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How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child’s Differences

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When I first heard about homeschool learning styles was when my first child was 5 years old. I wanted all the Homeschool Learning Styles tips I could get.

And 20+ years later there is still mixed science about how much difference learning styles really makes.

Today, I’m sharing how understanding homeschool learning styles of not only my children, but myself was a positive experience.

How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child's Differences

Besides, the brain is such a fascinating machine and there is much to know about we learn.

Nobody can really be labeled with one hundred percent accuracy. We’re always learning and changing.

So, I will share how learning styles helped me to accept differences in my children.

And now that my children are young adults, I’m glad I trusted what I know about my children and educated myself about learning styles.

Further, I will help you to sort out terms because it’s not necessary to speak educationalese to have a starting place.

MORE HOMESCHOOL LEARNING STYLES TIPS

Homeschool Style

First, this is the biggest point that helped me to understand learning styles.

And that is to move away from what a lot of educational institutions as well as universities identify as learning styles.

Without making this overly technical, a lot of professionals will write and speak about modalities.

It simply means how children or adults prefer to take in information.

Then, scientist and researchers have classified learners into kinesthetic (hands-on learner), auditory or visual.

How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child's Differences

Also, some of that long standing research has changed to include one more group which is reading/writing. It is called the VARK model.

It stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading/ Writing, and Kinesthetic modalities for learning by (Fleming and Mills, 1992). 

However, the three major ones focused on for years are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. As you can see right away this may or may not be helpful.

Because I was not a public-school educator prior to homeschooling, it was not helpful.

Beginning Point for Types of Homeschool Styles

Hence expanding on how these learning modalities help us teach at home is more important than understanding all the scientific in/outs.

So, instead of focusing on just the components of modalities, focus on your child’s learning personality. What is his learning personality?
This expanded view opened a whole another view of how to teach.
Switch from just learning style to learning personality. Again, this encompasses all the things that make your child unique.

In other words, look below on how I expanded the profile of each of my children to go beyond modality.

  • What is his interest?
  • Is he an introvert or extrovert?
  • Does he naturally flock toward others or prefer long periods alone?
  • Are interests nature based (not because you expose them to him), technologically oriented, or just prefers to read a book about all of it?
  • Does he prefer to just build instead of talk about it?
  • Is he competitive almost defiant?
  • How about inventing? Is that all that matters? His inventions?

These are a few of the questions I started asking myself about each of my children. I added these to their preferred way of taking in information or learning style.

In addition, I examined how I learned and taught my children. With my first child, I had no problem teaching him.

However, my second son came along and all that changed.

I wasn’t sure I was cut out to teach him because none of my tips with my first child seemed to work with him.

Then started my research to learn how to expand learning styles to learning personalities.

One of the best books to this day although it’s older is Discover Your Child’s Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways – Here’s the Key to Every Child’s Learning Success.

Identifying Your Homeschooled Child’s Learning Personality

Finally, after years of putting the pieces together, I have created an online self-paced course on how to identify your homeschool child’s learning personality.

This course will give you solid beginning points and look what you will learn.

YOU WILL LEARN:

  • How to understand the way your child prefers to learn so that you can teach him in a way that he enjoys learning;
  • How to pinpoint your child’s learning personality;
  • A starting point in understanding (barring any special learning challenges or disabilities) and accepting your child’s preferred way of taking in information;
  • Understanding when the learning personality emerges; and
  • Teaching tips for each learning personality to stop the head-butting.
How Homeschool Learning Styles Helps You to Accept Each Child's Differences

And look at these other resources about learning styles

How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year When You Don’t Know How To Start

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m sharing 4 tried and true ways how to plan your first homeschool year when you don’t know how to start. And having the right homeschool planner for your first-year matters.

You’ve left traditional school and your planning should now reflect your new homeschool life you’ve adopted.

However, your first year of homeschooling can be daunting for many reasons.

At the top of the list of concerns are how to find curriculum and how to plan.

How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year When You Don't Know How To Start

Also, knowing what is important now to plan your new homeschool year and what can wait matters.

In addition, you’ll want to make changes throughout your first year.

