Before you choose curriculum, assess your own and your child's learning style. You may see that you need to make an adjustment in order to accommodate each of your learning styles. A Read/Write parent will have difficulty teaching a Kinesthetic child, etc. Use the results from your learning style assessment to help you select curriculum.

Learning Styles Assessment Resources:

• VARK (click on "using VARK", then "Printable VARK Questionnaire for Younger People, pdf document) Take the learning style assessment yourself, then go to “Using VARK”, click on “Printable VARK questionnaire for younger people,” and administer that test to your child. Compare the results of your test to your child´s.
• Multiple Intelligence Survey from Family Education. I prefer the VARK Learning style assessment because it’s simple to use and understand.
• Learning Styles from Accelerated Learning.
• Learning Styles Online.
• Hemispheric Dominance Assessment.
• Learning Styles Assessment.
• NC State University Index of Learning Styles Questionaire.

You don’t have to teach every subject according to your child’s learning style, but use it as often as you can - especially for subjects in which your child has difficult. (Your child will need to learn to work in a read/write environment eventually as most schools teach that way.)

I am a Visual/Read-Write/Kinesthetic learner. My daughter is the same; however, my son is a visual/kinesthetic learner. This made it difficult for him to learn using traditional curriculum. During K-8th grade, I tried to incorporate his learning style as much as possible by using books that contained color illustrations, charts, graphs, and maps; by using hands-on projects for “seatwork” and assessment; and incorporating the use of word processing and multimedia software for written projects. Even though he did not enjoy the read-write environment, I had him hand-write his math problems including all the steps taken as well as the solutions, hand-write an occasional composition lesson and worksheet, read an occasional textbook entry, and practice multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank test-taking skills in order to prepare him to work in this type of environment. By the time he reached high school, he not only was on-level, but he was also admitted to college as a concurrent enrollment student at 15.

Following is a list of the four learning styles and type of curriculum that I recommend for each:

Visual Learner (V):
This child likes videos, pictures, posters, slides, textbooks with illustrations, graphs, charts, lecturers who use visual aides, multi-media projects, and underlining their books with colored highlighters.

• I recommend colorful books, textbooks, and/or unit studies involving a lot of visual aids for this child. Allow him to create projects (posters, video productions, multi-media reports, illustrated booklets, etc.) instead of requiring him to do a lot of traditional worksheets and testing. See Curriculum Recommendations for specific suggestions for each subject.

• Cutting, pasting, and coloring are good for this type of learning as long as his fine motor skills are developed. (Most boys and some girls do not fully develop their fine motor skills until between the ages of 6 and 9. Read Dr. Raymond Moore's book, Home Grown Kids for more information.)

• Art is usually a favorite subject for this child. Be sure to give him art lessons, both traditional and computer art. Try to integrate art into as many of his other subjects as possible. Check out the book, Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Art by Diane Reeves, 1998. ISBN 081603687X.

• Almost all kids like nature. You may also want to check out: Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Animals and Nature by Diane Reeves, 2000. ISBN 0816040982.

Aural/Auditory (A):
Prefers information that is “heard.” This child likes lectures, tutorials, audio tapes and CDs, listening to a tape recorder of a lecture, group discussion, speaking, web chat, and talking things through.

• Get a copy of the catalog: SingNLearn (http://www.singnlearn.com/). Not everything in their catalog is for the Auditory learner, but you will find plenty of resources that are.

• Lyrical Learning. Lyrical Earth Science -Geology with Cassette Volume 1 is a terrific science program for your Auditory learner 6th-9th grader. Also available is Lyrical Life Science.

• History of America tapes (purchase from SingNLearn). These tapes are a great way for your Auditory learner of all ages to learn about American history. See History Curriculum Recommendations for purchasing info.

• Teach from books and textbooks by reading to them. See Curriculum Recommendations for specific suggestions for each subject.

• Music is usually a favorite subject for this child. Make sure you give him music lessons! Check out the books, Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Music and Dance by Diane Reeves, 2001. ISBN 0816043248.

• and Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Talking by Diane Reeves, 1998. ISBN 0816036896.

• Almost all kids like nature. You may also want to check out: Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Animals and Nature by Diane Reeves, 2000. ISBN 0816040982.

Read/Write (R):Prefers information displayed as words - emphasizes text-based input and output - reading and writing in all its forms. The majority of teachers and curriculum publishers have a preference for this style which is why students who do not learn in this mode have difficulty in school.

• They like all forms of reading and writing and usually enjoy school. They like lectures, writing stories, creating books, making lists, and have no problems with fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and essay questions on a test.

• Alpha-Omega, A Beka, BoB Jones, and most curriculum publishers use this mode. This is the easiest curriculum to find as almost anything works as long as it involves reading and writing.

• These kids often like to write. Check out the book, Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Writing by Diane Reeves, 1998. ISBN 0816036918.

• Almost all kids like nature. You may also want to check out: Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Animals and Nature by Diane Reeves, 2000. ISBN 0816040982.

Kinesthetic (K):
Prefers information acquired by the use of hands-on experience and practice (simulated or real). These kids are often misdiagnosed as “ADD” in school. With firm discipline and the right learning environment, these kids often excel at home.

• This child prefers hands-on projects that involve all the senses—sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing. They like field trips, collecting things, building things, experimenting, drama, computing, creating exhibits, photographs, recipes, lecturers who give real-life examples, anything that involves a hands-on approach.

• I recommend multi-level teaching and unit studies for this child. Allow him to participate in projects instead of requiring him to do a lot of traditional worksheets and testing. Have him do experiments, build things, put on a play that shows what he has learned, create an exhibit of what he has learned, cook recipes related to the topic, etc. See Curriculum Recommendations for specific suggestions for each subject.

• Sports, computer games, and physical science are often favorites of this child. Check out the books

  • Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Sports by Diane Reeves, 1998. ISBN 081603690X.

  • Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Computers by Diane Reeves, 1998. ISBN 0816036888.

  • Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Adventure by Diane Reeves, 2001. ISBN 0816043221.

  • Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Science by Diane Reeves, 1998. ISBN 0816036861.

• Almost all kids like nature. You may also want to check out: Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Animals and Nature by Diane Reeves, 2000. ISBN 0816040982.
• The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles by Carol Barnier is another excellent resource on learning styles. See my complete review for more information.

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