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What Are The 5 Learning Styles to Know to Form a Powerful Homeschool Foundation

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

What are the 5 learning styles to know to form a powerful homeschool foundation? After 20+ years of homeschooling, I want you to be in the know. You’ll love the other tips I have on my page homeschool learning styles.

Too, although there are more learning styles than 5, it’s important to know what are the ones most popular.

They are popular because the learning styles align with the goals each homeschool family has set.

What Are The 5 Learning Styles to Know to Form a Powerful Homeschool Foundation

You’ll want to know the different learning styles so you can match them to the personality of your different children.

In addition, there is no need to have to learn educationalese or jargon to understand what are the 5 learning styles.

But, first, here are some books you’ll want to add to your library to understand how to form a strong homeschool foundation.

Homeschool Learning Personality Books and How Tos of Homeschooling

Homeschool Learning Style and Personality Book Helps and How to of Homeschooling

Arming yourself with more information as to how children learn and how to teach them best should be part of every homeschool library.

Our goal in homeschooling is to be the best teacher and learn how OUR kids learn best and not every child or grade level.

31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers: When You Don't Know Where to Begin

Homeschooling 31 Day Boot Camp for New Homeschoolers is a real eye-opener on homeschooling. It will alleviate a lot of the anxieties about getting started homeschooling. Reading each chapter’s highlights will give you encouragement, knowledge, guidance, and peace of mind to homeschool with confidence. The best part is that you’ll be educating the person who loves your kids the most in this world--YOU! 

How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On to Learning

Carol Barnier knew that her son -- more likely to be sitting on the table (or the refrigerator) than in his chair -- was worthy of high expectations. She also knew that he could easily miss achieving them if she didn't find the right key to unlock his capacity to learn. Carol found volumes of information on how to recognize the challenges in ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) children, how to manage them, how to discipline them, and how to accept them. But no one told her how to teach her son math tomorrow. In her search for solutions, she developed techniques that are not only fun for all children, but highly successful with any child who struggles with focus.

The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles: A Fresh and Demystifying Approach

All children want to learn, but so often we give students a key to unlock their understanding of a new concept only to discover that it was the wrong key. The question then becomes, WHAT NOW? Carol Barnier delivers a fresh and demystifying approach to learning styles. You'll find answers and so much more. You, the newly energized "Keeper of the Keys," will now have access to the following ideas that will help you find the right key to unlock a love of learning in your K-12th grade child:

Next, look at these questions which it make easier to sort out learning styles.

3 Questions about Homeschool Learning Styles

Determine what your children like and don’t like and then you can see ways to teach that fits their learning style.

1. Does my child learn best by hands-on, auditory, or workbook?

For example, if you have a child that learns best by hands-on, should you waste your time looking JUST at workbooks?

Next, what is your idea of success in homeschool is another one to think about.

2. How Will I Define Success for my homeschooled child?

For instance, do you think completing workbooks equates to master?

Or, do you feel open-ended learning without a clear cut answer is better?

Then again, do you want to combine the two types of approaches.

Finally, what subjects do you consider more important to the success of your child?

3. Which subjects are more important to your family?

To illustrate, some families are more sports minded, some natured minded and yet others academic minded.

Different learning styles puts emphasis on some subjects above others.

You’ll want to know what is important to you so you can make an informed choice.

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Childs Learning Personality.

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child? Determining the best learning style approach is much easier when you know about homeschool learning styles. A learning style is not something I thought about when I started homeschooling or even when my kids were struggling. However, had I taken time to learn what is the best learning style for each of my children, I would have saved myself unnecessary stress.

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.

Too, don’t forget to grab my book above chock full of teaching tips.

What Are The 5 Learning Styles to Know to Form a Powerful Homeschool Foundation

Then look at some of these other helpful tips on homeschool learning style resources.

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

Finally, look the different homeschool learning styles.

What Are The 5 Learning Styles

Look below at the 5 learning styles or homeschool approaches.

1. Unit Study Approach for Families Who Want Free Exploration

2. Workbook Approach for Families Who Want Memory Work and Workbooks

3. Classical Approach for Families Who Put Emphasis on Learning from Ancient Minds of the Past

4. Charlotte Mason Approach for Families Who Nurture a Love of Nature and Living Books

5. Unschooling Approach for Families Who Want Child-Led Learning Without Bounds

Tapping into the way a child prefers to learn is essential to success.

How to Fuse Personality and Learning Styles to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum

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

It’s a sanity saving tip to know how to fuse personality and learning styles to choose the best homeschool curriculum. You’ll love the other tips I have on my page homeschool learning styles.

Understanding you and your child’s personality differences and how it affects learning styles in homeschooling is valuable.

While choosing homeschool curriculum, thinking about my children’s learning personality was not tops on my list. That was a mistake.