Why? Now that you’re 1:1 tutoring you will have an excellent grasp on what your children truly know and don’t know.

Homeschool Planning

First, this is the BEST piece of advice although some do not want to hear it.

How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year When You Don't Know How To Start

Do not buy curriculum – yet.

Not only do I want you to have an incredible start, but want to help you save hundreds if not thousands of dollars too.

So before you can choose curriculum, you need to understand where to find it and how to choose it.

The point I’m making is that it’s just as important to know what not to do.

So, don’t let doubts, fears, and misconceptions keep you from making your first homeschool year memorable for the right reasons.

Too, it will take time to not only learn where homeschoolers hang out at, but to understand the new lingo.

After you grab the lingo to understand terms in the homeschool world, look at these 4 best ways to begin your year.

4 BEST Ways to Plan Your First Homeschool Year

First, know your local law, but also know how to meet it.

It’s one thing to read it but quite another thing to homeschool with the nuts and bolts of it each day.

Too, some homeschool laws are very relaxed and a first-time homeschooler may want more details.

However, know that with relaxed laws comes much homeschool freedom.

1. Know Your Local Law AND How to Meet It.

On the other hand, some states have very strict laws. Again, be familiar first with your local state law.

You can find out your state law in two ways;

  1. Find your state’s laws on this page with HSLDA and/or
  2. ask me right here or email me at tinahomeschools at gmail dot com. I’ve helped HUNDREDS get on the road to homeschooling and stay on it. I can help you too.

Next, it won’t take long to understand what is deschooling.

I know you’re eager to get started, but taking just a few days to make your foundation strong will benefit you your whole journey.

How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year When You Don't Know How To Start

Not only do I have a wonderful video for you, but I have this post

2. Don’t Set Up Your Home Like a Public School Classroom. Deschool Next.

Taking your kids out of public school one day and begin homeschooling the next day is a common rookie mistake.

At this point, take time to change to a relaxed mindset and clearly understand how a homeschool method is VERY different from a traditional public school approach.

If you don’t want to repeat the same mistakes at home that weren’t working in public school, you need to know how to deschool.

Thereafter, you want to move quickly to understand how homeschool curriculum is organized.

3. Save yourself HUNDREDS of dollars by knowing how curriculum is organized in the homeschool world.

Having a basic grasp of the top 5 approaches, new homeschoolers can conquer overwhelm and tame the curriculum beast.

And my post Top 5 Homeschool Approaches New Homeschoolers Need to Know will help you get started.

Also, look at my online self-paced course Teaching the Stages of Homeschool. You’ll learn From PreK to High School, Learn at a Bird’s-Eye View of What Subjects to Teach & When to Teach Them

Finally, the best way to begin with choosing curriculum is to begin with free to inexpensive curriculum.

4. Begin teaching your children with inexpensive curriculum until you know how your children learn best.

As I mentioned the outset, you’ll have a better pulse on how your children learn best, but until you tutor you don’t know their strengths and weaknesses.

Also, I have my first time homeschooler kickstarter course.

Moreover, here are more posts t0 help you.

How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year When You Don't Know How To Start

Resources in How to Plan Your First Homeschool Year

How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Blending kindergarten homeschool subjects and life doesn’t make it easy to determine kindergarten homeschool curriculum.

However, today I’m helping you to know how to effortlessly blend the kindergarten subjects with what you’re doing naturally every day.

Further, don’t forget up to this time you have not used any curriculum in your instruction.

Sometimes very little kindergarten homeschool curriculum is needed.

In addition, families vary in their needs, but all children benefit from a gentle and relaxed approach to the kindergarten homeschool subjects.

How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life

Moreover, it’s important to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

And it begins what the subjects that are foundational and the subjects that can be folded into your day naturally.

Beginning my journey 20+ years ago, I didn’t have to make a choice about common core and by the time the No Child Left Behind act was passed, I was well on my way to homeschooling.

Because the educational world can be muddled to trek through, I will give you a glimpse of what is important at this age.

Essential Kindergarten Subjects

Too, it’s important for you to first to know what subjects you need and want to teach.

1. Begin with the subjects your local homeschool law requires.

First, begin with your local law.

