2

Praisefor

DiscoverYourChild’sLearningStyle

“Discover Your Child’s Learning Style is a book youneed. Period. It has more potential to improve yourchild’s education—and your family relationships—than any other book I have ever read, with the soleexception of the Bible.”

—Mary Pride, author,editor of Practical Homeschooling Magazine

“Only about 5% of the population has the convictionthat they are capable of going for their dreams.Encouraging talents, interests . . . in childhood is thebest way to draw out each person’s unique abilities. . .. This book is the tool that can make the difference foryour child.”

—David D’Arcangelo, chairman, EntreportCorporation and author of Wealth Starts at Home

“There is no greater gift you can give your childrenthan to help them realize they don’t have a problem—

3

that they are very special just as they are. MariaemmaWillis and Victoria Kindle Hodson show parents andteachers how to do just that—to educate andencourage children with many differing learning styles.Children are worth that effort.”

—Jane Nelsen, Ed.D., coauthor of the PositiveDiscipline series

“As parents we know that sometimes school or even aparticular teacher is a better fit for some children thanothers. Often children (and adults too!) take the poor fitas a negative message about who they are and thatmakes a difficult environment even more of achallenge. This book celebrates the fact that we are allunique and can contribute and learn in our own waysand offers very specific suggestions for learners whofeel like they don’t fit. It is very encouraging!”

—Jody McVittie, M.D., family physician and parenteducator

“Our work with parents and children all over the world(as well as with our own kids) convinces us that eachchild has his own unique set of intellectual andemotional gifts, and thus learns and develops in hisown unique way. Parents who understand theprinciples in this book will be better parents!”

—Richard and Linda Eyre, authors of Teaching

4

Your Children Values

“Discover Your Child’s Learning Style is the mosthelpful information I have found both as a parent and aprofessional. I immediately understood how each ofmy children are best able to learn and used the ideasin the book to create the best learning environment tosupport each of them. It has relieved so much of mystress with homework and helped my children excel inschool that I always share this information with theparents in my parenting classes. Every parent ofschool age children should read this book!”

—Deborah Critzer, PositiveParenting.com

“I believe that every parent and every teacher will findthis book an invaluable tool in the greatest taskconfronting us: educating our children.”

—Clayton C. Barbeau, M.A., MFCT, author of Howto Raise Parents

“This book is a necessity for homeschoolers. It goesmuch deeper than other learning-style philosophiesand offers field-proven insight and knowledgeresulting from the authors’ work with hundreds of realfamilies. The material in this book changed our family’slife!”

—Michael and Mary Leppert, publishersof The Link Homeschooling Magazine

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“An excellent tool for discovering how a student learnsbest. Teaching children according to how they learnensures optimum education for all; it’s an approachthat could help make remedial literacy programsobsolete!”

—Patricia Flanigan, California State LibraryLiteracy Task Force

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DISCOVERYOUR

CHILD’SLEARNING

STYLE

Children Learn in Unique Ways—Here’s the Key to Every Child’s

7

Learning Success

Mariaemma Willis& Victoria Kindle Hodson

8

DiscoverYourChild’sLearningStyleMOBIEditioncopyright2013,M.Pelullo-Willis&V.KindleHodsonCoverDesigncopyright2013,M.Pelullo-Willis&V.KindleHodsonLearningSuccessPress,Ventura,CA93001805-648-1739,info@learningsuccessinstitute.com

ISBN:978-0-9772350-2-5

AllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-AmericanCopyrightConventions.Bypaymentoftherequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthenonexclusive,nontransferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookon-screen.Nopartofthistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,downloaded,decompiled,reverseengineered,orstoredinorintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyanymeans,whetherelectronicormechanical,nowknownorhereinafterinvented,withoutexpresswrittenpermissionofauthors.

Thisebookislicensedforyourpersonalenjoymentonly.Thisebookmaynotbere-soldorgivenawaytootherpeople.Ifyouwouldliketosharethisbookwithanotherperson,pleasepurchaseanadditionalcopyforeachrecipient.Ifyou’rereadingthisbookanddidnotpurchaseit,oritwasnotpurchasedforyouruseonly,

9

thenpleasepurchaseyourowncopy.Thankyouforrespectingtheworkoftheauthors

Alsoavailableinprintathttp://learningsuccessinstitute.com/products/

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To all the children who are waiting to be heard.To all the parents and teachers who are listening.

11

MissionStatement:

To provide parents and teacherswith the tools and training that makelearning-success possible for every

child.Before you begin reading:

download the appendix and print out the forms

12

for handy referencehttp://learningsuccessinstitute.com/discover-

appendix

13

acknowledgments

Victoria:

This book has been possible because of the supportand inspiration of many people: my husband, StanHodson, who contributed his knowledge of the writingprocess and encouragement based on his deep beliefin the importance of books to help people havepowerful encounters with ideas; my son, BrianHagoski, whose learning style first took me touncharted areas of education and whose ability totake on challenging learning tasks delights andinspires me; my mother, Pauline Kindle, whoencouraged me to pursue my interests even when itwas a financial hardship on our family; and who, alongwith my sisters, Kathy La Lone and Ginger Desy, andtheir families, has read my material and listened to myideas about education for 30 years.

In memory of my father, Douglas Kindle, to whom Ihad hoped to be able to give the first copy of this book.His stories about his school experiences moved medeeply and gave me courage and conviction to find a

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voice as an advocate for the individual learning needsof children.

In memory of Dorothy Jayne Wright, the teacher inmy life who most epitomized the relationship with achild that I’m talking about in this book—she saw meas competent and treated me as if I were.

Mentors and friends—Patty Van Dyke, a giftedtherapist who read the manuscript at different stagesof progress to give advice from her experienceworking with individuals and families; Ellie Pope,therapist, who has been sharing her invaluableunderstanding of individuals and families with me formore than a decade; Susan Hansberry, good friend aswell as a remarkable teacher and administrator whohas been advocating for the needs of children inpublic schools and creating innovative materials andprograms for 25 years; Sonia Nelson, dear friend andteacher, who has provided unwaveringencouragement and support; T.K.V. Desikachar,mentor, who helped me realize the significance of thelearning style work and encouraged me to accept thechallenge of writing this book.

Mariaemma:

Ron Willis, my husband, without whose love and help

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my work would not be possible, and whose expertiseis continually called upon when I feel like throwing thecomputer out the window.

Michael Pelullo, my father, who always told me Icould be anything I wanted and my mother, JosephinePelullo, who responded to my learning style needs byteaching me to read and write when I was three yearsold.

Peter Krasucki, who, nearly 30 years ago, when Iwas sick of playing the “school game,” told me I wouldbe nuts to quit college—thanks for getting me back ontrack! Because of you I love what I am doing today.

Nancy Chaconas and Jood Lee, for your continuedbelief in me—you have been a source of inspirationthrough the years; Rose Marie Helling and ValerieKahle, for your behind-the-scenes enthusiasm andencouraging words; Joyce and Lee George, for 10years of testing materials, proofreading, scanningpictures, collating and binding, and tons of moralsupport!

Sister Mary Noel, SSND, my 8th grade teacher,who made sure that the “poor students” got theirshining moments by acknowledging and putting touse their individual talents—though she probablydidn’t know it, she was the first to teach me thateveryone is “smart” in his own way.

My own gifted coaches, Dr. Barbara R. Bishop,Chuck Bauer, Charlo Stuart, Bunny Vreeland, andChellie Campbell, who changed my life in many ways.

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And my dear Aunt Lina (Carolina Scelso) who inher 80’s continues to model daily the life-long, eager,self-directed learner!

JointAcknowledgments:

Linda and Christopher Selvey, for reading andproofing, for their enthusiasm and encouragement,and for being our biggest fans! Marilyn Mosley, LynnNelson, Mary Noren, Patricia Flanigan, and PatriciaFunchess, who recognized and supported our workbefore we, ourselves, realized its full importance; JohnWhitaker, Richard F.X. O’Connor, Suzanne Lopez,and Vivian and David Moore, for their encouragement,advice, and generous giving of time.

Mary and Michael Leppert for providing thespringboard for our work and for cheering us on!Jamie Miller at Prima for recognizing the potential inour work and seeing it through to publication. LibbyLarson and Rosaleen Bertolino, our editors at Prima—we so appreciate their incredible skill and sensitivity forour work.

Teresa Andrade, who daily teaches the children inher classroom with love, in spite of incredibleobstacles—what’s in this book is already in her heart—she can never be thanked enough; Dee (Linda)

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Gardner, Sharon Fleur, Francine Burns, and countlessother teachers who genuinely love their students andstrive to bring out the best in each of them.

The parents and families who have trusted us withtheir children and the numerous children who havetaught us lessons far beyond any textbook.

And, we gratefully acknowledge all of you whohave acknowledged us with your endorsements of ourwork.

ACollaborationofStyles

Finally, we would like to comment on our ownLearning Styles and the collaboration which made thisbook possible.

To Victoria—I continue to be in awe of the visualand artistic element that she brings to our work. Ofcourse, at times, this gift can cause chaos for a personof my learning style! It is her creative abilities,however, that bring a meaning and depth to our workthat would not be possible without them. And it isbecause of her that I have a greater understanding ofthe Thinking/Creating person. I am so grateful for the“coincidence” which brought us together over 10 yearsago.

