strict, inflexible routines
• Having to redo something once it is finished
• Formalities, formal reports, pomp, fads
• Completing long-term projects
• Pacing themselves and working within specific time frames
• Having to give up on something or someone
• Having to explain how they arrived at a solution or answer
• Having to choose only one option
• Locking themselves into something long term
Strategies for School Time
Don’t insist that it can only be done one way. Clearly state the goal, show an example of a project or problem done correctly and while you can show the child how you would do it, don’t insist she follow the steps exactly. Give her room to create something new. Rather than always insisting on a written paper, make room for other ways to show learning such as interviewing a sibling, making a tangible project, creating a poster that will show all the points of learning – or better yet, ask her to create a product that will showcase all she knows.
Abstract Random
Spontaneous, adaptable, social, perceptive
Heightened instincts and intuition make the AR gifted at reading signals that to others might be invisible. In addition, the AR is strongly motivated by the needs of others, not just sensing them, but doing something about them. Attunement and harmony are highly valued by the AR.
What They Need
• Frequent feedback to answer the question, “Am I on the right track?”
• Ability to use their creativity
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Acceptance and validation of their feelings
• Freedom from conflict
• Ability to be spontaneous
• Appreciation for their efforts
• Freedom from competition
• The ability to revise midstream once they have new information
• Personalized learning that allows them to use their strengths
• Relevance to people, to them
Sources of Stress
• When people jump to negative conclusions
• Pressure to be more sequential
• Being alone
• Time limits, such as using a stopwatch to time her work
• Strict, inflexible schedules
• Having to be exacting with answers
• Having to finish one thing before starting another
• Being criticized unfairly or harshly
• Demands to prove her intuitions
This attunement to people carries over into school time where it impacts many facets of the child’s experience there. To the AR, all of life is about people and relationships. If she feels the teacher is not happy with her, she will be distressed. If the material being studied is not clearly related to the life of the AR, she will be unable to see its importance to her life. Many ARs drop out of classes that are technical, so it is critical to show the importance of those classes as stepping stones towards achieving the final goal, which may be about helping people.
Abstract Sequential
Precise, conceptual, visionary, opinionated
To AS learners, gathering facts from recognized experts in their field is critical, so if you express an opinion, be prepared to back it up with some verifiable data. “How do you know that?” is a question an AS might vocalize on a regular basis. While dominant AS people can imagine and create, they are firmly based in logic and expediency. What they create will likely be a system that will be useful and solve problems. They are less likely to create simply for enjoyment. AS children have an inborn sense of how much time will be required to thoroughly complete tasks they are asked to do. If they sense that they have too much to complete in the amount of time they have, they can become very distressed to the point of shutting down and refusing to do the work; AS children would rather not do the work at all than to do it in a haphazard manner.
Who They Are & What They Do
• Analyze a situation before acting
• See the big picture and imagine a solution
• Are admired for their intellect
• Are exact and precise and logical
• Are factual and can back up what they do or think
• Solve problems efficiently
• Are logical and structured in their thinking
• Like to discuss and debate controversial topics
• Need a quiet environment in which to think and work
• Admire intellect and ideas
• Tend to ask amazing questions
• Remember details and can relate them back to you
• Enjoy listening to lectures or lessons and reading
• Good at following logical, accepted procedures
• Like data to back up statements
• Like seeing a project through to the end
What Is Hard for Them
• Being rushed
• Not having their questions answered
• Being asked to express their emotions
• Being governed by someone who is governed by sentiment
• Working inside a system that is not efficient or effective
• Illogic
• Lack of clarity as to the task or question
Sources of stress during school time for AS dominant children include busywork, too many assignments for the time allotted, timed tests or quizzes in which they are to complete as many answers as they can in a given amount of time, and unclear questions or directions. The AS child does poorly with tests that are true/false or multiple choice where the best answer is one that is true most of the time, and excels on tests that allow for variables in the answers.
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child-1st.com
704-879-4047
3302 S New Hope Rd
Suite 300B
Gastonia, NC 28056
As homeschooling parents, you have the privilege of teaching your children in a way that meets the needs of each without having the limitations many public school teachers face. One good way to ensure your children get the most out of their learning time is to determine which learning styles come most naturally to them and then tailor your teaching methods to reflect this.
