Discover Your Child's Learning Style: Children Learn in Unique Ways - Here's the Key to Every Child's Learning Success [Paperback]

Mariaemma Willis (Author), Victoria Kindle Hodson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 13, 1999

Help Your Child Discover the Joy of Learning
Does your child learn best in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Does his reading comprehension increase or decrease when music is played in the background? Does she prefer to study alone or with others? According to nationally respected educators Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson, our children process information in a multitude of unique ways. What works best for one child is often counterproductive for others. By trying to force all children into the same learning mode we unfairly short-circuit their education as well as their intellectual development.
Discover Your Child's Learning Style shows you how to assess and nurture your child's individual learning potential based on his or her talents, interests, disposition, preferred environment, and more. Inside is a step-by-step program of self-awareness tests that guide you to a better understanding of your child's unique strengths and weaknesses, goals and interests, and inner peace. You'll discover how to create the right atmosphere for learning in the home. Most important, you'll help your child excel not only in school but in life as well.
"An excellent tool for discovering how a student learns best. Teaching children according to how they learn ensures optimum education for all; it's an approach that could help make remedial literacy programs obsolete!"—Patricia Flanigan, California State Library Literacy Task Force
"Essential for any parent or teacher who works with children."—Suzanne Lopez, psychotherapist and author of Get Smart with Your Heart
"A powerful tool for increasing your child's self-esteem. At last, there is a simple solution for every child to become a winner."—Nancy L. Chaconas, M.A., educator, author of HELP-Esteem
"Parents who understand the principles in this book will be better parents!"—Richard and Linda Eyre, authors of Teaching Your Children Values

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It has become widely accepted that not all children learn alike. Some grasp information best by reading, while others learn better through listening or discovering concepts in a hands-on fashion. Two longtime educators--Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson--suggest in this guide that there are actually five aspects to a student's learning style beyond the simple modes of visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Their "learning style profile" takes into account a child's talents, interests, preferred learning environment, and disposition, as well as the three more familiar modes. Written as a workbook, with a series of do-it-yourself assessments, the guide offers parents a chance to diagnose their child's learning style in all five areas. A chart of activities accompanies each style.

The assessments are uncomplicated and almost too simplistic. And the writers convey an idealism that may not fly in some schools, suggesting that parents encourage teachers to adapt to their child's learning style, accepting, for instance, a video-taped report instead of a written one from a visual learner who conveys his talents better on screen than on paper. Understanding the assessments' results and applying them involves careful--and lengthy--reading. Still, a parent who follows the workbook from cover to cover could gain insight into why a child is struggling in school and head off the labeling of yet another "learning misfit." --Jodi Mailander Farrell

Review

Help Your Child Discover the Joy of Learning

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House; 1 edition (October 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761520139
• ISBN-13: 978-0761520139
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Parent Participation

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical information that is easy to implement August 16, 2000

By Carla van Holsteijn

Format:Paperback

I homeschool my children and found myself frequently frustrated because I felt I was not relating to them. I figured a difference in our dispositions and styles lay at the root of the problem, but I didn't know what to do about it until I read this book and had everyone in our family complete the Learning Style Profile Assessment. This tool is very easy to complete and it truly shows you how each person is a unique individual! I had read other books on learning styles, but this one is by far the most thorough and practical. After completing the assessments, we sat down as a family to compare our results. This "family meeting" was eye opening for everyone. It was a way to learn about each other and to start to appreciate each other in a new way. We learned that we can draw on each other's strengths and learn from each other. It also showed me that I had chosen all of our curriculum based on my own learning style. Not surprisingly, my children's styles are different than mine. I'm excited about the new school year, because I've ordered curriculum that hopefully will more closely match their learning styles. I'm confident that this year we will have a much more rewarding and exciting school year, because my children will be learning in their own style.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally... a book that says it the way it should be! December 4, 1999

By Valerie Kahle

Format:Paperback

I am so thrilled that someone finally showed us how to teach our kids in a way that actually means they'll learn something other that how to pass a test. Until now only a professional could tell you what learning style was best for your child. Now you can do it yourself and tailor your school day to fit your own needs. This is an absolute must for homeschooling parents but parents of children in traditional schools will benefit as well. Did I mention that the book is reader friendly too? It's definitely one of the easiest "how to" books I've ever read. A must for any parents library!

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Insights December 6, 1999

By Sherry Simpson

Format:Paperback

This book is very well written. The exercises are easy to follow and provide fascinating insights. My two favorite quotes from the book are: Grades and percentiles are conveniences that maintain a system, and Wallpushing is counterproductive no matter how hard, how creatively, or how often you push. The part of the book that will be most helpful with my 16-year-old is that he really does need the television on in order to study effecitvely, and he would do even better on tests if he had some backgroud noise. He told me when the tension gets too high with absolute silence, he drops his pencil to break the tension. For my 13-year-old I learned that if he reads instructions out loud, he will be better able to understand them. This will save both of us lots of frustration from now on.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've read this year January 21, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This book is an eye opener. While I don't always agree with everything that the authors assert, it provides a fresh new way of looking at learning that makes parents take a strong look at whether the "standard" way of learning is the "right" way for their child. I gave the simple tests included in the book to everyone in my family. It has given us a lot of food for thought on how we can modify our styles at home to make learning more fun and easy. When I teach a class now, I am more aware of the individuals' differing learning style and more receptive to the differing needs and try harder to make individual modifications. Now when my daughter flits around the room when I am reading to her I don't get frustrated that she isn't "paying attention" but understand her need for movement. Buy it. Enjoy it. Use it!

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A tool chest for the parents of a struggling learner May 24, 2004

By Colleen

Format:Paperback

What I found of great value in this book:

A) Encouragement: there is more than one way for people to learn and remember information. My child is not dumb just because she is failing to thrive in a traditional classroom invironment. Most of us are multisensory learners. Some of us are stifled by florescent lights, schedules, the rigorous pace, and sitting up straight at desks all in a row listening to lectures. However, this book is not about forcing our newfound ideas on our teachers, but rather assessing whether our current school or another would serve us better. It's about finding a school and/or a curriculum that fits my child and planting them in soil where they will thrive. That might mean homeschooling, or after-school tutoring.

I am blessed to live in a public-school-of-choice school district. We have a diversity of schools and curriculums to choose from. This book was invaluable in helping us make that choice.

B) Information: What is my child's learning style? Here is a quiz to figure that out! Are there curriculums out there that were designed just for her specific learning style that also have a proven success record? Here is a whole list in each subject area!

In addition to the book the authors also have a web site, monthly newsletter, and training seminars to help us to stay inspired, motivated, encouraged, and helped.

This book has been a tremendous help to our family and will be to yours as well.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Discover Your Child's Learning Style December 2, 1999

By Sherry Simpson

Format:Paperback

Discover Your Child's Learning Style is the most helpful information I have found both as a parent and a professional. I immediately understood how each of my children is best able to learn and used the ideas in the book to create the best learning environment to support each of them. It has relieved so much of my stress with homework and helped my children excel in school that I always share this information with the parents in my parenting classes. Every parent of school age children should read this book!