To Mariaemma—I am thankful for her indefatigable

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attention to details, organizing, and planning—aspectsof the writing process that drive me crazy. I can’timagine where this book would be right now withouther well-practiced Producing skills. I also thank her forkeeping our philosophy of education alive year afteryear in practical, daily ways and always believing thatwe would find an audience for this work.

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introduction

“I love this, I can do this.” “Taking notes in scienceclass was easy.” “School is so much fun now.” Theseare just a few of the testimonials from children (andthere are even more from parents and teachers) whohave used the method of learning you’ll discover inthis book.

Children are born with an incredible eagerness andability to learn. Our purpose is to provide tools to helpyou keep that motivation to learn alive in your child.You might be thinking that that’s not your job becauseyou’re not a teacher. However, after fifty years ofcombined experience working with students, we areconvinced that parents are the most importantteachers in a child’s life. If anyone has the power toaffect how your child learns, it’s you. In the book,Awakening Your Child’s Natural Genius , ThomasArmstrong talks about the positive influences on achild’s learning process as determined by research ineducation, “One of the most consistent researchfindings is the important role that parents have ineducating their children. In program after programwhere parents are closely involved in their children’slearning process, there has been a dramatic

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improvement in student motivation and achievement.”1

A Swahili proverb says, “The greatest good we can dofor others is not just to share our riches with them, butto reveal their riches to themselves.” And, as DorothyCorkill Briggs says, “When children know uniquenessis respected, they are more likely to put theirs to use.”2

Each child has unique ways to interact with thelearning process. It is our job, as parents andteachers, to discover what their uniqueness is andnurture it.

Schools have traditionally provided one curriculum,one teaching environment, and one teachingmethodology to fit all learning needs. This structurehas favored some learners, left others out, and overthe years created a population of learning “misfits.”Everyday we work with young people and adults whoare living with the effects of one-size-fits-alleducational experiences. From these people, we’velearned that helping kids find out who they really are—what they are good at and what they love to do—is themost important way of maintaining natural curiosityand eagerness to learn. We need to stop drawingattention to what kids can’t do and start emphasizingwhat they can do. When it comes to increasinglearning-success, a young person’s interests, talents,expectations, hopes, and goals for herself are bettermotivators than a parent’s or teacher’s goals

The “school” world has known these principles formany years—since the 1890s in fact! John Dewey

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was among the voices of the time proclaiming thatschools should meet the needs of each child, not theother way around. In 1896 he established a school atthe University of Chicago that inspired and cultivatedthe interests of individual children. Educators took noteof its successes, while administrators apparentlyignored the implications. David Guterson writes, “Thestatus quo was rote memorization and recitation inclassrooms thronged with passive children who weresternly disciplined when they expressed individualneeds.”3 Although Dewey is known as the father ofmodern American education, our educational systemwas not modeled after his ideas.

One hundred years and many research studieslater, not much has changed in our schools, eventhough now we know even more about how the brainlearns, how different styles affect learning, and whatteaching methods work best. Many more voices,including Howard Gardner, Thomas Armstrong,Priscilla Vail, and Rita Dunn have declared theimportance of respecting each child’s learning needs.Yet, for the most part, schools have not responded. Sonow, we bring this information to you and ask you toprovide your children with the personal attention theyneed to become self-directed, eager learners.

We are excited to introduce you to our LearningStyle Model of Education. We have researched andrefined this method over many years of experience inteaching and educating. Various factors influenced our

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desire to investigate new ways of motivating childrento learn. For each of us, they were both personal andprofessional.

Victoria:

My son was not doing well in the public school system,although he was obviously bright and talented. Ratherthan feeling encouraged to learn, he was becomingunmotivated and discouraged. I began searching forlearning environments, methods and materials thatwould help him thrive as a student, which he did by thetime he was in junior high school. His renewedeagerness for learning took him into honors English inhigh school, to compete in a physics contest inChicago where he placed 11th in the nation, and tostudy architecture 3,000 miles from home at PrattInstitute in Brooklyn, New York. As an adult hecontinues to be an avid learner pursuing a career inaviation and developing many diverse interests andtalents in skiing, photography, furniture-making, anddesigning and building homes.

In addition to my son’s situation, I also tutoredchildren who were having difficulty learning. When Idefined goals specific to each child’s skills and needs,the children performed well; in fact, I saw no disability

23

at all.Eventually I set up a Learning Style “laboratory” in

a private school where I was able to experiment withmaterials, curriculum, and classroom arrangement.The students eagerly participated in all subjects innew and different ways; they conducted their ownresearch projects and often taught each other thefacts and processes they had just learned. Manyideas from the “laboratory” are in this book.

Mariaemma:

I spent 11 years as the director of a school for childrenwith learning problems. My speciality was testing,diagnosing, and setting up programs to “fix” thesechildren. Soon I realized that most of what I hadlearned in teacher training and special educationcourses didn’t work, so I began experimenting withdifferent materials and methods to find the ones thatworked best. Meanwhile, I learned so much from mystudents. I was amazed at how gifted the studentswere in different areas.

When I went into private practice, I beganresearching the subject of learning styles and cameacross the works of Myers-Briggs, Golay, Gardner,and Armstrong and began to apply their

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recommendations. After a great deal of success withmy students, I began teaching workshops for parentsand teachers. It was at one of these workshops that Imet Victoria.

We both saw the need for an easy-to-use andeasy-to-understand assessment system that would beaccessible to children, parents, and teachers. Each ofus had had years of experience in a variety ofeducational settings, including the regular classroom,special education, private tutoring, home schoolconsulting, curriculum development, adult literacy,parent/teacher conferences, and workplace seminars.We wanted to develop a more complete learning styleassessment that included five aspects of learningstyle. The result was a A Self-Portrait ™ LearningStyle System. Later, we expanded this system into theLearning Style Model of Education presented in thisbook.

Over the last 10 years this system has been usedby thousand of families. It encourages you to accept acentral role in supporting your child’s unique LearningStyle. When you help your child identify and respecthis own learning strengths, interests, talents, andneeds, you give him roots in the gifts he was born with.When you help your child discover his dreams,passions, and goals, you give him the wings ofmotivation and purpose for becoming an eager, self-directed learner. In both cases your efforts result in amore successful learner.

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The Learning Style Model has three components:1. Get on your child’s team.2. Do the Assessment.3. Coach for learning success.You might be wondering what the words “team”

and “coach” have to do with learning. Sounds likesports, right? Actually, people in sports make use ofmany wonderful principles of learning that never makeit to the classroom or the homework table. The sportsapproach says that everyone needs a coach. Athletesunderstand this principle. Even those of us in thegeneral population who are not interested in sportsgrasp the concept that if you are a serious athlete youneed a coach. People training for the Olympicswouldn’t dream of doing it without a coach. Nowadays,there are also personal trainers, lifestyle coaches,weight-loss coaches, organizational coaches, andmoney-management coaches. Why not learningcoaches?

Part I of this book introduces you to the idea ofgetting on your child’s team and prepares you fordiscovering your child’s Learning Style. In Part III thisidea is expanded upon and you are taken through theprocess of becoming your child’s learning-successcoach. In between, in Part II, you are introduced to theLearning Style Assessment, which will give you theLearning Style information needed to successfullycoach your child.

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Throughout this book you will encounter ourphilosophy that all children can learn successfully iftaught through their learning styles. We wish to explainhere that we are not including children who aredevelopmentally delayed or brain injured. We realizethat these children have special needs that cannot beaddressed simply by looking at their learning styles.However, you will find that, with some adjustment, theconcepts and principles in this book can help with theeducation of these children as well. Every humanbeing has a special genius inside each of them,waiting to be noticed and drawn out.

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THISBOOKISFOR:

YoungPeople

The Learning Style Assessment asks young people tospeak for themselves; we provide the questions andlisten respectfully to what they tell us. Our experienceshave shown us that genuine acknowledgment of howkids see themselves unlocks a treasure trove ofinterests, concerns, dreams, hopes, and passions—which provide the real reasons and motivation to learn.If we expect young people to behave responsibly andcompetently in society when they leave high school, itis unrealistic and unwise to wait until they areseventeen or eighteen years old to discuss goals, asktheir opinions, and encourage them to make decisionsbased on their own talents and interests. Recently, acollege admissions director commented in an article,“This is probably the first time in their school lifesomeone is asking them, ‘Where do you want to go?What do you want to do?’”4 High school graduates willbe better equipped to make intelligent choices if weask these types of questions as they are growing up.Gradually, during the school years kids need to:

1. learn about their own strengths and weaknesses2. set their own goals for the future3. practice more and more complex skills that help

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them meet their own short- and long-term goals4. take daily, active responsibility for their choices

so that they can mature into competent people whoare on their way to being productive, responsibleadults

The Learning Style Model of Education believesthat students are capable and that their potential isunlimited. It expects differences in individual students—different learning readiness, different rates forlearning, and a need for different teaching methods.For most children, learning the content of differentsubjects is not a problem when they are taught inways that work with their learning styles. Higherstandards can be met when programs areindividualized, because eagerness and ability to learnincrease. The more success and accomplishmentyoung people experience based on their unique stylesof learning, the better equipped they are to deal withlearning and life in general. The thousands of familieswe have come into contact with have proven this to betrue.