How to Fuse Personality and Learning Styles to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum

Today, I’m sharing a few quick tips in how to combine your child’s learning personality and homeschool learning style.

Knowing how your child learns best helps you reduce stress and struggling.

However, before I go further, I want to give you a heads up about learning styles.

There is no way science can fully understand how the magnificent brain takes in information.

But getting a general understanding of why your child may struggle in one subject and excel in another will help you reduce the struggle.

Questions to Know How to Combine Personality with Learning Style

To begin with look at these three tips to help you weigh how a homeschool curriculum will fit your child’s learning personality.

1. What is the approach of the curriculum you’re interested in?

For example, if you know your child has done best with moving while learning then a traditional workbook approach is not the choice for your family.

Too no matter how comfortable you are with the curriculum, if it’s not a fit for your child, you will face resistance.

So, when a curriculum does not fit our child’s personality, it can make stress increase.

Look at my post Top 5 Homeschool Approaches New Homeschoolers Need to Know to understand what are the top homeschool approaches.

Remember, all curriculum falls into one or more approaches.

Next, you need to know what has not worked.

2. What curriculum has NOT worked in the past?

And it may seem like an obvious question, but I’ve learned identifying what will work means to identify exactly what did not work.

Then identify what was the approach of the last curriculum you used which didn’t work.

How to Fuse Personality and Learning Styles to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum

Third, identify what is your child’s strength.

So much focus is on what a child can’t do instead of what he can do.

3. What is your child’s FAVORITE subject?

Furthermore, to identify with better accuracy what is a child’s learning personality begin with knowing what is his favorite subject.

Next hear my heart when I say be sure it’s your child’s favorite subject and not yours or the one you want them to know because it’s your favorite.

Then, is it a content or skill subject?

Look at my post Skill Subjects vs. Content Subjects: What’s the Difference.

For example, if your child’s favorite subjects are art and music and he struggles with writing, he may be more of a creative thinker.

However, if you child prefers to walk around reading encyclopedia or from his device, he could be analytical.

Matching his strong points to homeschool approaches is vital. For instance, Charlotte Masson puts an emphasis on music and art and delaying language arts.

However, there are more ways to identify your child’s learning personality.

How to Fuse Personality and Learning Styles to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum

Grab this 35+ Best Homeschool Curriculum By Learning Style (free printable).

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Childs Learning Personality.

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child? Determining the best learning style approach is much easier when you know about homeschool learning styles. A learning style is not something I thought about when I started homeschooling or even when my kids were struggling. However, had I taken time to learn what is the best learning style for each of my children, I would have saved myself unnecessary stress.

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 to Fuse Personality and Learning Styles to Choose the BEST Homeschool Curriculum

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

3 Veteran’s Superb Tips to Understand Homeschool Learning Style Differences

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

There is no denying that knowing homeschool learning style differences can help us make a difference in teaching. You’ll love the other tried and true tips I have on my page Homeschool Learning Styles.

Too, many complicated definitions exist about learning styles.

In addition, learning styles are explained in the educational world as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic to name a few.

3 Veteran’s Superb Tips to Understand Homeschool Learning Style Differences

And I never found that very helpful as a mom.

So, after 20+ years, I have researched, learned, and educated others about learning style differences.

I know you’ll benefit from these three tried and tips.

3 Tested Tips about Learning Styles

First, I want to share 3 things that makes it easier to understand learning styles.

1. Learning styles can be compared to a default setting.

This means that instead of jumping out there and selecting curriculum based only on our learning style, we want to consider our child’s style primarily.

Sometimes we think our teaching style is so clear easy to follow and the problem is with the child.

In truth, our teaching style may be causing the problems because we chose curriculum based on it.

At this point it’s important for you to know that teaching style can stem from our learning style.

We learn in specific way or style which makes complete sense to us.

Hence, this pours over into the way we teach.

As educators, we think our way is how school is supposed to be done and are not willing to bend from that method.

Understanding that like a machine, we have an inborn default setting for our personality and come pre-wired to make choices.

When we speak or write, we think we are absolutely clear in the way we communicate because we default to our natural way of learning. 

Our natural way of learning becomes our teaching style.

3 Veteran’s Superb Tips to Understand Homeschool Learning Style Differences

Often times choices in curriculum are based on our pre-wired settings or default setting.

Unlike a machine though, we can appreciate that choices do not always have to be comfortable for us.

3 Veteran’s Superb Tips to Understand Homeschool Learning Style Differences. There is no denying that knowing homeschool learning style differences can help us make a difference in teaching. You'll love the other tried and true tips I have on my page homeschool learning styles. Too, many complicated definitions exist about learning styles. In addition, learning styles are explained in the educational world as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic to name a few. #homeschoollearningstyles

{Yes I know not glamorous. We can’t all be toasters…but}

As the teacher, it’s important to understand that children have a way they come pre-wired to learn also. 