In The Way They Learn, Cynthia Tobias states:
“If you are a parent with more than one child, you’ve already discovered that even children growing up in very similar circumstances and environments can have dramatically dissimilar approaches to life. You begin to realize that people are fundamentally different. The individual bents that cause each person to be unique often bring an overwhelming challenge to parents. It is not enough to simply decide how children should be reared and then apply the same techniques to each child. Parents need to get to know their children, and no two will be the same!”
It is a challenge to communicate and lead multiple children successfully. Thus it is vital to take steps that will help you understand your children better. It will be an investment of time, but the rewards will be unmatched.
Start by spending time with each child individually. Let the child choose what he or she wants to play. During the time set aside for each child, try not to direct what they do or give directions. Watch them play, engage with them, but try not to direct what they do. You are there to observe what they do, how they do it, what they pay attention to, what they prefer, and to listen to what they say.
Questions to Guide Your Observation
• What is your child doing when he’s most able to focus? (especially if you have an active child)
• What does he spend the most time doing when he’s allowed to choose an activity?
• If conflict arises between your child and a sibling, what is the conflict about?
• What type of activity least interests your child?
• What type of activity is your child doing when she becomes frustrated?
Now, let's look at some learning profiles, using Dr. Gregorc’s Mind-Styles™ model. As you read them, try to discern which style comes most naturally to your child, keeping in mind what you observed in your one-on-one time.
The Concrete-Sequential Learning Style
Organized, stable, productive, perfectionist
Concrete-Sequential learners are gifted with great organization, attention to detail, tendency to always complete tasks, productivity, and dependability. The very best approach when working with CS children is to be consistent, organized, stick to routines or at least allow them to follow established routines, display common sense, and explain expectations and desired outcomes as clearly as possible. It's also important to not talk in generalities, but to be as literal and specific as possible, especially when you expect something from the child. If things are going to change, it is kind to give the child advance warning, if possible, so he can prepare himself.
What They Prefer
• A quiet, neat, orderly environment
• Clear expectations and step-by-step directions
• Enough information to ensure success
• To know the accepted way of doing something
• Hands-on projects that result in a specific product
• To see an example of what is expected
• Approval for specific work done
• To fine tune their work until it is perfect
• Literal communication
• Consistency
• A time frame
What Is Hard for Them
• Having to make up the steps to solve a problem
• Having unclear or incomplete directions
• An unclear final product
• Working with abstract ideas
• Being asked to “use your imagination”
• Having to infer or intuit where something is not clearly stated
• Open-ended questions with no right or wrong answer
• Discussions for the sake of discussions
• Working in groups
• Working in a disorganized space
• Seeing the big picture
• Making predictions from “what if” questions
• Dealing with opposite views
• Making choices
As you might see, this type of learner will be most uncomfortable with a parent who likes to shake things up a bit. They won’t necessarily welcome statements such as, “Sit anywhere you want today” or “Here are the art materials and tools. Make anything you want.”
The Concrete-Random Learning Style
Curious, hands-on, impulsive, impatient
Things tend to go far better when teaching or parenting a concrete random dominant child if you take an approach that is different from how you would approach other learning styles. The concrete random learner can make you dizzy, startle you, amaze you with their inventiveness, and make you laugh and cry in rapid succession. However, one thing is for sure: CRs are creative, dynamic people.
Characteristics
• Solves problems creatively
• Hands-on
• Makes real but original products
• Self-directed, driven by what interests him
• Enjoys a variety both in environment and in what they work at
• Thinks on her feet
• Gets in and out of tight spots with equal ease
• Inspires action in others
• Charming, friendly, and charismatic
• Sees many options and many solutions to problems
• Can visualize future events
• Accepting of and caring for many kinds of people
• Risk taker
What Is Hard for Them
• Being told exactly what to do and how to do it
• Being told it can’t be done
• Having to follow steps someone else made up
• Strict, inflexible routines
• Having to redo something once it is finished
• Formalities, formal reports, pomp, fads
• Completing long-term projects
• Pacing themselves and working within specific time frames
• Having to give up on something or someone
• Having to explain how they arrived at a solution or answer
• Having to choose only one option
• Locking themselves into something long term
Strategies for School Time
Don’t insist that it can only be done one way. Clearly state the goal, show an example of a project or problem done correctly and while you can show the child how you would do it, don’t insist she follow the steps exactly. Give her room to create something new. Rather than always insisting on a written paper, make room for other ways to show learning such as interviewing a sibling, making a tangible project, creating a poster that will show all the points of learning – or better yet, ask her to create a product that will showcase all she knows.
