New Plans for A New School Year

So school is looming in the near distance.

You may not be ready to welcome the beginning of a new school year. There may have been battles raging when there was homework to do, and trying to get everything done can cause major power struggles. Before school starts, take time and observe your child. Determine their learning style, and you may be able to head off several power struggles where schoolwork is concerned.

Observe your child. Notice their current best learning style.

Sometimes their language gives you cues on their favored learning style. Visual learners learn by seeing. These learners will speak in the language of “I see, I see what you mean.” They learn best when they are shown. So use plenty of visual aids when you are teaching a new subject.

Auditory learners learn by hearing. Repeating instructions, or explaining new concepts often will be helpful for this learning style. You can help your learner by staying in their verbal context. For example, they respond more to phrases, like, “do you hear what I mean.” If you say to an auditory learner, “do you ‘see’ what I mean, that will slow the learning process down, and could cause some confusion.

Your child will have to come out of their language style, process what you are saying, and then respond. They may not “see” it at all, but they hear what you are saying.

Kinesthetic is another learning style. This is “learning by doing.” Most of us learn by doing. These learners won’t respond well to seeing you do it, or hearing you talk about it, they have to learn by doing the task. Here extra patience is needed as these learners grapple with new concepts, and insist that they “do” it.

There’s also the experiential learner. This learner learns best through experience. So if you want to really teach fractions, use his favorite fruit and help him to understand what ¼ is, by allowing him to eat the fruit one piece at a time.

Some other tips for diminishing homework problems:

1. Have a set consistent homework time.

2. During homework time, make sure there isn't anything competing for their attention, electronics, television, etc...

3. Connect new concepts to what the child already knows. 4. Use their passions as much as possible in the lesson. If he likes airplanes bring airplanes into the lessons.

You have homework.

Go study your budding writer, teacher, scientist, construction worker, policeman, and governor. They need an understanding, loving, guiding, and supportive hand to reach their goals. Tell us about your success.