Hey there, homeschoolers! I’m excited to kick off a new blog series for homeschooling families. My name is Jenivieve, and I have been homeschooling my three children for eight years. My oldest is going into 8th grade. We have made some adjustments to the way we school as my kids have grown and their needs have changed. We do hybrid homeschooling now, which means that some classes are online or at a local co-op while others are taught at home. We also school them year-round *GASP*. So no long summer breaks over here! In this blog, I will delve into the dynamic world of homeschooling with Boom Cards, showcasing how this powerful tool caters to diverse learning styles in our educational journey.
As a homeschooling parent, you know that every child has a particular method of absorbing information that works best for them. The phrase “learning style” is often emphasized in traditional education, but it’s equally important for homeschooling parents to understand their child’s learning style to provide the most effective education.
The super-nifty thing about being a homeschooling family is that you don’t have to mastermind a way to achieve this with thirty children at a time! Even if you have five children or more, you can do the work to determine each child’s style, and then approach them in the most effective way possible.
The key to achieving this? LEARNING their learning style.
But first, beware, many people try to deliver lessons in the method that works best for them! If you enjoy a lecture, you’re more likely to be a lecturer. If you are a hands-on learner, you may want to offer hands-on lessons. That’s a habit that is hard to break. So be ready to open up to what works best—not for you—but for your young learners.
Learning style inventories are aplenty on the interwebs, but finding the best one for a child (especially YOUR child) is critical.
Before we get to the list of the best sites to determine your homeschooler’s learning style, let’s discuss the most recognized “types” of learning.
Determining Learning Styles
Auditory Learners – These learners best absorb and interpret information by listening. They are often capable of watching and listening, and even mimicking, the information. A huge part of being an auditory learner is verbal repetition. These children often like to repeat things to commit them to memory.
Visual Learners – These learners best absorb and interpret information by seeing it. They often excel at synthesizing data after receiving it visually (think of charts, role-playing, cartoons, pictures). They prefer to represent their understanding through something visually pleasing (drawings, posters, etc).
Kinesthetic / Tactile Learners – These learners best absorb and interpret information by touching and feeling it. They often prefer to create 3D projects, mold things with clay, or complete experiments to verify data. Their dexterity helps them commit things to memory.
One way to cater to different learning styles is through play. Boom Learning is one of the best platforms that offers gamified learning for homeschoolers. As a parent, you can create “classes,” assign decks, track progress, and collect data. Learners receive instant feedback for faster learning.
Gamified learning has several benefits for all kinds of learning styles. For example, auditory learners can benefit from games that involve listening to music or sounds to help them memorize information. Visual learners can learn by playing games that incorporate charts, pictures, and videos. Kinesthetic learners can enjoy games that involve drag-and-drop, physical movement, or interactive tasks. With Boom Cards, you have the ability to create or purchase creative decks that feature chained images, auditory supports, and other interactive features. They make Boom Learning an excellent tool for differentiation and accommodating various learning styles.
Most children are a combination of all three primary learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic/tactile. The best bet is to find which one they predominantly lean toward and gear lessons to that style. To determine your child’s learning style, you can use a learning style inventory test. There are several options available online. I like the What Is My Learning Style test, as well as the Love To Know quiz, which lets the parent answer the questions.
By combining gamified learning with a tailored approach to learning styles, you can create a dynamic and effective homeschooling experience for your child. Remember, the first key to success is learning their learning style. If you have any questions or would like to be featured as a homeschooling parent using Boom Cards, fill out the form here, leave a comment, or email me at jenivieve at boomlearning dot com. Check out some of my favorite decks below.
Happy homeschooling!
