Learning styles

Since I have started homeschooling I have read alot about the ways people learn and why public school just doesnt work for some people.

We all learn differently. For example my oldest son learns best if he can touch it, move it, feel it.Movement seems to be VERY connected to his memory and learning new concepts.

Well I was faced with my own learning style this evening and I must say it was fairly amusing.I have always known that the best way for me to learn is to have someone show me. Let me sit beside you and be physically shown how to do something. I have a very hard time with sitting down and reading the instructions to something and being able to do it. Like the time I bought a knitting loom and was going to teach myself to knit hats.. it was so pitiful! I just could not figure it out!! But when my sister came over and physically showed me how to do it I picked it up fairly quickly.

Now for those of you who homeschool you can imagine what a challenge this can be at times. I want to teach my children to make, do or build a certain thing and I have to read the instructions and figure it out! Well tomorow for part of our unit study on North American Indians we will be weaving burden baskets out of colorful cardstock. Knowing myself I figured it would be best to figure one out tonight so that tomorow would go smoothly. My husband had a good little chuckle when I told him what I was doing.

"But Honey," My Dear Hubby says "thats easy, its kids stuff, just read the directions!"

Well I did end up finishing my basket and it only took 1 hour and 1 failed attempt to get it right!!

I enjoy reflecting on these experiances that just reinforce to me that God is so smart. He made us all to be unique and different and wonderful and because he did that sometimes we have to try a little harder or try something different to help our children learn a new concept. Its not that I'm a bad teacher or there a bad student. We are just wonderfully unique.