It is easier for us as adults to move out of our comfort zone or default setting to teach in a way that our child understands.

Our focus is on teaching unique individuals which are our children, not mini versions of ourselves.

2. You Must Wear the Educator Hat Too.

For the most part children want to please us.

As moms, we tend to first think that a child is acting up.

But in reality, something is wrong with the material or (clear throat here) our way of teaching (i.e. our default setting of learning clashes with child’s default setting).

Thinking like a teacher means that we try to understand what our child cannot articulate but expresses only through tears or resentment.

If a child is analytical we can ask questions like: Is the material below their level or do we really need to repeat it over and over?

Is the material too overwhelming with details for a wiggly child or does it not have enough details for a child who thrives on details?

 3.Appreciate differences.

Instead of deciding that one curriculum by one provider meets the needs of all our children, we can use different curriculum for each child.

We value that right brain and left brain children can learn together under one roof and that both sides of the brain work together.

Embracing differences motivates us to choose three different math programs, if necessary, and if it meets the needs of each child.

It makes us move out of our comfort zone as a teacher and appreciate the strength and gifts of each child.

Learning styles are not exact sciences, they are just another tool to help us grow to learn how our children learn.

Being conscientious about not putting labels on our children is important.

However, balance is also needed. 

Helping our child to understand why he is strong in some subjects and perhaps weaker in other areas equips him to embrace ways of tackling tough subjects.

It helps us, as educators, to discover the uniqueness of each child and nurture it.

Have you helped your child to discover his riches?

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Childs Learning Personality.

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child? Determining the best learning style approach is much easier when you know about homeschool learning styles. A learning style is not something I thought about when I started homeschooling or even when my kids were struggling. However, had I taken time to learn what is the best learning style for each of my children, I would have saved myself unnecessary stress.

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.
3 Veteran’s Superb Tips to Understand Homeschool Learning Style Differences

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

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What Are the Top 5 Homeschool Styles

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

Knowing what are the top 5 homeschool styles is key to narrowing the overwhelm in choosing curriculum. Then matching homeschool styles with learning styles is a seasoned veteran tip. You’ll love the tips on the homeschool learning style page.

Learning a few features of each homeschool style and how to pair it with curriculum saves you money.

I will not only explain styles of homeschooling, but help you to identify which is best for your family.

In addition, what is most important for your children to learn and how they learn it will affect your choice of homeschool style.

And terms like homeschool approach and teaching style are used to talk about homeschooling style. This may or may not be clear.

What is the Definition of Homeschool Styles

So, what is a homeschool style?

Simply put, a homeschool style is an educational approach. An approach is a method to how you teach which is also called your teaching style. It includes your goals and your values. An approach is how you will implement what you want your children to learn. Using curriculum as a tool helps you meet your homeschool style. There are 5 top or major homeschool styles or approaches.

There are no right or wrong, better or worse, or smarter or dumber approaches. I’ve seen success stories and failures with each approach. Part of deciding a homeschool approach is to determine what are your family’s priorities and what is your teaching style.

What Are the Top 5 Homeschool Styles

10 Questions to Ask About Your Teaching Style

Look at these questions to help you identify your homeschool style.

  1. Do you want a consistent schedule or a framework of what to teach?
  2. Is testing a necessary part of your curriculum or do you want your child to demonstrate learning through hands-on and conversations with you?
  3. Will memorization and notetaking be essential parts of your teaching? And will learning be done according to the age of the child or his maturity?
  4. How important is studying nature, being outdoors, and studying art?
  5. Should subjects be learned in isolation or tied together as a unifying theme?
  6. Are you going to follow your child’s lead in everything they want to learn, give them day to day guidance, or use both features?
  7. Does your choices for reading including, textbooks, novels, biographies, classics, or all of them? And how much emphasis will be put on learning about the past?
  8. Which subjects are most important to you to cover?
  9. Where should learning take place?
  10. What emphasis will you place on family learning projects versus one-to-one time with each of your children?

From your general answers above, pair your answers or goals with homeschooling styles or homeschool approaches.

Although these are not all the homeschool styles, these are the popular ones you want to know about right away.

Homeschool Styles

Here are the top five homeschool styles in no particular order of popularity.

  1. Unit Study
  2. Classical
  3. Textbook/workbook
  4. Charlotte Mason
  5. Unschooling

Next, look at some of the features of each homeschool approach and a few examples of curriculum which follow that approach.

As you mull over the differences, look for one or two which fit your idea of how to teach your children.

Features of Homeschool Teaching Styles

First, look at the Unit Study Approach. I didn’t start with a unit study approach, but this is the one I switched to after a few years into my journey.

