A goal in homeschooling is to give your child a specific, unique-to-them education that is tailored to their learning style. We all learn in different ways. Some kids will pick up things the first time they learn it, while others need constant repetition to retain the information. Some students perform well under pressure and time limits, while others need the freedom to think things through in a less intense environment. Finding out how your child learns will help you be the best parent-teacher you can be and it will set up your child to actually learn. Teaching to your child's learning style will help them gain an appreciation for their education and will build confidence in your child.

Homeschooling allows you as the parent the power to mold your child's education in a way that you can cater your instruction to your child's needs. How do they learn? What subjects draw their interest? What skills need more repetition and review? What are their strengths? As you look for the right homeschooling program for your children, these are the questions that you must ask yourself.

The three basic ways we process information when learning are through seeing (Visual), hearing (Auditory), and doing (Kinesthetic). Visual learners observe details and facial expressions, they watch for information. Use visual aids like pictures, video, TV, and demonstration to teach a visual learner.

Auditory learners are sensitive to tones of voice and inflection. These types of learners depend on their sense of hearing to guide them. They have somewhat of a tape player in their head and can replay the information. Often auditory learners do not have to watch or look when listening to a lesson. This may require some patience if you are a visual teacher. Don't worry, they are getting it even if they do not seem to be paying attention. One way you can know if your child is an auditory learner is if you find them muttering or saying the information they have heard almost as if talking to themselves. Auditory learners often process things verbally in this way. Add the use of listening equipment like head phones to your lesson plans as an idea for the auditory learner. Other sounds can be a distraction.

If your child learns best by doing, they are considered a kinesthetic learner. They will usually have some part of their body moving while they learn. One child may not sit all the way down in their seat, another may wiggle or like ot be close to others. Some kinesthetic learners drum their fingers, rock, or have a high level of inattention. Knowing your child needs to touch, wiggle, and be active, you will do best adapting your lessons to provide that for the kinesthetic learner. If you are teaching a lesson verbally, give the kinesthetic child something to hold while you teach or give specific directiosn they can do along with the lesson like underline or color.

When looking into how your child best receives and retains concepts and new information, you will find that several curriculum companies include learning style assessments and articles on their websites to help you along. Knowing their learning style will allow you to select the optimal curriculum for their needs. In addition to curriculum websites, another place to go to determine your child's learning style is to purchase a book, like from the ISPMOM.COM store or from one of our sponsors. Cynthia Tobias has a great read out on the subject called, The Way They Learn, How to discover and teach to your child's strengths.

Don't assume that if you are a visual learner that your child will be as well. Children often have different learning styles than their parents.Siblings even tend to have different learning styles as well. KNowing about the learning styles of you, the parent-teacher, and your child (as well as their sibilings) helps increase the eagerness and ability to learn. Teaching your child about other learning styles than their own, helps them develop communication skills and the ability to interact in a mature and respectful way with others. This will be important for the teacher-student relationship.

As homeschooling parents, we have the freedom to fit the school experience, including the curriculum, to the needs and learning style of our children. Be sure to take advantage of that freedom! Your child is capable and their potential is unlimited, so be sure to know the learning style that best suits them.

Following the ISPMOM.COM series on How to Get Started Homeschooling... next is Step 5: Choose a Homeschooling Method.