No, you don’t choose homeschool curriculum first because your local law could be relaxed or it could be rigid. And your curriculum can help or hinder you meet state law.

Choose curriculum after you’re familiar with the subjects you must teach.

2. Second, focus on math and language arts which are your essential subjects

Then, know what are foundational subjects for kindergarten.

Although curriculum companies tout that you need all subjects, the truth of it is that math and language arts are the key components.

How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life

But, I know you want details because that is what I needed to when teaching my first child.

What’s more look below at this list to see what skills you need to focus on.

ESSENTIAL SUBJECTS IN KINDERGARTEN
MATH | LANGUAGE ARTS (Tip: The subjects vary by age and grade.) For Kindergarten, the subjects are Reading, Phonics, and Writing.

SKILLS TAUGHT IN MATHSKILLS TAUGHT IN LANGUAGE ARTS
Know the ordinal numbers up to 10, but recite numbers to 100Names the parts of a book like cover, back, and inside pages. Understands which direction to hold the book And knows that a story has a beginning, middle and ending .
Knows how to compare two groups to understand the more than, less than and equal to.Recognizes the letters of the alphabet and understands that the letter represents sounds.
Recognizes shapes, and understand patterns ABC, AABBCC, ABBCC, ABAB, etc.
Identifies money.
Is familiar with conventional measuring tools like rulers, but starts with unconventional tools like a pencil.		Can see that we read right to left and top to bottom. Associates sounds with symbols for writing and begins with inventive writing which letters can be indistinguishable. And practices adding new words to his vocabulary.
Compares objects based on size and capacity.Can retell stories and can even act them out.
Counting by 10s and understands what is a pair.Begins to learn and recognize signs from his community like stop signs, etc.
Is familiar with a clock and the numbers on it.Recognizes his name and attempts to “write” it.
Becomes familiar with word that represent position like under, through, on top of, etc. Also, begins basic addition and subtraction by learning how to group sets and break them apart.Begins to sound out and read CVC words like cat, rat, and sat.

3. Decide how to pair kindergarten subjects with life skills.

Next, look at these skills above which are normally introduced in curriculum through a scope and sequence or order.

Kindergarten Subjects

So, you can either use a laid-out curriculum or continue to do what you’ve been doing up to this time in your child’s life.

For example, look at how I effortlessly blended the kindergarten homeschool subjects with life skills.

  • Reading aloud increases your child’s vocabulary, ability to retell, and encourages him to act out what he has learned.
  • Point out words or signs in your home and community to explain their meaning and what they say.
  • Provide plenty of pictures books to your child to look at and dream about.
  • Plant a garden to cover science, measuring, and “write’ on plant markers.
  • Instead of using the app on your phone, have your Kindergarten help with a grocery list.
  • Encourage your kindergarten to understand money by adding some to his piggy bank and paying for small items with your supervision.

early learner planner

Kindergarten Homeschool Ideas

Also, here are more ideas of things you’ve probably already been doing.

  • Take care of a pet and learn to measure the pet’s food or medicine.
  • Practice and recite rhymes. Rhymes are not just child’s play but the foundation to hear rhyming and syllables of a word. These skills are the beginning of phonics. Eventually, the sounds will be put to writing to learn spelling. It’s important to rhyme.
  • Use paint brushes, q tips, sticks, to ‘”write” with.
  • Bake cookies and learn fractions and the measurements on the cups.
  • Take a nature walk and look for patterns in nature. For example, look at the repeating patterns of petals and the seeds in the head of a sunflower.
  • Do crafts and make a clock with moving hands.
  • Play games like uno and dominoes to learn number and additions.
  • Use popsicle sticks and glue on 10 beans and use as a counter for 10s, 20s, and etc.
  • Use these fun rock crayons which encourage the correct grip prior to holding a pencil.
How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life

Moreover, as you can see all of this can be done without worksheets. Puzzles, play props, and play-doh should still be part of kindergarten.

Do not give up what you’ve done for the first five years of your child’s life. Learning doesn’t always have to be divided into subjects.

Finally, if you need a curriculum, remember to use it as a framework, but do not make it the ultimate way a child learns.