Abstract Random
Spontaneous, adaptable, social, perceptive
Heightened instincts and intuition make the AR gifted at reading signals that to others might be invisible. In addition, the AR is strongly motivated by the needs of others, not just sensing them, but doing something about them. Attunement and harmony are highly valued by the AR.
What They Need
• Frequent feedback to answer the question, “Am I on the right track?”
• Ability to use their creativity
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Acceptance and validation of their feelings
• Freedom from conflict
• Ability to be spontaneous
• Appreciation for their efforts
• Freedom from competition
• The ability to revise midstream once they have new information
• Personalized learning that allows them to use their strengths
• Relevance to people, to them
Sources of Stress
• When people jump to negative conclusions
• Pressure to be more sequential
• Being alone
• Time limits, such as using a stopwatch to time her work
• Strict, inflexible schedules
• Having to be exacting with answers
• Having to finish one thing before starting another
• Being criticized unfairly or harshly
• Demands to prove her intuitions
This attunement to people carries over into school time where it impacts many facets of the child’s experience there. To the AR, all of life is about people and relationships. If she feels the teacher is not happy with her, she will be distressed. If the material being studied is not clearly related to the life of the AR, she will be unable to see its importance to her life. Many ARs drop out of classes that are technical, so it is critical to show the importance of those classes as stepping stones towards achieving the final goal, which may be about helping people.
Abstract Sequential
Precise, conceptual, visionary, opinionated
To AS learners, gathering facts from recognized experts in their field is critical, so if you express an opinion, be prepared to back it up with some verifiable data. “How do you know that?” is a question an AS might vocalize on a regular basis. While dominant AS people can imagine and create, they are firmly based in logic and expediency. What they create will likely be a system that will be useful and solve problems. They are less likely to create simply for enjoyment. AS children have an inborn sense of how much time will be required to thoroughly complete tasks they are asked to do. If they sense that they have too much to complete in the amount of time they have, they can become very distressed to the point of shutting down and refusing to do the work; AS children would rather not do the work at all than to do it in a haphazard manner.
Who They Are & What They Do
• Analyze a situation before acting
• See the big picture and imagine a solution
• Are admired for their intellect
• Are exact and precise and logical
• Are factual and can back up what they do or think
• Solve problems efficiently
• Are logical and structured in their thinking
• Like to discuss and debate controversial topics
• Need a quiet environment in which to think and work
• Admire intellect and ideas
• Tend to ask amazing questions
• Remember details and can relate them back to you
• Enjoy listening to lectures or lessons and reading
• Good at following logical, accepted procedures
• Like data to back up statements
• Like seeing a project through to the end
What Is Hard for Them
• Being rushed
• Not having their questions answered
• Being asked to express their emotions
• Being governed by someone who is governed by sentiment
• Working inside a system that is not efficient or effective
• Illogic
• Lack of clarity as to the task or question
Sources of stress during school time for AS dominant children include busywork, too many assignments for the time allotted, timed tests or quizzes in which they are to complete as many answers as they can in a given amount of time, and unclear questions or directions. The AS child does poorly with tests that are true/false or multiple choice where the best answer is one that is true most of the time, and excels on tests that allow for variables in the answers.
Sarah Major, CEO of Child1st Publications, grew up on the mission field with her four siblings, all of whom her mother homeschooled. As an adult, Sarah homeschooled a small group of children in collaboration with their parents, and has taught from preschool age to adult. Sarah has been the Title 1 director and program developer for grades K-7, an ESOL teacher, and a classroom teacher. As an undergraduate student, Sarah attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. and then received her M.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2006 Sarah resigned from fulltime teaching in order to devote more time to Child1st, publisher of the best-selling SnapWords™ stylized sight word cards. In her spare time Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, pottery, quilting, and spending time with her family.
Child1st Publications, LLC
www.child-1st.com
704-879-4047
3302 S New Hope Rd
Suite 300B
Gastonia, NC 28056
