Do You Know Your Child's Learning Style?

Each of your children has their own exclusive learning style. We process information coming at us in many different ways. You can help your child learn by figuring out their learning style and determining the most effective way to “encode” that information so that they can assimilate it easier and more fully. The three major learning styles are visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

Visual learners think in images and pictures. Their mind is like a mini video camera that is always set on ‘record’—in order to remember an event they ‘play’ back the image in their head. A visual learner will frequently do well in the classroom setting because the majority of information and testing in the school system is visual.

Visual students like to read, look at pictures and observe others around them. Make sure that you include pictures, videos and computers in order to keep the visual child’s attention. Children that learn visually also love to write, draw and organize things.

Auditory learners have superior listening skills and have the capability to notice slight nuances in words, tone inflection and overall meaning. Students who frequently talk and/or sing to themselves are usually auditory learners. Auditory children love to take part in discussions but are easily distracted by outside noises, other conversations going on at the same or music. Permit your student to talk through situation in order to reach solutions and open to their need for interaction or verbal repetition.

Kinesthetic learners want to learn through experiencing and touching things. These children have to ‘do’ in order to learn and their memory is directly linked to bodily interaction. Kinesthetic children sometimes have difficulty in the classroom because most material is geared toward the auditory and visual learners. Teachers, also, do not usually appreciate the student moving around the classroom and touching things. They do excel, however, in activities such as building, sports, drama and/or dance.

For kinesthetic learners, try to include activities that permit your child to touch, explore, play, perform and create. Since these types of learners don’t typically visualize or retain information just by listening, you need to design activities that allow them to interact with the senses.

No particular learning style is better than the other and they are all legitimate, intelligent and functional ways to process information. Whereas every child usually has one main learning style, they also have a ‘mix’ of the all the styles that permits them to access information and take a look at the world around them in their own distinctive way.
 posted by Jane    1 comments

Learning Disabilities and Late Intervention

While learning disorders are being diagnosed earlier and earlier nowadays, sometimes certain cases still slip through the cracks. This is unfortunate, since the sooner a problem is identified, the sooner it can be dealt with. However, it's always better to know that an issue exists than to never know, so if this is what's happened with your family, keep in mind that there are still plenty of treatment options available to your child. Of course, the first step is figuring out whether or not your child has a learning problem, and if so, which one. Below, you'll find a list of symptoms grouped by disability type:
Dyslexia: Teenagers and adults who have yet to be diagnosed with dyslexia may have considerable difficulty with spelling. This may be demonstrated by spelling the same word multiple ways within the same essay. Those with dyslexia often rely heavily on phonetics when trying to spell a word. They may also write their letters or punctuation marks incorrectly (backwards, upside down, etc.) or put them in the wrong order.
Dyscalculia: People who don't know that they have dyscalculia may still have extreme difficulty with basic mathematical principles and practices, such as addition and subtraction. They may have trouble dealing with number sequences, columns of numbers, and mathematical symbols. Other common signs of dyscalculia include overreliance on calculators and confusion with left and right.
Dysgraphia: Those with dysgraphia have a hard time writing or drawing within a defined space, like a piece of lined paper. This is due to poor development of fine motor skills. Another symptom of dysgraphia is illegible handwriting, which isn't due to carelessness, but instead indicates a difficulty with handling a pen or a pencil.
Audio and Visual Perception Disabilities: If your child often has to ask you to repeat yourself, it may be a sign that they have an audio perception problem. It's not that he or she isn't listening carefully enough to you, it's that their brain is unable to sort out which sound or tone to interpret first. Those with visual perception problems may transpose letters, punctuation marks, numbers, and mathematical symbols. Once again, this is an issue of sequencing malfunction in the brain, not lack of attention.
Memory Disabilities: These can manifest themselves in different ways. One common symptom is the inability to retain information that has just been relayed. For example, if your child can't remember a passage that they have just finished reading, they may continue to reread that passage over and over again. This indicates a problem with short-term memory. Long-term memory problems may announce themselves through difficulties with retrieving information. For instance, if your child can't recall the mathematical formula that allows them to calculate the circumference of a circle, long-term memory problems are at fault. Of course, the two are related, since if a piece of information doesn't stick in your short-term memory, it won't make it to your long-term memory either.
 posted by Jane    0 comments

Does Your Child Like to Read?

Most kids like to read for fun. That is a fact! Then why don't we see them doing it more or bugging us to take them to the library to check out MORE books?There are three obstacles that prevent them from taking full advantage of their love for reading.The first is that young children like to be read to. When they come to a word that stumps them, they often give up trying anymore and want mom or dad to read it to them instead of trying to read on their own. What is the answer? Try books on CD-ROM that kids can read by themselves and listen to the narrator while the animation and any interactive games pull them deeper into the material. When children have books that are interactive, they feel like they are playing. They can also go at their own pace so they are not rushed and feel more like reading by themselves. Here is a great place to find these: SoftwareForKids -Children Educational Software, Kid Games .

