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Home Education: Your Classroom

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What is Your Childs Learning Style ~ Raising5Girls

Preparing little ones for home education is a fun experience.  I loved teaching my girls when they were small.  Small children have such a capacity for learning.  They are eager and absorb information quickly.  In the beginning you need to pay attention to your child’s learning style.  Every child is different so they will learn through different pathways.  There are three main types of learning preferences: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.  All three learning styles should be used when teaching your children.  This will help you determine your child’s strengths and weaknesses while learning.  It will also help you choose the right items for your home education classroom.

Visual Learning

According to the University of Bridgeport Scholar Works Report Improving Teaching Tools and Techniques, “Visual learners have two sub-channels: linguistic and spatial.  Visual-linguistic learners like to learn through written language, such as reading and writing tasks.”  The visual-spatial learners love to solve puzzles, they are creative with three-dimensional objects.  However, they tend to struggle with the written language and perform better with visual materials like videos, charts, and demonstrations.  Verbal instructions may be difficult for this type of learner.  On the positive side they tend to be good with math and when combined with their creativity they excel in fields such as engineering, aeronautics, and computer science.

Auditory Learning

An auditory learner does well in a traditional classroom setting where information is presented orally.  They enjoy hearing stories read aloud or listening to videos and audio tapes.  They like discussing topics and listening to lectures.

Kinesthetic Learning

This type of learner loves to move and touch things.  Traditional classroom styles are not for him/her.  They enjoy moving while learning so sitting quietly listening to lectures is difficult for them.  They will need to take notes or draw a picture of the information being presented to them.  Hands-on projects are an excellent tool to engage and teach this type of child.
We all integrate the three VAK Learning Styles though we usually have a personal preference.  Teaching your children to use all three consistently is useful to them as they move through the educational sequence into adulthood.  Implement the use of videos and audio lectures, hands-on projects, and reading aloud.  In the beginning you can have your child listen to an audio tape of the ABC’s or a story about history.  You can have them watch a video that may include physical participation while learning a new task.  They can use play-doh and shape it into alphabet letters.  As your child gets older it is important for them to learn to speak out loud in front of a group.  This is where a homeschool co-op is very useful.  You can contact your local school district or do online search in your area for local home education groups.

Home Education Classroom

When setting up your classroom for home education it is great if you have a designated space.  It doesn’t need to be a really large space, but if you have an area that you could use solely for class time it will be extremely helpful.  Hanging bright posters with the alphabet, an American flag with the Pledge of Allegiance next to it, and a history timeline are powerful tools.  I love this classroom setup in the picture.  The classroom is incorporated with the children’s play area which is something I did when my girls were young.  Not everyone has this much space to utilize, but don’t get discouraged.  You can use stackable plastic bins with lids to store the school items then pull them out each morning at the dining table when you are ready to have your class time.  This was something we did when we rented a small house after selling ours.  There are many different ways to setup your classroom.  Do what works for you and your family.
Home Education_Classroom ~ Raising5Girls
I mentioned in an earlier post, “Homeschooling: Our Rocky Road There” that the Rainbow Resource Center has a tremendous selection of home education teaching tools.  The biggest problem you will have is narrowing down which ones you would like to order.  Do not overdo it!  It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement and jump ahead of what you really need.  Start with the very basics:  paper, pencils, pencil sharpener, and your curriculum.  The curriculum you choose is going to be entirely up to you.  In our family we have used very traditional and non-traditional methods and I would say there are pros and cons to both.  Know yourself and what you are willing to do.  Do you want something spelled out moment by moment or do you want to plan your daily routine?  Are you willing to spend a lot of time interacting with the child as they are learning or do you need them to become self-sufficient early on?  These are important questions to ask yourself before you purchase your curriculum.
Every family is different and there is no right or wrong way of teaching, you just need to do it!  The biggest problem with homeschooling is many families think they want to take the responsibility on, but they are not completely committed.  Commitment is extremely important and you MUST let your child know that school is a priority.  Never give-in to the pleas from your child asking if they can “do it tomorrow.”  Have your schedule set up beforehand and share this with your child stressing the importance of completing tasks and staying on schedule.  Everyone within your home needs to be committed to homeschooling if not it is going to be extremely difficult.  Then you will be stressing at the end of the year when your child needs to be evaluated.
All in all it comes down to choices.  The personal decisions you make within your own family.  I can give lots of advice about what worked and what didn’t work for my family, but that doesn’t mean it would be the same for yours.  If you have questions about curriculum, scheduling, or creating your classroom please don’t hesitate to contact me at Romona@Raising5Girls.com.  I would love to be a sounding board for you! Good luck on your home education journey.   🙂

Till Next Time,

Romona

 

 

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