We are fast approaching the end of the month of May and, in my country, this usually signals preparation for the start of the new school year. We do not follow the International calendar so our school year is from June to March and so it is also around this time that I prepare materials and the like for my kids. For the past couple of years, it has been just about my son. He is entering Preparatory this year, this is the last year in pre-school. This year, though, my daughter is already starting school so it is, admittedly, a bit overwhelming to think about two kids in school. And they are such different kids as well that it just cannot follow that the school that my son enjoys, my daughter will, no doubt, enjoy as well. This prompted me to do some research about learning styles. I know, this may be late considering my son has been in school for the past three years but I always say that when it has something to do with the kids, it is never too late.

There are apparently three main learning styles to consider when it comes to a child. There is the Visual, the Auditory, or the Kinesthetic or Tactile learning style. Sounds like mouthful? Yes, I know, but it really is not that difficult to understand once you sit down and get to know the styles. So let’s do a run down of the individual styles and state some simple examples to illustrate the styles.

Does it seem like a whole lot to take in? Well, according to what I researched, most kids use a combination of these learning styles although most also choose a favored path when processing information. The good thing about doing this research is that I found or that learning styles are really better seen in the early years of a child’s schooling, in grade school in fact, so this whole exercise is not that late for my first child after all.

They first start out by posing a scenario:

Imagine your child making a microwave snack for the first time. Would he:

a. Read the instructions in the package first?

b. Ask you how to do things?

c. Or toss the packet into the microwave and wing it?

The answer to this question will determine, in a very simplistic way, if your child is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. Let’s take a look at, again, a very simple chart outlining what these kinds of learner’s really are.

Visual learners:

•learn by seeing; for example, by watching others, by reading.

•have a preference for the “look-say” approach to learning to read.

•have creative imaginations; daydream, draw detailed and/or colorful pictures

•remember faces better than names.

•have good handwriting.

•tend to check out a new situation carefully before joining in.

•prefer art to music.

•often see a detail first rather than the whole.

•are often meticulous about their work.

Auditory learners:

•learn most easily by listening to explanations.

•have a preference for phonics instruction as part of learning to read.

•love to chatter and socialize.

•often talk to themselves while working.

•have strong vocabularies.

•are easily distracted by noise.

•may have a strange sense of fashion, mixing unmatchable colors and patterns.

•prefer music to art.

Kinesthetic or tactile learners:

•learn best through direct involvement in the action: modeling, building, producing.

•are adept at taking things apart and putting them back together.

•excel at some sports.

•are good dancers.

•fidget and touch things constantly.

•touch you to get your attention.

•respond well to touch.

•are poor spellers.

•have poor handwriting.

•have difficulty with verbal or written direction.

•read with difficulty and often don’t enjoy being read to.

Again apparently, most children do not show a complete preference for one or the other learning style. A lot of kids draw on two or all of the styles. In fact it is said that a lot of the kids who excel in school use a combination of all three styles. I tried to look at my son to see if I could identify his learning style but I am not very confident considering that my son is below grade school years already. At the same time, I am not a child psychologist so I am not too comfortable attaching labels that I am not an expert on. Most psychologists say though that these summaries are a good starting point for parents to use when considering schools for their kids and a good place to detect anything odd that trained professionals can help with.

Now, considering all these, it can be a bit easier at least to look at ways to nurture your child’s learning development and to make him or her more comfortable with learning differently, or approaching things in a different way. This includes choosing a school that is focused on helping nurture the different learning styles in a child.

For me, this is extremely useful information as I look over  what kind of elementary school I want to put my child in. I will be sure when I talk to his teacher that is ask how these learning styles are addressed. What are the lessons? How are the lessons taught? How is the curriculum prepared, divided? What kind of media will be used for the different and individual subjects.

For example, will there be:

•slides, films, written work, and demonstrations for the visual learners?

•tapes, verbal instruction, periods of quiet time for the auditory learners.?

•experiments, opportunities to build or to move around the whole classroom and school for the kinesthetic learners?

To be honest, these were already the things I considered when I looked into the many, many preschools for my kids. Other than this, I also considered the teaching styles or methods of each school. Progressive, Multiple Intelligence, Eclectic, Developmentally Appropriate, Traditional, Waldorf, there are just so many of them and that is an entirely new post. So, what is the importance of all this? Understanding your kids learning style can help you choose a school for him or her. You can either choose a school that will complement his way of leaning or you can choose a school that will work to develop other learning styles. You can also use what you have observed to help teach your kids yourself, whether this be taking on your kids education on the whole, or when doing homework with him or her.

Do you think knowing these learning styles helps you?

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

VICKI


Single parenting is hard. If you are a couple with kids, think of how tough it is to lose weight and double this. Single parenthood has its pro’s and con’s.