Parents

This is really a parenting book, although not in theusual sense of the word. We are encouraging you totake charge of your child’s education journey—to

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accept the job of being your child’s foremost teacher,to become your child’s learning-success coach!Whether your child attends a traditional school, analternative school, or you are homeschooling, thelearning style information presented in this book willhelp you to become more closely involved with yourchild’s learning process, to change learning attitudesand behaviors, and to encourage learning-success.To do this you will need a solid, supportive, nurturingworking relationship with your child. In addition to theLearning Style assessments, we give you theparenting techniques that support learning-success,techniques that have already worked for thousands ofparents.

Because we are emphasizing the learning styleneeds of the child, you might get the idea that we areadvocating a completely child-directed approach tolearning. That is not the case. For most children, theworld of school and learning is weighted on the sidethat takes very few of their needs into consideration.This book helps restore balance. We recommend thatyou keep in mind your own fundamental beliefs,values, and family rules as you balance your personalneeds, your family’s needs, and your child’s learningstyle needs.

The Learning Style Model of Education presentedin this book is applicable to all age levels—preschoolto adult. If your child is just beginning school, you canimplement this model right from the start. If your child is

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already older, you can still use this information toincrease learning-success—it’s never too late to applythese principles.

Teachers

If you are a teacher, contact us for information onusing these assessments for your classroom. You,too, are invited to help students achieve learning-success with the learning style information presentedin this book. School packages are available for boththe Observation Profile and online Learning StyleProfile.

OtherAdults

You might be reading this book for your own self-knowledge. Perhaps you have returned to school, orare a volunteer tutor in a literacy program, or teachadults at the college level. The learning styleinformation in this book applies to adult learning aswell. The Learning Style Assessment, principles, andconcepts presented here have made a significantdifference in the lives of hundreds of adults we haveworked with.

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ForOurPictureLearners

In keeping with our belief that people learn in differentways, we felt it was appropriate to provide not only forthe Print Learners but for the Picture Learners as well.Along with the traditional table of contents, we haveincluded a picture overview of the book (which follows)to guide you through the reading, exercises, andassessments. You will also find other ideas andconcepts presented in picture format, either in thebook or in the downloadable appendix.

HowtoUseThisBook

We recommend that you read this book in sequence,doing the exercises and activities as they arepresented. After you’ve finished reading the book, youcan review individual chapters as needed.We hope that you will continue to use this book as areference throughout your child’s school years.

We hope that this book will give you theknowledge, inspiration, and courage to becomeinvolved in your child’s education, both at school andat home. We know that we have helped numerousstudents through their parents and teachers, by

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starting them on a new road of self-motivation andconfidence in their own abilities. We are delighted tobe a part of your family’s learning-success journey.Through this process you will unlock the eager, self-directed, successful learner in your child!

The stories in this book are true, although thenames have been changed. They involve situationsthat we have each experienced separately, withfamily, friends, and clients. In order to make the tellingof the stories more personal, we decided to combineboth of our voices into one. Beginning in Chapter 1,the narrative voice becomes “I” instead of “we.”

Keep two questions in mind as you read the book:1. What is a successful learner?2. How can I help my child become a successful

learner?

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Part1

GetOntheTeam

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Chapters 1 to 3 give you the information you needto get on your child’s team. Chapter 1 takes you

back to the eager, self-directed learner your child wasbefore he began school. You’ll explore the reasonsyour child may no longer be an eager learner andwhat’s needed to rekindle his motivation for learning.In Chapter 2 you’ll learn the difference between thetraditional School Model and the Learning Style Modelof Education and discover the true learning-successthat is possible for every child with the Learning StyleModel. Chapter 3 discusses how to care for andnurture your child’s learning endeavors, andintroduces you to the idea of forming a learning team.

Let’s Get Started!n Read Chapters 1–3n Complete the simple exercises in Chapter 3

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T

1

TheEagerLearner

here is a self-motivated, eager learner in everychild. You might be thinking that I can’t possibly

mean your child—the one who is more interested invideo games than homework, who hates to get up inthe morning, who lost a science book last week. Youmight think that I don’t mean your child who is labeledADD or ADHD or LD. Yes, I mean your child, too. Imean all children. From birth until the time we enterschool we are all eager learners. We crawl, stand,walk, run, and talk with great purpose and urgencywithout teachers or grades. Figuring out how thingswork is a fundamental imperative—like learning towalk and talk. It’s your child’s natural curiosity thatkeeps her investigating the CD player in spite of thefact that you’ve told her twenty-three times not to touchit again. School is a major part of a child’ssurroundings, and most kids are excited to find out

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Avoidcompulsionandletearlyeducationbeamatterof

what it’s about.After a short time in school, however, something

drastic happens to too many children. Theirexcitement wanes. Their curiosity turns todiscouragement and fear, and they realize that schoolis not a place they want to be. Even one child losinghis curiosity is too many, especially if it is your child.As a fourth-grade “A” student I remember wonderinghow many more years I would have to endure theendless repetition I was faced with every day. I wasdisheartened when I realized that I had eight moreyears to go. For some students, interest wanessooner. The day after the long-awaited first day ofschool a kindergartner said to his mom, “Do I have todo that again? I did that yesterday.”

WHATAREWEDOINGTOOUREAGERLEARNERS?

We know that all children passthrough the same stages ofgrowth. We know that allchildren accomplishdevelopmental milestones attheir own pace and in their ownway as if governed by an

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amusement.Youngchildrenlearnbygames;compulsoryeducationcannotremaininthesoul.—Plato

internal clock set just for them.Jane crawls a month beforeElizabeth. Wayne slides alongthe floor in a sitting positionand isn’t crawling at all.Jeff could say Mama, Dada,and dog at ten months old.Patricia made lots of soundsuntil she was two years old,then spoke in whole phrases.We don’t expect infants andtoddlers to develop at the same rate or to do things inexactly the same way, so why do we transport all ofour vital, lively, distinctly different children to uniformenvironments, teach them all in one way, expect themto progress at the same pace, and call them belowaverage if they don’t?

Of course, programs exist that use individualizedinstruction for the “gifted” kids and kids who are called“learning disabled.” The “learning disability” programspromise a lot and often end up teaching the samematerial over again using the same methods thatdidn’t work in the first place. At both ends of thelearning spectrum, kids are stigmatized and left to reapthe social implications of being superior or inferior. Forthe “average” kids, alternative, individualized learningprograms are sometimes set up in isolated schools bya few teachers who realize that one-way-fits-allmethodologies don’t work. For the most part, however,

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Wedon’texpect

no matter how many in-service trainings teachers takeon the importance of learning styles and individualizedmethods of instruction, teaching “outside the box,” thatis, actually using techniques for individual learningstyles, is not the policy for most schools or for theschool system in general.

RAISEYOURHANDIFYOUHADAPOSITIVESCHOOLEXPERIENCE

If we took a poll asking how many Americans hadpositive school experiences and how many hadnegative experiences, how do you think it would turnout? I don’t know the answer to the question myself.What I do know is that the overwhelming number ofpeople I’ve met in the last ten years at workshops, inprivate consultations, and at conferences sum up theirschool experiences as negative. Many members ofmy family, many of my friends and associates, manyof the parents of children I work with had discouragingschool experiences.

A startling fact I’vediscovered is that by the end offirst and second grades many

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infantsandtoddlerstodevelopatthesamerateortodothingsinexactlythesameway,sowhydowetransportallofourvital,lively,distinctlydifferentchildrentouniformenvironments,teachthemallinoneway,expectthemtoprogressatthesamepace,andcallthembelowaverageiftheydon't?

Ifyouadduptheamountofundividedindividualattentionmoststudentsget

students actually seethemselves as failures. It isestimated that 95% ofkindergartners feel good abouttheir learning potential.However, 98% of seniors inhigh school have lost theircreative, inquisitive spirits.1 So,what has happened to all but2% of these seniors? Theastonishing number of storiesof school discouragement andfailure that I’ve collected overthe years provided themotivation to write this book.The following are some ofthese stories.

Scott’sStory

Asecondgradercame to me expressionlessand slumped, as if he werecarrying a heavy burden, andtold me he hated school. Hismother explained that as a

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duringtheirtwelveyearsinschool,itprobablycomestoaboutthreetosixschooldays’worth.—PeterKline

three-year-old he had lookedforward to attending preschool.At first he enjoyed meeting theother kids in preschool, playingon the playground equipment,riding the trikes, finger painting,growing a garden, and so on,but when he began to fallbehind in basic skills, teacherstold him he wasn’t trying hardenough and that he was lazy.

He became discouraged and didn’t want to go toschool anymore. By second grade he had a reputationfor being shy, withdrawn, and “not working up to hispotential.” In spite of remedial classes he was failing inmath and reading. How can an obviously bright childfail second grade? How can a school tell a seven-year-old that he is failing at anything? What kind ofmotivation is provided by telling an eight-year-old thathe is a failure? Furthermore, why do we as parentsaccept so readily what the school system tells us?Why do we accept the labels? Why do we accept theremedies that are offered? Why do we stop believingin the spirited, active learners our children were asthree-, four-, and five-year-olds?

