In his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey has written that it is important for all of us to first seek to understand then be understood. Everyone desires to be understood and heard. As human beings we all strive to connect with others and to belong.
Those of us who have children who are visual-spatial learners—those who learn best through the arts, or kinesthetic learners—those who learn through movement may feel that these kiddos don’t feel understood in school. Excel Achievement works very hard to identify the learning styles of each and every student who walks through our doors. We know that children learn best if they feel understood and are taught in the way that enhances their learning style.
For example, if I’m a visual-spatial learner or an interpersonal learner, I learn best when concepts can attach to my emotions. For example, when studying the Declaration of Independence, I might ask, “How does the Declaration of Independence affect me? What was Thomas Jefferson and the others thinking when they wrote this? What was happening in their lives at the time?” (As you can see, these children require us to think more deeply than just relaying facts to them.)
As we help our children to seek “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” let us seek to understand how they learn best. If you are unsure of your child’s learning style please click on the link http://excelachievement.com/process.php where you will find a detailed description of each learning style.