Its pro’s include absolute autonomy.  You do not need to confer with anyone when it comes to decisions making about the kids.  You can impart the values you think they should have, teach them what you know, and basically arm them how you think is best.  You are not limited by another person’s thoughts or opinions when it comes to work hours, kids of work, how much you get done or not done around the house.  You are completely free to think of the best possible path for yourself and your kids.

The con’s include the fact that you have to do all this on your own and this means it is on you to mold these precious beings into happy, healthy, and productive people when they grown older.  It is on you to make sure that they eat at least three square, healthy meals, are schooled properly, are taught what they need to know to function and be independent.  You have no help when it comes to keeping house and home, paying bills, or acquiring assets.

All this said, it is hard to imagine how to fit home schooling into a single parents plan. I guess it would all depend on what kind of support system the single parent has. I have heard that in other countries, single parents get a lot of discounts and even financial help from the government.  Fore some countries apparently, health care and even schooling is free.  I do not know this for sure or as a fact. What I do know is that in my country, single parenthood is hard.

Here, to manage in maintaining food, shelter, health care, and schooling, a single parent needs to either ask for help from better off relatives or have a really good, high paying job, with lots of benefits. Otherwise, single parents work long hours, some with two or more smaller jobs on the side. Some take on night work to make the most of the higher percentages in wages.  And almost all who do it on their own have very little time to spend at home.  And to think that there is no real day care system in my country so kids left at home are often cared for by extended family or a paid, stay-in nanny.

Home schooling, from what I have seen requires one main element- the parent’s time and presence at home to oversee the educational development of the child or children.  How is this to be done when the parent is out of the house?  The recommendation here then is to have a guardian, like an aunt or grandparent take over the teaching.  Is it as effective as the parent doing it?  Home schooling would be a financially lighter and educationally better choice for single parents.  It is cheaper to home school and you have control over what your kids learn, how they learn, etc.  But can it be done for single moms like me?

Question: in a situation where the parent has little time to spend at home, is home schooling still an option?  If so, what is the work-around for the lack of availability?

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

VICKI


If you are a parent, there is one thing for sure you think about from the moment your precious one/s enter the world…how to educate them.  This is certainly one of the thoughts that entered my mind and has taken, it seems, permanent residency there.  It is just so important to me that my kids get the right schooling, the best schooling for them.

Now, before anyone jumps on me in anger, this is not a ‘Tiger Mom’ post. Far from it.  I have neither the years of experience, the certainty, or the guts to let it all hang out there the way Amy Chua did.  This is more a post looking at whether to Homeschool my kids or not.

Why am I looking at Homeschooling in particular?  Of all the approaches, why this?  The answer is simple. I have very good friends who espouse Homeschooling and who swear that it is the best thing to hit education since the advent of the textbook.  But what is homeschooling exactly?  Let me go through a very simplified and brief approach to Homeschooling.

I am not sure how it is defined or the processes that go into it in other countries but here in Manila, in a nutshell, Homeschooling is the parent or guardian taking responsibility and control of educating their children at home instead of sending them to an institution like public or private school.  Here, the parent or guardian signs up of joins an accredited Homeschooling group first. This group must have the proper licenses and must have a curriculum approved by the Department of Education. The parent or guardian must keep in touch with the head of this group and give updates and reports about the progress of their child.  There are two main reasons for this; that the parent is able to go to an authority for help should this be needed; and there is some form of check and balance still existing to make sure that the parent or the guardian is keeping up with the level requirements.  After this, the parent is left to look at the level curriculum and create their own school schedule for this kids.  This should include the subjects and topics in detail, the way this will be taught, the reinforcement, the activities about the activities, the testing.  Main testing will be done at accredited centers and exams to certify that the child has passed from one level to the next should be given by the Department of Education.

Here are some Pro’s and cons to Homeschooling:

Pros Cons
Children are taught according to their learning styles and interests. Parents must help children improve upon their weaknesses and not just cater to their strengths.
Parents have more control over how and what their children are taught. Parents take on sole responsibility for their children’s education.
Children can progress slowly or quickly, according to their abilities. Family crises, illness and lax supervision by parents can interfere with learning.
Schedules are based on what the parents thinks is an important distribution of activities. Parents must purchase own materials and be in-charge of the teaching styles that will best help their children learn.
Flexible schedules allow time for breaks, field trips, vacations. Parents must search for activities such as sports and music that can be extra-curricular activities or supplements to learning.
The cost of homeschooling for a year is about 1/10 the cost of a year in private school. Parents must give children increasing independence and a chance to learn to stand for their values.
Parents can transmit their values to children and shelter them from negative influence. Parents must be vigilant about ensuring their children still have socialization with their peers.

I have been thinking about this seriously and have had long talks with my friends about whether homeschooling is the way to go or not.  I will post again about my progress on this topic.

What is homeschooling like where you live?

Vicki