Back to the drawing board... I'm studying up on learning styles.
I have always know I'm a visual learner. I love graphs, maps and illustrations. I remember things that I see. I can't remember what we talked about yesterday. I don't want to talk out loud, but I'd love to write a letter or draw a picture to tell you how I feel. I enjoy silence. I'd rather be quiet if I have the choice. I learn new info best if there is a diagram. I love pictionary! So naturally, I prefer to communicate/teach this way. I've collected posters, picture books, visual-aids, hands-on stuff, cards, and project ideas galore. Problem is...
Matty is an Auditory learner. He remembers everything he hears. I can read something once and he can spit it back out to me with complete understanding. He loves to be read aloud to and he has to talk out everything. Questions, questions, debate and more talking. He's beginning to play the piano by ear and has an excellent memory for movies/stories. He's very perceptive of tone and emotions from speech. He expresses his emotions in this way too. He likes to yell if upset. He responds well to verbal praise. He gets really frustrated when his sisters (or kids in his old class) are too rowdy when he's trying to think or learn something. He's easily distracted by noise, but is noisy himself. He starts to go kooky if he has to be by himself and quiet for very long. He loves music. He excellent at remembering phone numbers and songs.
I've run into a few problems teaching him spelling/grammar/writing. Spelling and word searches are my super power so its difficult to understand someone who doesn't just "see it" right away. I remember how to spell a word by looking at it. Not so with Matty. Its difficult for Matty to write more than a sentence, but he can narrate huge chunks of information aloud. The "Words their Way" curriculum I'm currently using (which I think makes total sense!) isn't working as well for him so I'm trying to find a better way. I found the following tips that may help us connect better.
Auditory Learning Reading Helps:
- Spelling practice should be done verbally to help remember how the word 'sounds'. (ex. Read word, spell word aloud, close eyes, spell word aloud again...)
- Songs/jingles are helpful for learning grammar rules. (Grammar Rock CD)
- Dictate narrations for him.
- Use voice recognition computer software to get ideas down.
- Use tape recorders for recording narration and playback while writing to dictate.
- Read aloud grammar with an absurdity in it. Have him pick out what sounds wrong.
- Continue reading aloud and doing lectures.
Matty has a natural aptitude for math. However, I find I'm terrible at explaining the concepts. So I usually confuse him more when I "try" to teach a math lesson. The methods I've researched the most are hands-on (visual) mathematics learning (how I learned best!) and they aren't working like I'd hoped with him. I want to show, he wants it explained. Here's what I'm going to try:
-I need to talk math. (Explain things better.)
-Maybe look into homeschool curriculum that have the "teacher says this" dialogue. (ick, I never thought I'd say that!)
-Do lots of verbal math facts and utilize music for memorization.
-Encourage mental math and have him explain how he thinks through the problem.
-Use Interactive computer math games.
-TALK about real life math as it happens (recipes, fractions, measurements, comparisons, weight, etc.)
General helps:
-Get more tapes/cds from library.
-Try to do intense learning when girls aren't as disruptive.
-Read more aloud.
-Speak. (so painful...)
-Let him use silencing headphones if necessary.
-Encourage him to read to himself, talk to himself, and ask questions.
-Use a telephone pvc pipe tube to read to himself in.
-Try to stay enthusiastic about teaching even if I don't get to laminate visual aids to go with the lesson. ;p
Hopefully these changes will help improve my teaching so Matty can fully benefit from our homeschool situation.
And just in case I master teaching the auditory learner...
I think Katie's a visual and Ally's a kinesthetic. :)
I have always know I'm a visual learner. I love graphs, maps and illustrations. I remember things that I see. I can't remember what we talked about yesterday. I don't want to talk out loud, but I'd love to write a letter or draw a picture to tell you how I feel. I enjoy silence. I'd rather be quiet if I have the choice. I learn new info best if there is a diagram. I love pictionary! So naturally, I prefer to communicate/teach this way. I've collected posters, picture books, visual-aids, hands-on stuff, cards, and project ideas galore. Problem is...
Matty is an Auditory learner. He remembers everything he hears. I can read something once and he can spit it back out to me with complete understanding. He loves to be read aloud to and he has to talk out everything. Questions, questions, debate and more talking. He's beginning to play the piano by ear and has an excellent memory for movies/stories. He's very perceptive of tone and emotions from speech. He expresses his emotions in this way too. He likes to yell if upset. He responds well to verbal praise. He gets really frustrated when his sisters (or kids in his old class) are too rowdy when he's trying to think or learn something. He's easily distracted by noise, but is noisy himself. He starts to go kooky if he has to be by himself and quiet for very long. He loves music. He excellent at remembering phone numbers and songs.
I've run into a few problems teaching him spelling/grammar/writing. Spelling and word searches are my super power so its difficult to understand someone who doesn't just "see it" right away. I remember how to spell a word by looking at it. Not so with Matty. Its difficult for Matty to write more than a sentence, but he can narrate huge chunks of information aloud. The "Words their Way" curriculum I'm currently using (which I think makes total sense!) isn't working as well for him so I'm trying to find a better way. I found the following tips that may help us connect better.
Auditory Learning Reading Helps:
- Spelling practice should be done verbally to help remember how the word 'sounds'. (ex. Read word, spell word aloud, close eyes, spell word aloud again...)
- Songs/jingles are helpful for learning grammar rules. (Grammar Rock CD)
- Dictate narrations for him.
- Use voice recognition computer software to get ideas down.
- Use tape recorders for recording narration and playback while writing to dictate.
- Read aloud grammar with an absurdity in it. Have him pick out what sounds wrong.
- Continue reading aloud and doing lectures.
Matty has a natural aptitude for math. However, I find I'm terrible at explaining the concepts. So I usually confuse him more when I "try" to teach a math lesson. The methods I've researched the most are hands-on (visual) mathematics learning (how I learned best!) and they aren't working like I'd hoped with him. I want to show, he wants it explained. Here's what I'm going to try:
-I need to talk math. (Explain things better.)
-Maybe look into homeschool curriculum that have the "teacher says this" dialogue. (ick, I never thought I'd say that!)
-Do lots of verbal math facts and utilize music for memorization.
-Encourage mental math and have him explain how he thinks through the problem.
-Use Interactive computer math games.
-TALK about real life math as it happens (recipes, fractions, measurements, comparisons, weight, etc.)
General helps:
-Get more tapes/cds from library.
-Try to do intense learning when girls aren't as disruptive.
-Read more aloud.
-Speak. (so painful...)
-Let him use silencing headphones if necessary.
-Encourage him to read to himself, talk to himself, and ask questions.
-Use a telephone pvc pipe tube to read to himself in.
-Try to stay enthusiastic about teaching even if I don't get to laminate visual aids to go with the lesson. ;p
Hopefully these changes will help improve my teaching so Matty can fully benefit from our homeschool situation.
And just in case I master teaching the auditory learner...
I think Katie's a visual and Ally's a kinesthetic. :)