Mark’sStory

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Mark had a wonderful experience in a Montessorischool for two years. He was accustomed to choosinghis own learning activities, playing with other studentsfrequently between work times, painting at the easel,and hanging his own pictures up to dry. He hadlearned to read phonetically and was well on his wayto being a competent reader. He was curious,confident, and active. When he transferred to publicschool in the first grade, he was excited to be put inthe top reading group with three other studentsconsidered to be “readers.” He was happy to meetnew friends, to have a new teacher, and to be learningto write. It wasn’t long, though, before Mark’s motherwas invited to school to talk with the teacher. Markalready had a reputation for being disruptive in class.When people knocked on the classroom door withmessages for the teacher, Mark jumped up to answerthe door. He forgot to ask to be excused to go to thebathroom. He couldn’t sit in his chair for more than tenminutes. He talked to other kids in class and didn’twant to come in from recess. In addition, he wasn’tcatching on to the sight-word-based reading program,and he would have to be put back one or two readinggroups. After only four months in the first grade, Mark’sinterest in studies was gone. Now, seeing his friendswas his primary reason for going to school. He wassullen and withdrawn in the classroom, and he refusedto read. At this point he was brought in for help.

What happens to shut down a child’s natural

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Lifelongself-imagesareformedbyhowsuccessfulweareinschool.

curiosity? Does it make sense to set up learninghierarchies in first and second grades? Should a childbe labeled disruptive and punished for wanting tomove around the classroom? Does learning occurbest when a child is seated at a desk? Can we affordto turn children off to learning at age six?

WhatHappensWhenScottandMarkGrowUp?

For some kids, school is a place they cope with everyday. It is a place that reminds them over and overagain that they are not measuring up. How many timesdo you have to hear that you are failing before “failure”becomes your definition of yourself? How many sadfaces stamped on your first-grade papers do you haveto see before you lose your desire to try? What does itmean when for years and years a child receivesprimarily negative messages in spite of the fact thatshe is actually doing her best? Where does the eagerlearner go in children stigmatized as failures?

Lifelong self-images areformed by how successful weare in school. The word“failure” often echoes in aperson’s ear well intoadulthood and underminesmarriages, parent-child

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relations, and careers. I wish Ihad the space to tell my adultclients’ stories about the negative consequences ofhaving been labeled a failure in elementary school.Perhaps you have a story of your own to tell.

ANOTHERKINDOFFAILURE

My experience shows that another kind of learner isnot being served well in the “school world.” This is theperson who gets the A’s and B’s and is consideredsuccessful by school standards. Gina’s experience isan example of how getting good grades doesn’talways tell the whole story.

Gina’sStory

Gina was a straight-A student all through school. Shefollowed all the rules, filled in all the workbooks, did allof her homework, and turned everything in on time.She liked getting a list of assignments, with specificinstructions and due dates. She liked knowing exactlywhat was expected of her, doing it, and getting thestars and 100s. What she did not like was repeatingthe same work year after year, since each grade

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spends the first few months reviewing things learnedin the previous grade. She told me that sometimes she“thought she would scream” if she had to do one moregrammar worksheet or practice multiplication onemore time. She wondered why she had to do pages ofaddition problems in seventh grade. She had beenproficient in adding since the second grade and was awhiz at fractions, decimals, percents, and all othermath! Gina also didn’t like having hours of homeworkevery night. Sometimes when she went somewherewith her family after school she was miserable,because she was worried the whole time aboutfinishing her homework. Usually she took it with her,so there would be no chance of it not beingcompleted.

It was even worse in high school. She claims thatshe missed out on a lot of fun—spending hours everyevening and weekend writing papers and memorizingfacts for tests. Once the test was over, she promptlyforgot everything to make room for the next set of“useless” facts for the next test. Her mother wasalarmed by the amount of homework Gina wasassigned.

What Gina found especially irritating was thatpeople were certain that she loved school becauseshe got such good grades. Furthermore, peopleequated her good grades with being a good girl. Ginasays, “As if choosing an abnormal life, curled up onthe couch surrounded by textbooks, is the equivalent

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of being good.”What we consider a reward can turn out to be a

punishment.2 Good grades are the rewards we givekids. Not getting A’s then becomes their greatest fear.In Gina’s own words, “I remember realizing early on inelementary school that people thought I was smartbecause I got A’s.” She claims that she wascontinually anxious—fearful that she hadn’t studiedenough and the next test would show that she wasn’tsmart, after all. Kids who get good grades can carry abig burden, too. Perhaps the worst thing about it is thatpeople expect them to “be smart” in everything! Thisexpectation sets the stage for disappointment, feelingsof failure, and an unwillingness to risk trying newthings.

Yes, Gina was “smart” as defined by the traditionalSchool Model of Education. She had the LearningStyle that made reading, spelling, writing, math, androte learning very easy for her. She knew how to dowell on tests. But in order to get the good grades, shehad to do hours of busywork assignments that sheconsidered meaningless. As a result, she did not likeschool; sometimes she hated school. In fact, she wasso burned out by the time she reached college thatshe almost quit school to get a job as a secretary (anexcellent job for a person with her Learning Style!). Ifnot for the reaction of a good friend who challengedher decision and told her that she was crazy not todevelop her academic talent, she would not have

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continued beyond high school. The day she finishedher last college exam, after nineteen years ofcontinuous school, she shelved the textbooks anddidn’t pick up another book for a year, not even to readfor fun.

Having talked with many adults who were “driven”students like Gina, I have found that they usuallyagree on one thing: they knew that other kids in theirclasses who were getting C’s, D’s, or even failing,were actually smarter than they were in many ways—these other kids often understood a subject better, butthey weren’t good at memorizing information andtaking tests. As super-students, the driven kids areoften too busy cramming to ever really learn anythingor even to pursue what is most interesting to them.

“I think it is a miracle that I was able to discern adirection for my life and choose a career that I’veended up really loving! Nothing I ever did in schoolhelped me in making these kinds of decisions,” Ginaexclaimed.

I would not call Gina an eager, self-directed learner.She failed in a different way from Scott and Mark. Shesucceeded in the system, but failed at developingherself. The dozens of people I’ve met like her sum uptheir school experience by saying, “I got straight A’s,and I didn’t learn a thing.” They often feel a great dealof resentment because they weren’t encouraged toexplore and discover more about themselves and thesubjects they were studying. Because they are so

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Childrenaretaughtwhattheyshoulddo,butfewarehelpedinthediscoveryofwhattheycando.—MartiEicholz

used to following instructions, these people often say,“I don’t even know what I think or want.”

THEDISINTERESTED,THEBORED,THEAVERAGE

Unfortunately, we haven’t yet exhausted thecategories of students who fail in school. If you haven’tfound your child in the stories already told, perhapsyou will find him here.

How many kids are justhanging in until graduation? Insome ways that describes allyoung people; however, thestudents I’m thinking of arebarely passing. School is aroutine they’ve learned to copewith. They aren’t good atstudies or sports, and theydon’t belong to the “in” group,so school is not a place wherethey can do well academically,

athletically, or socially. These kids associate schoolwith many punishments and few rewards. They arejust putting in their hours, punching the time clock,biding their time until the ordeal is over and they can

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Howwillthevoicesofthe“justaverage”

get on with their lives. I wonder what kind of life theyare prepared to “get on with” after practicing suchpassivity for so many years?

Another group of students that is not served well byour schools is the academically “very bright.”Regardless of the grades they are getting, low or high,these students are like jet aircraft that can’t get off theground. They never get their academic enginesrevved up enough to feel the exhilaration of academicchallenge. It isn’t necessarily for lack ofknowledgeable teachers that these kids aren’tchallenged. It isn’t because teachers don’t want toteach these students. It is, as my good friend who isvice-principal of a school explained to me recently,because classroom management (discipline) takes upso much class time, that there is less time for in-depthinstruction. Teachers are recommendinghomeschooling to some of their brightest, most seriousstudents because of the discipline problems in somejunior and senior high schools. Classes for the “gifted,”as mentioned earlier, can be helpful, but they oftendon’t take sufficient numbers of the students whoneed or want the academic challenge.

The “just average” studentis probably the mostunderserved. The squeakingwheels at each end of thespectrum get special services—the very high highs and the

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studentseverbeheard?

low lows. In the middle,students are left to do the bestthey can with overly crowdedclassrooms, a shortage ofmaterials, and overworked teachers under thepressure of unrelenting curriculum demands. In thecurrent conservative climate of education, additionalpressure to bring up achievement test scores will soonbe added to a teacher’s duties. How will the voices ofthe “just average” students ever be heard?

TAKECHARGE

It takes personal attention to discover and nurture theself-directed, eager learner in any child. Unfortunately,the majority of our schools do not have enough time orsufficient numbers of teachers to give childrenindividualized attention; therefore, if you want personalattention for your child, you are going to have to takecharge and give it yourself. By taking time to discoveryour child’s learning style, you can provide afoundation for your child’s lifelong learning-success.With the information in this book, you will be able tonurture your child’s natural gifts and natural eagernessto learn. You will learn to assess learning styles aswell as valuable ways to interact with your child that

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encourage positive learning experiences at schooland at home.

As a teacher, I am always looking for ways to getstudents more involved in the learning process, to seta fire of curiosity under them, to help them see familiarthings in new ways. My greatest hope is that all mystudents will become self-directed, lifelong learners.

While some students seem to be naturally self-motivated, what I have discovered is that all childrencan be self-directed learners if they get the right start,and the right start begins at home.