The second obstacle is that a child is afraid they won't be able to finish the books they start. A beginning reader usually has interests and is smarter than the level they are able to read at. Sometimes, this dampens school-age kids from moving onto higher-level reading material that they may enjoy more. How to solve? Expose your child to audio books. Children can listen to a little more advanced story without having to worry about reading the more difficult words. Even though you may think that listening is easier than reading, it has been proven that audiobooks build vocabulary while improving comprehension and listening skills. A great place to find audio books is Chinaberry .

A third obstacle seems to be that some kids just can't find books that they WANT to read. Help your child find books on topics that they enjoy by visiting your local library and browsing or check out www.BuildingRainbows.com so that your child can read other reviews by kids their own ages.
 posted by Jane    0 comments

Am I Able to Reduce Test Anxiety?

Test Anxiety

Many students experience some level of anxiousness during a test. Nevertheless, it can be a drawback and result in reduced test scores when anxiety begins to influence exam performance.

There is an assortment of causes of test anxiety the most common being not having prepared properly and/or cramming for the test the night before. This is typically because of bad time management, not being organized and, of course, poor study habits.

A number of students also are bothered about how they did on past exams, how they are doing compared with their peers and other students in the class and the negative consequences of failing the test.

There are actually physical signs of test anxiety during an exam just as in any other demanding situation. Some of the more pronounced symptoms include sweaty palms, perspiration, upset stomach, elevated heart rate, headaches and general tenseness in muscles.

When a pupil has test anxiety, they become nervous which makes the reading and understanding of the questions on the exam more demanding. They have trouble keeping their thoughts structured, remembering concepts and key words when answering essay questions and end up doing poorly on the test even when they knew the material. Some students have mental blocking and go blank on some of the questions but then recall the correct answers when the test is over.

There are a few ways to reduce exam anxiety. You need to study and know the material well enough so that you can remember it even if you are under stress. You can't be lazy and have to learn how to practice good time management. Putting off and wasting time day-dreaming while trying to study are two main causes of test anxiety as the student isn't appropriately prepared.

You can build confidence by studying throughout the week/month/quarter/semester/year and avoid cramming the night before the exam. Thinking up questions from your textbooks and lecture notes helps you to concentrate on the lessons you are studying. Focus on significant words, key concepts and the examples in your textbook. When you can make a chart or outline it will help you organize the information in your book and notes. Relaxation techniques like taking long deep breaths to relax the body and reduce stress will help reduce the level of anxiety before an exam.

How you study can be affected by the environment around you where you pick to study. Check for the following circumstances such as the level of noise, if there are a lot of interruptions, adequate lighting, too hot or too cold temperatures, organization and neatness of actual study area, comfort of seating arrangement and having the tools necessary, i.e., books, notes, computer for research, etc.


Studying in an area where there is little distracting noise certainly helps. Many people need some noise while others prefer silence. Find what is ideal for you and try to study in that environment. Constantly checking your IM and chatting with family and friends, answering calls on your cell phone are all distractions and cut into your study time. Turn everything off and spend time later with your friends AFTER your homework and/or studying is finished.

Proper lighting is important because lighting that is too muted or too intense can be distracting and make the studying process more difficult. The room should be on the cool side rather than warm which tends to make people tired and sleepy. Have a big enough area to study in and spread your materials out so that you are not feeling cramped. Studying will go quicker if you take a couple of minutes at the beginning to get organized and straighten up your papers and notes. Try to study at a desk and chair rather than a lounging area. Studying in bed makes us too comfortable and we want to sleep or watch TV instead of study. Have the proper supplies readily available (books, paper, pens, computer, calculator, etc.) so that you don't have to waste time to go retrieve them.

How does one prepare or anticipate text anxiety? First one has to focus on the task at hand. Take one step at a time and think about what you are able to do about it instead of getting anxious. Clear thoughts and no negative, panicky thoughts are best. Worrying won't help anything and so just decide not to do it!

How does a student best confront and handle exam anxiety? Instead of feeling scared, just concentrate on what you have to do. Concentrate on relaxing and being in control. Take deep slow breaths. Stay with the lesson in your mind. If you start to feel anxious or tense, that can act as a reminder to not panic and relax with your breathing. Mentally remind yourself to just stay with the situation at hand and over time you will be able to train your brain and body to adapt this new style during test-taking.

Many students feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start sometimes. When you feel this way, just pause. Focus on the present and what steps you have to take to get done what you have to do. Don't try to eliminate fear totally; just try to manage it.
Convince yourself to do it. Reason your fear away. This is not the worst thing that can happen. Do something that will prevent you from thinking about fear. Describe your surroundings to yourself. That way you won't think about worrying.

Make self-statements that reinforce your progress. It worked! You did it! It wasn't as bad as you expected! You made more out of the fear than it was worth! You're progressing! You're learning to cope! You can be pleased with your progress! You like how you handled it! You can be proud of how you handled the situation! Pat yourself on the back when you have accomplished reducing your test anxiety so that it reinforces that feeling! This will help reinforce the positive thinking for the next time.
 posted by Jane    0 comments