Unit Study Approach

The Unit Study approach is a method where you teach all your children together on one topic covering as many of the basic subjects as possible. Hands-on application and projects are a huge part of learning with this homeschool style.

For example, take the topic the Amazon Rain Forest and since it’s a science heavy topic, tie in a history slant like I did about Theodore Roosevelt on my Amazon rain forest unit study.

Too, art by Henri Rousseau was my slant on art. There are endless ways to tie in bodies of knowledge and you learn how to tie them in naturally.

Considerations

  • Some subjects don’t fit naturally into some of the topics which interests your children.
  • It can take a while to know how to lesson plan for multiple ages.
  • There aren’t as many curriculum providers for this approach as there are for others.

Curriculum Options

Classical Approach

Another popular approach is the Classical approach.

I loved it because of its emphasis on history and classical books. The Classical approach follows the trivium method. Learning is divided into stages according to the ages of the child.

Besides emphasis on history like Ancient Greece, books are chosen based on the great minds of the past.

Considerations

  • Because the emphasis is on heavy language arts, some educators feel the subjects are not balanced.
  • Not all families want heavy emphasis on learning about the past.
  • Learning Latin is emphasized.

Curriculum

Textbook/Workbook (School At Home) Approach

Next, the Workbook/Textbook approach is one most familiar to us because it’s the same one used in public schools.

And a term all-in-one homeschool curriculum means curriculum which has lesson plans laid out with scripted teacher’s manuals and tests. Look at my posts 21 Fun All-In-One Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum and Big Ol’ List of All-In-One Homeschool Curriculum (a.k.a Boxed).

Considerations

  • Laid out lesson plans may feel comfortable to new homeschoolers.
  • If your child struggles in public school this may not be a good fit for you.
  • If you need accountability in a state which keeps records, this may make it easier.

Curriculum

  • Major companies like Abeka, Bob Jones, and Calvert follow this approach.
  • Easy Peasy All in One is a free online laid out curriculum.

Charlotte Mason Approach

Further, Charlotte Mason approach is another one that is popular. With emphasis on nature and art, the approach to language arts is gentle. Gentle does not mean rigorous, but it’s more relaxed in the early years unlike the Classical approach.

Charlotte Mason was a popular British educator who influenced the homeschool world through her lifetime of teaching.

Consideration

  • Known for the use of living books which are opposite textbooks, her approach is popular because of the beautiful literature it uses.
  • Some curriculum providers do not provide as much structure as others.
  • Too, the gentle approach to language arts does not appeal to all.
  • And emphasis on fine arts may not be your goal.

Curriculum

Unschooling Approach

Moreover, the Unschooling approach is another popular approach although it has not always been that way. The Unschooling approach seemed to get a bad rap in the early days of homeschooling and still does because some feel it lacks structure.

However, unschooling proponents vary from little structure to none in their day. In the basic definition, it means to follow the leads of the child. Trusting the natural learning process, proponents tout that a child will learn all he or she needs to if we create a learning rich environment.

Considerations

  • Because this learning process is child-led there is concern that some kids won’t be introduced to subjects that may seem unappealing to the child.
  • Additionally, since it’s child-led learning there is no laid out curriculum. Curriculum is chosen based on the child’s likes.

Curriculum

How to Identify the BEST Homeschool Style for Your Family

Lastly, the most important part of learning about an educational approach or teaching style is maintaining the focus on YOUR goals. Through the years I’ve learned it’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing and not think about my family’s needs.

For example, when I started homeschooling I felt the Classical approach embodied how I wanted my children to learn.

Quickly, I learned that the Classical approach didn’t meet the needs of my children.

Above all, when you’re looking at these tips below remember you can change anytime as different needs come up in journey.

6 Ways to Identify the BEST Homeschool Style For You

  • Do not think you have to limit yourself to ONE homeschool style. The most successful homeschoolers mix and match homeschool approaches. For that reason, you’ll notice curriculum which hails to two or even three approaches.
  • Know that you do not have to stick with one or a combination of two teaching styles for your whole journey. In other words, do not buy curriculum too far ahead. You may change your mind, or the needs of your children will change.
  • Ask curriculum provider questions about the approach they take in their curriculum if you don’t know it. Most curriculum provider welcome questions, but be aware that a lot are homeschooling families. They need time to return the call or answer your question.
  • In addition, do not think you have to implement every facet of that teaching method.
  • Then, one of the best tips is to also recognize your child’s learning personality. As parents, we tend to teach only to our homeschool style. And although we homeschool to fit our children’s unique needs we tend to forget.

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important Too

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Child’s Learning Personality.

What Are the Top 5 Homeschool Styles

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.
What Are the Top 5 Homeschool Styles

In summary, these other tips and posts I have will help you to learn more about homeschool styles.