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M

2

SuccessforEveryChild

arcy stared at the paper on her desk one moretime and sighed. She just couldn’t figure out her

homework instructions—again. Her mom,exasperated, told her to read the instructions again.This never helped and her mom, as usual, had toexplain what needed to be done. Each night she

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struggled with her homework, and each night sheended up fighting with her mom about it.

When Marcy was brought in for a learning-stylesevaluation, it was discovered that she was anauditory-verbal learner. She needed to hear her ownvoice in order to comprehend. She was encouraged toread the instructions out loud three or four times, andshe began to understand the instructions well enoughto complete most of her homework without any help.She was much more confident about approaching allof her work.

Jim could not memorize the math facts. His parentshad tried flash cards, timed drills, offered rewards andhad taken away privileges. Nothing worked. Jim wasmiserable. Every Friday, the day of the math test, hedeveloped a horrible headache and was sick to hisstomach. His grades were beginning to slip in otherclasses as well as math.

Jim’s learning-styles assessment revealed that hehad a performing personality and was talented inareas requiring body coordination. It was suggestedthat he practice reciting the facts while bouncing a ballor jumping on a trampoline. This met Jim’s need forlearning through movement, and he beganremembering more and more of the math facts andslowly his scores improved.

Each person, child and adult, learns in a uniqueway. The idea that people are different in fundamental

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ways is not new. The ancient Greeks developed asystem for classifying people into four types orpersonalities based on body chemistry, which wasthought to determine temperaments, mental qualities,and abilities. Since ancient times people have beeninterested in finding out more about how thesedifferences affect us. Over the years, it has becomemore apparent that these fundamental differences, orstyles, not only influence our behaviors, but greatlyaffect how we learn.

More recently, the work of researchers andeducators has brought the importance of individualstyles to the attention of our school system. As aresult, the terms temperament, modality, multi-sensory,emotional intelligence, and multiple intelligences arebecoming familiar to parents and teachers across thecountry, and more people are talking about the crucialrole of learning styles in educating our young people.For example, Educational Leadership magazine, areputable journal for teachers from the Association forSupervision and Curriculum Development, frequentlyfeatures the subject of learning styles—often the entirepublication is devoted to this topic. Increasingly,educators realize that unique learning needs are thenorm, not the exception.1

Researchers highly recommend working withlearning styles; educators speak out about the meritsof working with learning styles; teacher training

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Wemuststartteachingthewaymostpeoplelearn.—RogerPerry,President,ChamplainCollege

programs and educational seminars across thecountry include workshops on learning styles.

Even in the adult world,business seminars frequentlyfeature speakers such as BrianTracy and Dr. TonyAlessandra who talk abouthow to incorporate learningstyle information in theworkplace. Yet the way manyof our schools operate on aday-to-day basis clashesseverely with the notion thatchildren’s learning styles are

and ought to be the keys to their education. Theproblem is evident as early as kindergarten, asillustrated by the following story.

THEAWARDSCEREMONY

Finally, the last day of school! It begins with all ofthe normal anticipation of summer vacation: visions ofswimming and camping, sleeping in, playing withfriends, and, most of all, no homework!

There’s also the excitement of the last day itself—the sense of accomplishment in completing the year,

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the class party, and, of course, the awards ceremony.Students and parents eagerly enter the auditorium

where, class by class, students will be honored fortheir hard work, their intelligence, and their school-yearaccomplishments. I’ve heard that this school valueslearning styles and the individual child, and I want toget a sense of how it does this. I want to see how thestudents are encouraged and sent off with enthusiasmfor the learning process and confidence in themselvesas students. I want to observe how such anoutstanding school instills an eagerness to return inSeptember to another school year filled with positivelearning experiences.

I squeeze in among the parents and teachers. Theyoungest students start the program. The first gradeteacher eagerly takes the microphone and begins byexplaining that in every classroom there are those fewchildren who stand out from the rest—those destinedto be the presidents and CEOs, the leaders—thosewho will accomplish great things, those who will dosomething worthwhile, those who will make some kindof difference. He then proceeds to honor four studentsin his class who apparently fit this description.

Horrors! What happened? A sick feeling wells upinside of me. Only four six- and seven-year-olds out ofan entire classroom will do something of significanceas adults? Can that really be true? If it is true, how cananyone possibly predict which four it will be? Based onwhat? But, more importantly, why only four?

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I know in my heart that the parents are probably notthinking of these questions at this moment. They’vejust heard the authority speak—the teacher, the onewho knows. They’ve just learned that four of thefamilies among them are on the road to developingleaders. The parents of four future leaders arerejoicing that their children are intelligent andmotivated; the other parents are probably feelingdisappointed, upset, angry, resigned, not surprised or,possibly, a little scared. Even worse, they might bethinking that this scenario is perfectly acceptable.

I wish I could say that this scene took place in adark age of education, years and years ago. I wish Icould assure myself that it is a rarity in theseenlightened, high-tech, politically correct times, but Iattended this awards ceremony in 1996. In lapses ofnaiveté I fantasize that no one would utter this kind ofmessage to students of any age (or their parents), letalone to first graders, who are just beginning theireducational journeys. Yet I know only too well that thismessage is being delivered in our schools everysingle day, in many ways that are more subtle thanwhat I saw at that awards ceremony. Furthermore,parents often accept the judgments that schoolauthorities hand down, so, at home, children receivethe same potentially discouraging messages.

Does the message conveyed by the awardsceremony apply to the “real world”? Are there reallyonly a few smart students in every classroom who will

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grow up to be smart and successful adults? Whatabout the others? Are they less intelligent? What aretheir chances of becoming productive and successfuladults?

For the answers to these questions we need tobegin by looking at how our schools usually work.

HEAVENFORBIDEVERYONESHOULDBESMART

In spite of teachers’ best intentions, here’s theinteresting thing about our educational system: on theone hand, we say that we want all students to do theirbest, we want all test scores to improve, we wanteveryone to succeed. On the other hand, we teachand test in ways that separate the “smart” from the “notso smart.” The textbook that I studied thirty years agoin an introduction to psychology course clearly states,“Intelligence tests are designed to measure theabilities that distinguish the bright from the dull.”2 Thatwas thirty years ago, you might be thinking—ancientstuff! Educators don’t think that way anymore! Don’t beso sure.

Recently, I taught a technique to an elementaryteacher who used it in her class. The kids loved it and

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really learned the material. They all scored high on thetest and they all received A’s! When their scores wereplotted on a graph, they did not form a curve. Therewas no bell shape in the middle, there were noaverage or below average scores. Everyone wasabove average! The teacher and the kids were thrilled.A fellow teacher saw the grades and questioned theirvalidity. How could they all get A’s? Impossible—especially for the students who had a history oftesting poorly! How could they suddenly test well? Thefirst teacher defended the grades and explained thatthe technique she had used allowed all of the studentsto learn the material well. The second teacherresponded, “You can’t do that. We have to weed outthe smart ones from the below average. We need thegrades to form the normal curve.”

I’ve experienced similar reactions at the collegelevel. One department experimented with presentingcourse material in a new, creative format. All of thestudents received high scores. This was notacceptable. The grades did not form a “bell curve” sothe new format was discontinued.

What is this “bell curve” or “normal curve” thatshapes the learning experiences of our students anddefines who is smart and who isn’t?

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Excellenceineducationisnotamatterofidentifyingandsort-ingthe“good”fromthe“not-so-good”students.Fortoolongwehavefollowedafactory-modeleducationthathasbeendesignedtosortouttheso-calledsmartstudentsfromtheslow

SEPARATINGTHE“BRIGHT”FROMTHE“DULL”

In 1733 Abraham De Moivre discovered what we callthe bell curve, or the curve of normal distribution. Itseems that when you measure something in nature orin the general population and graph the results, thegraph forms a bell-like shape.

One of the places it shows upis on children’s standardizedtest report forms. It is called the“normal” curve. It is the tool thatis used to come up with thelabels “below average,”“average,” and “aboveaverage.”

A statistics textbookdescribes bell curves asfollows: “A great manydistributions of psychologicaland biological measurementsare ‘normally’ distributed. Suchdiverse characteristics assleeve lengths for adult males,intelligence test scores forschoolchildren, errors made byrats learning a maze, and

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studentsandthenconcentrateourlimitedresourcesuponthefewwinnerswhowill...becometheleadersinourcountry.—DaleParnell

achievement in statisticscourses follow the ‘normaldistribution.’”3

Notice that intelligence andachievement are mentionedabove. It seems absurd to methat something as complexand important as intelligencecould be interpreted in thesame way as sleeve lengthsand maze errors! And whatdoes all this have to do withthe subject of learning styles?

We’re getting to that.The standard procedure for assessing learning in

our schools is testing—intelligence testing,standardized grade-level testing, daily classroomquizzes, entrance exams, etc. When the scores fromthese tests are graphed, lo and behold, they form a“normal” curve. When educators first began creatingformalized tests and realized that the graphs of thescores formed this curve, it was concluded thatintelligence and knowledge must follow the same rulesas other measurements taken in nature, such asinches of rainfall, or sleeve lengths, or errors made byrats in mazes.

In a normal curve, the majority of measurementsfall near the area that forms the top of the bell. Let’ssay we are measuring sleeve lengths for several

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thousand males and find that most of them fallbetween 20 and 22 inches. These scores, about 68%of them, form the top of the bell and are labeled“average” for sleeve lengths. Lengths longer than 22inches are then considered to be in the “aboveaverage” range and those below 20 inches in the“below average” range.