What things are you naturally doing with your kindergartner each day where you’re blending learning and living?

How to Effortlessly Blend Kindergarten Homeschool Subjects & Life

Other Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Resources

21 Fun Chemistry Homeschool Ideas for Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

These 21 fun chemistry homeschool ideas show your kids how we use chemistry every day.

When I read an older book about chemistry, it mentioned every house which has a kitchen has a laboratory.

And it made the point that chemistry is about finding out about things. Finding out what things are made of and what changes they undergo. Everything!

21 Fun Chemistry Homeschool Ideas for Kids

Even nature is a huge laboratory and always undergoing changes.

So these homeschool chemistry ideas for kids of all ages will help your young chemists to learn the principles of chemistry.

Homeschool Chemistry

Besides, most chemistry experiments can be done at home. Look at this easy list of things you probably already have on hand or could find easily.

  • water glasses
  • small glass bowls
  • jars
  • bottles
  • cans and
  • funnels can get you started.

Then, you may like to have other laboratory equipment in your home.

Below are a few other pieces you may want to add to turn your kitchen to lab site.

More Chemistry Homeschool Ideas

And of course you will need a variety of common chemicals on hand depending on the activity your students want to do.

Sometimes, buying a kit may be easier. This Ooze Labs or Middle School Chemistry set will work.

In addition, I find it useful to teach my kids about the major branches of science like chemistry, biology, earth science and physics.

However, it’s important for them to know that there are probably hundreds of branches of science which fall under these broad categories.

For example, depending on which curriculum you use chemistry has 5 major branches.

They are organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry and analytical chemistry.

In addition, as much as we have learned there are still many subdivisions.

21 Fun Chemistry Homeschool Ideas for Kids

Beyond atoms and learning about chemical reactions, chemist study the properties of matter and so much more.

You’ll have no shortage of topics depending on which branch your child is interested in.

High School Chemistry Homeschool Curriculum

Then, if you’re looking for homeschool chemistry curriculum, look at my post 10 Popular High School Chemistry Homeschool Curriculum.

CHEMISTRY IDEAS

Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Delightful kindergarten homeschool curriculum which promote a love of learning can be hard to find. Find my other tips for Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum on my page.

Not only will I share how to choose a delightful curriculum, but I’ll explain the essentials.

Besides, it’s hard to choose a curriculum if you don’t know what subjects to teach.

Another important part of a kindergarten homeschool curriculum is the hands-on part.

Kindergarten aged children learn best by playing, exploring, and discovering.

Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning

When a curriculum for kindergarten is overly focused on academics instead of promoting a love of learning, a child’s start can be stunted.

From the beginning, all children have a love of learning.

So, it’s important that whatever resource you use to teach your kindergartener that it will continue to nurture the love for learning.

First, what is a delightful kindergarten?

Appreciating how to sort curriculum begins with what you know and don’t know.

Back 20 years or so ago, it was much easier to choose a kindergarten homeschool curriculum because educators mostly agreed that children should play learn.

Now with a shift in education, there is a mindset that more lessons, earlier academic lessons, and a busier schedule works. It does not.

Instead, I’ve seen young adults push back at being what they perceived as over achieving or forced learning.

From the parents perspective, they thought they were conscientious educators.

What a horrible mistake to make.

Some of those families who started their homeschool journey when I did have a strained relationship with their young adult kids. How sad.

This may sound dramatic, but the truth of it is from kindergarten, their parents constantly pushed their children. Being overly ambitious bites.

As I mentioned briefly, defining what is delightful will help you to match curriculum with a child’s development.

What is Delight-Directed Study

And the BEST description of what is delight-directed learning still comes from Greg Harris which I read over 25 years ago.

A delight-directed study is like a wonderful fire in the mind of a student. It starts small, but as it grows, it begins to consume vast amounts of information until it bursts into a roaring blaze of insight, understanding, and creativity. It takes on a life of its own. — Gregg Harris

Can you see why what you choose from the beginning matters?

What Kindergarten Subjects to Teach

Now, learning what is foundational to teach and what part of a body of knowledge can wait or added in later matters.

