Discover Your Child's Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways - Here's the Key to Every Child's Learning Success

by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson

Book Overview

Help Your Child Discover the Joy of Learning Does your child learn best in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Does his reading comprehension increase or decrease when music is played in the background? Does she prefer to study alone or with others? According to nationally respected educators Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson, our children process information in a multitude of unique ways. What works best for one child is often counterproductive...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761520139
• ISBN13: 9780761520139
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 0.7" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

A tool chest for the parents of a struggling learner

What I found of great value in this book:A) Encouragement: there is more than one way for people to learn and remember information. My child is not dumb just because she is failing to thrive in a traditional classroom invironment. Most of us are multisensory learners. Some of us are stifled by florescent lights, schedules, the rigorous pace, and sitting up straight at desks all in a row listening to lectures. However, this book is not about forcing our newfound ideas on our teachers, but rather assessing whether our current school or another would serve us better. It's about finding a school and/or a curriculum that fits my child and planting them in soil where they will thrive. That might mean homeschooling, or after-school tutoring.I am blessed to live in a public-school-of-choice school district. We have a diversity of schools and curriculums to choose from. This book was invaluable in helping us make that choice.B) Information: What is my child's learning style? Here is a quiz to figure that out! Are there curriculums out there that were designed just for her specific learning style that also have a proven success record? Here is a whole list in each subject area!In addition to the book the authors also have a web site, monthly newsletter, and training seminars to help us to stay inspired, motivated, encouraged, and helped.This book has been a tremendous help to our family and will be to yours as well.

One of the best books I've read this year

This book is an eye opener. While I don't always agree with everything that the authors assert, it provides a fresh new way of looking at learning that makes parents take a strong look at whether the "standard" way of learning is the "right" way for their child. I gave the simple tests included in the book to everyone in my family. It has given us a lot of food for thought on how we can modify our styles at home to make learning more fun and easy. When I teach a class now, I am more aware of the individuals' differing learning style and more receptive to the differing needs and try harder to make individual modifications. Now when my daughter flits around the room when I am reading to her I don't get frustrated that she isn't "paying attention" but understand her need for movement. Buy it. Enjoy it. Use it!

Practical information that is easy to implement

I homeschool my children and found myself frequently frustrated because I felt I was not relating to them. I figured a difference in our dispositions and styles lay at the root of the problem, but I didn't know what to do about it until I read this book and had everyone in our family complete the Learning Style Profile Assessment. This tool is very easy to complete and it truly shows you how each person is a unique individual! I had read other books on learning styles, but this one is by far the most thorough and practical. After completing the assessments, we sat down as a family to compare our results. This "family meeting" was eye opening for everyone. It was a way to learn about each other and to start to appreciate each other in a new way. We learned that we can draw on each other's strengths and learn from each other. It also showed me that I had chosen all of our curriculum based on my own learning style. Not surprisingly, my children's styles are different than mine. I'm excited about the new school year, because I've ordered curriculum that hopefully will more closely match their learning styles. I'm confident that this year we will have a much more rewarding and exciting school year, because my children will be learning in their own style.

Fascinating Insights

This book is very well written. The exercises are easy to follow and provide fascinating insights. My two favorite quotes from the book are: Grades and percentiles are conveniences that maintain a system, and Wallpushing is counterproductive no matter how hard, how creatively, or how often you push. The part of the book that will be most helpful with my 16-year-old is that he really does need the television on in order to study effecitvely, and he would do even better on tests if he had some backgroud noise. He told me when the tension gets too high with absolute silence, he drops his pencil to break the tension. For my 13-year-old I learned that if he reads instructions out loud, he will be better able to understand them. This will save both of us lots of frustration from now on.

Finally... a book that says it the way it should be!

I am so thrilled that someone finally showed us how to teach our kids in a way that actually means they'll learn something other that how to pass a test. Until now only a professional could tell you what learning style was best for your child. Now you can do it yourself and tailor your school day to fit your own needs. This is an absolute must for homeschooling parents but parents of children in traditional schools will benefit as well. Did I mention that the book is reader friendly too? It's definitely one of the easiest "how to" books I've ever read. A must for any parents library!