This is basically how we look at intelligence andschool achievement. When a test is administered,about 68% of students score within that “average”range, a few score above and a few score below.People in the middle are called normal; people scoringabove the middle must be brighter and smarter;people scoring below the middle must be not so bright.

It seems logical that if techniques could be found toraise everyone’s scores, educators would be happy;they would continue using those techniques, so thatthey could reach their objective of bringing all testscores up. If all the students are getting good scores itmeans that all of them are learning, right? Wouldn’tthat be wonderful!

Unfortunately, in the “school world” some peoplewouldn’t consider it wonderful, as illustrated by theabove stories of the classroom teacher and thecollege department. The purpose of testing in many ofour schools is not to have everyone learn the material,but to separate the “capable” and “intelligent” from the“average” and “below average” crowd. The top groupis then given extra attention to encourage them to

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achieve. Of course, as we all know, the bottom groupis labeled in various ways and also receives extraattention. However, this attention is given in the form of“help,” with the attitude that these students are not ascapable and need some sort of “fixing.” The people inthe middle group usually receive nothing extra,because they are just “average” and are neither inneed of “help” nor “attention.”

The injustices that result from this model affecteveryone! People in the “average” and “belowaverage” groups often go through life unaware of theirmany abilities and skills, and they limit themselves interms of career possibilities as well as opportunities ingeneral. The “above average” or “gifted” people oftenpay for their “smartness” with anxiety and distress, orthe fear that they won’t be able to maintain their highlevels of achievement. Many people in this group feelunder pressure to live up to their “potentials” and arenever really satisfied with their accomplishments.

FINDINGTHEGENIUSINEVERYBODY

If our schools were willing to give up the bell curve,children would no longer be classified into categoriesthat program them for the future! But, if the bell curve

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Ifwearesodedicatedtothebeliefthattestingandmeasuringarenecessaryforassessingwhatpeopleknowandcando,thenwhynotmeasureallthewaysthatpeoplearetalentedor“smart”andcreatemanybellcurves?

is so important that schools are not willing to give it up,then let’s at least use it in a way that is morerepresentative of everyone. If it is true that most thingsmeasured in nature form a bell curve, then measuringmusical ability, artistic ability, or any other abilityshould also form bell curves.

If we are so dedicated to thebelief that testing andmeasuring are necessary forassessing what people knowand can do, then why notmeasure all the ways thatpeople are talented or “smart”and create many bell curves?In other words, if spelling abilitywere assessed, I would scorein the above-average rangeand my husband would scorein the below-average range.However, if mechanicalreasoning and visual abilitywere assessed, my husbandwould score in the above-average range, and I wouldprobably score off the bottomof the chart! With this system ofassessing multiple abilities

each child would be acknowledged for her particulargifts and all would experience being at the top of a bell

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Bepatient...withthetypeofmindthatcutsapoorfigureinexaminations.Itmay,inthelongexaminationwhichlifesetsus,comeoutintheendinbettershapethanthe

curve.The Learning Style Model of Education looks at all theways that people are talented. Each child is viewed asgifted and intelli

THELEARNINGSTYLEMODELgent. The Learning Style Model also changes the waywe define and assess achievement. According to RitaDunn, who conducted a survey of research onlearning styles, “No learning style is better orworse than another. Sinceeach style has similarintelligence ranges, a studentcannot be labeled orstigmatized by having any[one] type of style. Mostchildren can master the samecontent, how they master it isdetermined by their individualstyles.”4 And according toDavid Elkind, professor ofChild Study at Tufts University

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glibandreadyreproducer,itspassionsbeingdeeper,itspurposesmoreworthy,itscombiningpowerlesscommonplace,anditstotalmentaloutputconsequentlymoreimportant.

and author of books on childdevelopment, “There isn’tsufficient individualization inthe schools. High standardsare best met byindividualization. Most of theprinted curriculum materialmakes little provision for widedifferences in learning styles.It’s not that we shouldn’t haveexpectations and standards,but we need to recognize thatchildren don’t all learn in thesame way at the same rate.”5

The Learning Style Modelof Education presented in thisbook emphasizes each child’sunique learning needs. Ratherthan applying labels—such as ADD, dyslexic, learningdisabled, hyperactive, slow, average, below average,above average, gifted, unmotivated, disruptive—andattempting to “fix” or “direct” the child, this systemcelebrates each child’s natural gifts and abilities. Itencourages parents and teachers to treat each childas an individual and to find out what each child lovesto do. It teaches the child how to use learning-styleinformation to learn more efficiently in all situations.

The Learning Style Assessment is designed tohelp you discover your child’s learning style and to

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facilitate the Learning Style Model of Education. Youwill find it easier to work with your child as you becomemore aware of all aspects of his learning style. As youimplement the suggestions in this book that areappropriate for your child’s needs, “problems” willdecrease and enjoyment for learning will increase (forboth you and the child)! You will learn strategies foracknowledging and valuing your child’s specialattributes. Your child will learn strategies that willunlock potentials in academic areas and help her tobecome a self-directed, eager learner at school and athome.

The Learning Style Model of Education makes itpossible for every child to experience learning-success!

In the next chapter you will be introduced to fiveessential concepts that help you to see yourself as theprimary educator for your child and to get on yourchild’s “learning team.”

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T

3

WhoC.A.R.E.S.?

he Learning Style Assessment is based on waysof thinking about and interacting with kids that not

only promote learning-success but are alsoconsidered the foundation for a successful life—aplace where, as Arthur Costa puts it, “compassion andcooperation, problem solving and creativity, andcommunications and internal responsibility will beparamount.”1

This chapter provides five concepts (C.A.R.E.S.)that will help you get on your child’s learning team and

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Eachoftheseactionsisasteptowardbeingafullmemberoftheteamthatcanguide,support,

prepare you to administer the Learning StyleAssessment.

The five concepts are:n Celebrate your child’s uniqueness,n Accept your role as a teacher,n Respond rather than react,n Expand your view of where learning takes place,

andn Stop blindly supporting bell curve evaluations and

definitions of your child.Each of these actions is a step toward being a fullmember of the team that can guide, support, andencourage your child as well as root for her learning-success. Take all the time you need to read thefollowing material and fill out the exercises below. Ifsome of the concepts seem foreign to you initially, tryto keep an open mind and see what you think aboutthem by the time you finish the book.

Active caring is the sign of love.The words “I love you” are

empty to a child if they aren’tfollowed up with loving actions.What are loving actions when itcomes to your child’s learning-success? My students andtheir families have taught me agreat deal about actions thatensure learning-success. In a

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andencour-ageyourchildaswellasrootforherlearning-success.

Celebratethechildyouhave.Don’tberegretfulthatyoudidn’tgetadifferentone.

nutshell, success in learning ispossible when children knowthat there is someone standingbeside them who C.A.R.E.S.

C—CelebrateVersusCriticize

Celebrate the child you have. Don’t be regretful thatyou didn’t get a different one. Don’t be discouragedbecause the one you have would be wonderful if only .. . Celebrate your child’s skills, accomplishments, anduniqueness. If you don’t celebrate them, neither willhe. Infants and toddlers have different temperaments,different skills, different needs for noise, quiet, warmth,sleep, food, etc.

These differences are a child’smarks of distinction. As newparents we eagerly celebratethe defining traits of ourchildren. Jesse has such agood voice; he’ll probably be asinger. Madeline is so creativewith her building blocks, Iwouldn’t be surprised if shebecame an architect or

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Whydowestopcelebratingandencouraginguniqueness,differences,preferences,andindividualneeds?

carpenter. Look at the way Ralph takes care of otherchildren; he’s going to be a great dad. Adults believethat these defining attributes show a child’s promise.We think that they are indications of something that istrue about the child. They are.

By the age of five or six, however, many schoolshave our children, regardless of background,temperament, physical differences, or other uniquequalities, sitting in the same-size chairs at the same-size desks in the same-size rows.

And, furthermore, attentionabruptly turns from celebratingour children to criticizing them.Just yesterday, a teachermade this statement about afirst grade student, “He justisn’t learning to sit and payattention, and if he doesn’tlearn it this year, he won’t getanywhere.” When childrenenter the schoolroom inkindergarten or first grade, theirabilities to conform and perform according to presetstandards are what they are judged by. Even thoughteachers have the best intentions to enjoy and fosterindividual children, many of their methodologies—praising and blaming, grading, withholding andgranting privileges based on effort and/or achievement—are designed to get everyone to “toe the same

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mark.”Why do we stop celebrating and encouraging

uniqueness, differences, preferences, and individualneeds? I’ve been told by school administrators that itisn’t practical to individualize the setting, materials, andinstruction. The teacher–student ratio would have tobe so small that the cost would be prohibitive, andbesides there is a shortage of qualified teachers.When I look around and see how many teachers havebeen underemployed for years and how much moneywe spend as a society on incarcerating criminals($36,000 per prisoner in 1999), I wonder about ourpriorities. When I see the cost to children of beingtaught in the one-way-fits-all classroom that celebratesonly some accomplishments, I lament our priorities.