From the meaning of delight-directed study, the essential kindergarten subjects are math and language arts.

Taking this a step further, the components of language arts change from kindergarten to high school.

For example, composition is a component of language arts, but that skill is not necessary until about fourth grade.

Before you can narrow down your choices for language arts, you need to know what is language arts.

Language arts includes all facets of English. Phonics, reading/literature, spelling/vocabulary, grammar, composition, penmanship, and even oral speaking are the components.

What are the Kindergarten Language Art Subjects

As you can see a kindergarten homeschool curriculum should not cover unnecessary language arts.

When a program does this, it takes away from the basics.

It is not nurturing lifelong learners by stuffing in academics.

The language arts components to a kindergarten curriculum for homeschool are phonics, reading, penmanship, and oral speaking.

Language arts is learning to both write and speak English.

Let’s not make this any more complicated than it must be.

Also, if you want a big picture of the subjects to teach, you’ll love my online self-paced course, Teaching the Stages of Homeschool.

Best Language Arts Curriculum for Kindergarten

With that being said, look at some of my favorite language arts programs for kindergarten.

I have listed both all-in-one which means all subjects are purchased together and separate components.

Moreover, I have listed a variety of the best language arts curriculum for kindergarten because you need to decide what are you needs this year.

For example, if you’re just teaching one or two children you can hand pick a phonics and reading program.

If you have a sweet handful of younger learners where you’re outnumbered, you may want to go with something put together already.

However, the best part of homeschooling Kindergarten is when you can hand pick each component.

There are so many wonderful resources now in the homeschool world which benefit your kids.

Best Language Art Separate Components

Learning through nature, hands-on games, and interactive content are some of my favorite ways.

All About Reading

Whether you’re teaching kindergartener handwriting (hopefully not too much) or you want to teach them to read, you’ll love these resources.

Moving on to math, it is the second important component of a kindergarten program.

Homeschool Math Kindergarten and Supplements

Too, math is best learned hands-on with math manipulatives.

Some programs push a child to give up the concrete for the abstract of ideas too soon.

  • Math U See Primer
  • Math U See Manipulatives Starter Set and Completer Set with Wooden Storage Boxes

I’m an advocate of keeping math hands-on as long as the child needs it not until a certain grade.

And some days you should skip formal math lessons in favor of a fun game. There is NOT a subject that can’t be taught through either a board game, card game, or a fun app.

Furthermore, the fun subjects are what keeps kindergarten fun.

Although language arts and math are the foundation, science, geography, history, art and nature are just as important.

However, remember to keep it a skinny lady in your teaching so that you stay clearly focused on what is important.

The skinny lady subjects are math and language arts.

So, when you become overwhelmed, focus on those two content areas.

History Curriculum for Kindergarten

Whether you’re looking for geography books for kindergarten, history books for kindergarten or history activities for kindergarten, you’ll love some of these resources.

And don’t forget I have these fun Westward Expansion Coloring sheets to engage your young historian.

Science Curriculum for Kindergarten

Finally, here are some fun kindergarten science homeschool curriculum resources.

Before you jump into choosing, you’ll need to decide if you want to use one which is Christian-based, secular, or faith-neutral.

I find that most resources I can tweak to my worldview or what is important to me.

In other words, just be aware but don’t get caught up in too much worldview at this age.

You have much time as your child grows to help him think critically. At this age, let him explore the world around him.

However, what I like more are science kits and games because science is about doing.

  • Magic School Bus science club through (The Young Scientist Club) has 12 kits with the program and each kit has a 12 page colorful manual. For ages 5 to 12 years old with younger kids needing some supervision.
Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning
Delightful Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Which Promote a Love of Learning

Finally, remember that forced learning before a child is ready can not only hamper, but harm a child’s ability to love learning.

Kindergarten Curriculum

A child needs to explore in nature, have plenty of time indoors and outdoors to play, and not be rushed when he is intrigued.

It’s not hard to pique curiosity at this age. Follow your child’s lead in what interests him, and he’ll carry that same love of learning all the way to high school and into adulthood.

What do you think? See anything that can help you or do you have questions?

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