By the time kids finish the first grade most parentshave taken on the school’s critical frame of mind;conformity and per formance measures are whatcount. Memorizing facts, taking tests, and receivinggrades replace investigating, wondering, discovering,playing, and asking questions. To keep the vitalmotivating force for learning alive in your child,celebrate her desire to wonder, play, discover, andquestion; celebrate his skills, interests,accomplishments, and uniqueness. Young childrenwho are recognized for who they are don’t do drugs,don’t turn to violence and crime, and don’t feel theneed to join gangs when they are older.

Please take time to list twelve of your child’s skills,

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accomplishments, and unique qualities. Keep them asnon-school related as possible.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A—AcceptVersusAvoid

Regardless of what you feel about your abilities to helpyour child become a more self-directed learner, it isimportant to accept the fact that you are the primaryinfluence in your child’s life. Far more learning aboutlife in general takes place at home than at school. Youare a teacher. You are, in fact, your child’s primaryteacher. Parents, believing that they don’t have theproper training, often avoid taking an active role ineducating their children. The home-school movement

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in this country has made a powerful statement aboutwhat “untrained” parents are actually capable of doing.Now, more than ever in history, information, materials,and inspiration are available to help you influenceyour child’s education in a constructive way. Books,computer programs, workshops, classes, newsletters,educational consultants, educational supply stores,and Internet resources are available in growingnumbers all across the country.

For many years I thought that schoolteachers werethe primary influence for a child’s learning-success. Idon’t think that anymore. Yes, there are cases ofteachers acting as a bridge to a new way of thinking ora better way of life for a young person, and yes,teachers can provide content, exercises, and practicethat promote learning. However, the truth is that nomatter what kind of environment or attitude a teachercreates at school, positive or negative, your childcomes home to you every day for thirteen, fourteen, orfifteen years of her life. That’s a long time. You areestablishing attitudes and behaviors during that timethat greatly affect your child’s learning-success. Enjoythe fact that time is on your side; you have many yearsto turn a negative school experience around or makean already good situation better.

BehaviorModeling

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Thehome-schoolmovementinthiscountryhasmadeapowerfulstatementaboutwhat“untrained”parentsareactuallycapableofdoing.

You are your child’s first role model for how to act inthe world. When your child begins school, he willpractice there what he has learned from you.Research going as far back as the 1960s points outthat modeling is one of the most powerfulteaching/parenting tools we have to draw upon.2Daniel Goleman, in Emotional Intelligence, and AlfieKohn, in Beyond Discipline, remind us of the powerwe have to affect the behavior of our children. Generally speaking, the oldadage is true: If a parent iscritical, the child learns tocriticize. If a parent is tolerant,the child learns tolerance. If aparent blames others, so doesthe child. If a parent has apositive attitude, so will thechild. If a parent instills feelingsof being capable andcompetent, the child will takethese feelings and attitudes tothe classroom.

As Marsha Sinetar says inDo What You Love and theMoney Will Follow:

We literally ingest the messages we get from ourchildhood, metabolizing them into words of personalstrength and capability, or weakness and ineptitude.

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Then these ideas, strung out into repetitions reinforcedby experience, form the architectural framework for allof our life experiences.3

What attitudes about school do you want to conveyto your child?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are you doing to help convey these attitudes?________________________________________________________________________________________________________

R—RespondVersusReact

Whether you are a responsive or reactive parent hasa major impact on your child’s attitudes and behaviorsin the school setting. Responsive parents listen to andacknowledge a child’s feelings, needs, and point ofview. They try to follow the child’s lead whenappropriate. Reactive parents use threats,comparisons, negative labels, blame, and punishment

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to interact with their children. These parents let theiremotions get in the way of their abilities to think andact clearly.4

The information that will be provided to you on theLearning Style Assessment (which you will do in PartII of this book) is the result of your child’s thinkingabout herself. In the hectic flow of daily life, there islittle time to get this kind of information from a child in adiscussion at the dinner table or between phone callsto friends. You say, How are you? She says, Fine.You say, What did you learn in school today? Shesays, Nothing. And that’s that.

The amount and quality of the information that youget from the Assessment puts you in a good positionto talk with your child about his strengths as he seesthem. The information also allows you to recognizeand accept his challenges and weaknesses as hesees them. How you talk with your child about theAssessment results will make a big difference inwhether or not the information can be used effectivelyto encourage learning-success. The followingcommunication basics will be invaluable as you beginto work with your child using the Learning Style Model.The communication basics are: listen, acknowledge,wait, follow.

Listen

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Learninghowtopayattentionisafantasticgift.That’swhat’swrongwiththeworld:therearen’tenoughpeoplewhopayenoughattentiontootherpeople.—Clayton

Listening to your child’s opinions and ideas engenderstrust, and trust is the foundation you need to work withyour child’s Learning Style effectively. When your childtakes the Assessment, you are going to have newinformation that may not agree with the way you seehim or her. You might feel frustrated and think thatyour child didn’t fill out the Assessment correctly. Withthe Learning Style Model, it is very important to accepther responses as they are. Your child’s responsesare the valuable information necessary to help renewher motivation for learning, or for advancing to a newlevel of engagement in the learning process. TheAssessment is meant to help open a discussionbetween you and your child about your child’sstrengths, learning goals, and learning needs.Your child’s responses are herstarting place in thediscussion. Listen to themcarefully and respectfully.

Parents and teachers makeassumptions and judgmentsabout kids all the time. Theymake plans for a child’s future.They have detailedexpectations for them withoutasking a single question aboutwho the kids are. For the mostpart, it doesn’t occur to us toask what young people expect

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Barbeauand want for themselves, orwhat their learning concernsand needs are as they seethem. What happens to people who are always told,and not asked, about themselves? What is possiblewhen adults listen to the learning needs of youngpeople early in the child’s learning experience?

Listening, and the trust it engenders, encourageschildren to open up and talk. A major reason youngpeople don’t talk with their parents is that they don’ttrust what their parents will do with the information. Ifthey reveal too much, kids are afraid that they will getin trouble. When they know that you are genuinelyinterested in them and that you are tolerant ofmissteps and lapses in judgment, you will notice thatyoung people have a great deal to share. Ten years oftalking to kids about their Learning StyleAssessments, and interactions with my own son, havetaught me this lesson many times over.

Acknowledge

As stated earlier, adults are accustomed to makingassumptions, judgments, recommendations, anddemands of young people. As a defense, many youngpeople learn how to tune us out at early ages. Thismight be the position that you are in with your child asyou begin the Learning Styles assessment. Listening

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Amajorityofkidsgotobedeverynightwishingthattheyhadbeenheard.

is only the first step to improved communication. Fullyacknowledging what your child tells you on theAssessment, whether you agree with it or not, is thesecond step.

To your child, youracknowledgment means thatyou have heard him. It doesn’tnecessarily mean you agree.Your acknowledgment cansay, “I see that what you aretelling me is important to you,”or “I didn’t realize that meant somuch to you,” or “I’m interestedto hear what is important to

you.” Henry James wrote, “The deepest hunger of thehuman soul is to be understood.” A majority of kids goto bed every night wishing that they had been heard.Kids who are more accustomed to lectures,suggestions, explanations, and advice than they areto acknowledgment might not know what to say whenyou acknowledge them. That is when the third step toimproved communication is so valuable to know anduse.

LearntoWait

After you have acknowledged what your child tellsyou, wait. Wait much longer than you think is normal,

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Whatpeoplewantmostistobeheardandseenforwhotheyare.—VictoriaKindleHodson

appropriate, or reasonable. In my experience, adultsdon’t have a good sense for how long they need to bequiet in order to create the opportunity for a child totalk.When a young person realizesthat you truly want to knowwhat he has to say, that you’renot just taking a pause beforegiving the next lecture, he willtalk. I’m tempted to say Iguarantee that he will talkbecause I haven’t met a youngperson yet who isn’t eager totalk with me at length once heknows I don’t have an agendafor him. I realize that I’m not the parent of each ofthese kids; however, my experience with my own childtells me that it works for parents, too!

When you start listening to them, they will startlistening to you. By attempting to listen to andacknowledge your child’s position, you establishmutually respectful ground for interacting, and yourchild learns how to listen to and acknowledge you andothers.

If you are used to taking the lead in your child’sactivities, listening and acknowledging will feel far tooinactive at first. Give it a try anyway.

As you practice this art of listening, acknowledging,and waiting, you will be surprised by a new kind of joy

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Whenyoustartlisteningtothem,theywillstartlisteningtoyou.

that is experienced when youhear your child sharing moreabout her school experiencethan ever before.

Follow

Giving kids an opportunity to explore and discoverfor themselves is a more subtle form of listening andacknowledging. The more often you can follow theirlead, the better. There are many age-appropriateopportunities in a day to follow your child’s lead.

According to Thomas Armstrong:Children often do their best learning without adultsupervision during unstructured playtime. It is oftenonly when they make their own choices about whatthey wish to learn and how they want to learn it thattheir motivation and achievement levels go way up.Parents should realize that they can usually better helptheir kids by simply listening to them, respecting theirlives, and allowing them the freedom to explore newideas and subjects on their own.5

A story about a very young student of mine comesto mind that illustrates how this idea of following achild’s lead can work.

One day, Marty, four and one-half years old, wasplaying with an enormous bowl, which was about one-

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third full of millet (hulled bird seed). In the bowl was asmall glass ketchup bottle (no lid), a small metalfunnel, a small measuring cup, and a plastic spoon. Atfirst Marty had many questions for me. “What is thisstuff?” “Can you eat it?” “What is this thing?” he askedas he put his index finger in the narrow end of thefunnel. Then he began filling the bottle using thefunnel as a scoop. By holding one finger over thesmall hole in the bottom of the funnel, he filled thelarge end full, then balanced this self-styled scoop onthe narrow mouth of the ketchup bottle, deftly removedhis finger from the small end of the funnel, and quicklyjammed the neck of the funnel into the bottle, watchingwith serious pleasure as the bottle filled and thefunnel emptied. He repeated the same routine manytimes without the slightest distraction, making smallrefinements in the way he placed his fingers and howfast or slowly he carried out the sequence ofmovements he had choreographed. What precision! Iwas reminded of a scientist in a laboratory. I sat therebeside him wondering if and when he would discoverhow a funnel really works. Seeing the fun he washaving, and remembering Maria Montessori’s warningto refrain from spoiling the moment of discovery, Ivowed not to tell him what to do.

After a while he put the funnel aside. He tried fillingthe bottle using the plastic spoon. This brought nosatisfaction at all. Too slow was my guess. He took upthe measuring cup instead and began using it as a

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Oneofthemostimportantgiftswecangiveourchildrenistoallowthemtheirownlearningprocesses,theirownfiguring-it-outprocedures,attheirownpace.

scoop, filling the bottle to the brim with as much grainpouring over the sides as going in. He was happy withthis and kept pouring grain onto the full bottle just tosee the little balls cascade and bounce. He chuckledto himself and beamed a broad grin. He told me hewould like to have a whole bathtub full of millet.

As if remembering something, he became quietand very serious again.

With not one word from me,he looked over his tools for afew seconds, reached for thefunnel, hesitated for anothersecond, popped it into themouth of the bottle and beganscooping and pouring with themeasuring cup. Somethinginside me leaped up, and Icouldn’t help smiling withexcitement for the display ofintelligence I witnessed. Hefilled the bottle in a new way,and he obviously liked this waybest. He was completelyabsorbed in what he wasdoing. Any attempt to praise him would have brokenthe spell, so I kept quiet. After using the funnel severalmore times he was finished with the bottle, the funnel,and the measuring cup and went on to otheradventures with the millet.

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What if I had given Marty the bottle with the funnelalready in it? What if I had shown him how to use thefunnel “correctly”? What if I had told him what he was“supposed to” do?

One of the most important gifts we can give ourchildren is to allow them their own learning processes,their own figuring-it-out procedures, at their own pace.

There was very little talking while Marty wasplaying, but it wasn’t difficult to know what to do. Isimply followed his lead rather than attempting to leadhim. Different children, of course, will provide differentkinds of leads. Some will be more talkative. Some willbe more impatient. Some will be slower to makediscoveries. What is important is that you trust whatyour children are telling you they need to do in order tostay connected with the learning activity at hand.

The behaviors that are related to the ADD andADHD labels might even be a reaction to too muchinterference or interruption in the preschool yearswhen a child is trying to focus on an activity (see moreabout this in Chapter 13). In the early stages ofexploration, the child’s connection with an activity islike a trance. He is fixated because he is learningdeeply. He is making subtle calculations that will makesubsequent attempts more successful. There is greatjoy when a child spontaneously discovers the secretsof everyday things. Since young people are alwaysmoving into new phases of life, there are innumerableopportunities to let them take the lead and to enjoy

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seeing the learning process unfold.List two things that you would like to do differently

in your communications with your children to be moreresponsive than reactive:

1.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

E—EXPANDVERSUSEXCLUDE

Expand your understanding of what learning is andwhere it happens. Learning is happening everywhere,all the waking hours of the day, every day, not just atschool between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.Your kids are learning and developing learning habitswhile they are at home, too. To exclude home as alearning environment is to overlook 50% or more ofyour child’s learning opportunities and influences.

Schools are learning-style biased: they teach

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mainly to one type of learner. Because of this biasmany children don’t do well there. When you supportyour child’s dispositions, talents, interests, modalities,and environmental needs (see Chapters 5 to 9) athome, you show your child that her ideas, best waysof learning, contributions to a group, and learningneeds are important even though the school isn’t setup to recognize them. You show your child that shecan have a very vital life in addition to or in spite ofschool definitions and preferences. An involvement ina life separate from school develops confidence thatwill eventually affect school studies, too.

How much home-learning time does your childhave each week? Include time before and afterschool, and weekends.

Hours each day __ × 5 =Hours each weekend = Total hours each week =The total shows you how many hours you have to

influence your child’s perception of himself as alearner, his interest in learning, and his readiness tolearn.

Home-learning time is not necessarily about findingmore effective ways of doing homework, although itcan include that. Home-learning time can be used inmany ways: having discussions with your child aboutlocal and national issues, playing games, cooking,watching a movie together and talking about it

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Schoolsarelearning-stylebiased:theyteachmainlytoonetypeoflearner.

afterward, doing brain-teasers or crossword puzzles,reading a favorite story, etc.

You can get ideas abouthow to use home-learning timefrom your child’s interests,talents, and dispositions on theAssessment. You can also dothings with your children thatare interesting to you, whichinvites them to extendthemselves and try somethingnew.

Keep these times together interesting for everyone,positive, and short in duration, and you will not only beenjoying your kids more, but you will be using theirtime at home to develop valuable skills.

Remember that this time is your opportunity to givelearning a new, more positive, more personal, and lessformal slant. During these times your child might bepracticing any number of things without the pressuresof school—formulating opinions of her own, learning totake turns, learning step-by-step procedures for doinga task, following verbal instructions, supporting herpoint of view, reading orally, organizing things, etc. Allof these skills practiced at home apply to schoolstudies and create readiness to learn in anyeducational setting. Just by enjoying your child, doingthings that are entertaining and/or useful in an informalsetting, you can be teaching far more than you ever

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realized.

S—STOPVERSUSSUPPORTStop supporting bell curve definitions of your child as alearner. How did schools ever get our support for thisagenda anyway?

If we do well in school, it is assumed that we will dowell in life, and, conversely, if we don’t do well inschool, we won’t do well in life. The primaryexpectation of most teachers and parents is forstudents to learn to do school well. Doing well for thesake of a confined system is called institutionalization.School is not life! School rules, expectations, lessonsof conformity, dependence on others for self-definition,and working in short bursts between bells are not theskills needed for doing life well. All too often, schoolskeep young people dependent on their standards forachievement, the school’s evaluations of one’sprogress, and the school’s assessment of one’s rankin the hierarchy. Many times, a school’s primarymission is not to mature students into self-aware, self-motivated, self-directed, responsible people by thetime they leave its hallowed halls. Competitive sorting

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and ranking are often the primary purposes of school.This ranking takes place in class after class, test aftertest, paper after paper, unremittingly, day after day,year after year. Mistakes are punished and studentsare compared with each other to create anatmosphere of competition. By the end of it all,thousands of kids still don’t read, don’t spell, and don’twrite. Furthermore, young people are being graduatedinto the “real world” thinking that they are stupid. Whatis the point? Where are the people shouting, “What inthe world are you doing to our kids?” Where are thepeople saying to the kids who don’t do well in acompetitive atmosphere, “Of course you can do this.Let me help. I’ll show you how.”

According to Thomas Armstrong in AwakeningYour Child’s Natural Genius (1991):

“Most kids spend a high percentage of their roughly 13,000school hours from kindergarten through high schoolgraduation focusing on tasks bearing little relationship toreal-life activities . . . The schools must become centers ofpassion and purpose for children before the crisis ineducation is truly addressed.”6

By redefining your child as a learner in terms ofdispositions, talents, interests, and modalities, youcan stop supporting bell-curve-determined definitionsof your child. Grades and percentiles areconveniences that maintain a system; they are not thewhole truth. The subtle lessons of school, as John

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Howparentsandteacherstalktellsachildhowtheyfeelabouthim…Toalargeextent,theirlanguagedetermineshisdestiny.—HaimGinott

Taylor Gatto writes, “prevent children from keepingimportant appointments with themselves and with theirfamilies to learn about self-motivation, perseverance,self-reliance, service to others, courage, dignity, andlove.”7

Outside-InandInside-OutEducationKids can be educated in two ways: 1) from theoutside-in and 2) from the inside-out. Educating fromthe outside-in means that a child is expected to bepassive most of the time. Rules, instructions, andinformation come from the top down, from the expertsor authority figures to the students.Knowledge is dispensed and astudent’s role is to receiveinformation. Shoulds, oughts,musts, commands, anddemands are often the meansfor communicating to learnerswho are judged by test scoresas blameworthy orpraiseworthy, right or wrong,good or bad. Students areevaluated by comparing themwith each other. You are agood student, but Janice isbetter. Rewards andpunishment are used as means for motivating

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Childrenarenot

learning.Outside-in structures, including many schools,

stress control and require compliance, obedience, andorder above all else. Policies, programs, rules, andexpectations are carefully crafted to ensure that theserequirements will be met. The assumption is that kidsare unruly, untrustworthy, and unable to learnself-government, self-discipline, and self-evaluation.The fear is that without an outside-in policy formaintaining control there would be chaos and nothingof value would be learned. In this School Model ofEducation according to Alfie Kohn, “the problemalways rests with the child who doesn’t do what hehas been asked to do.”8 The appropriateness ofstandardized expectations for different learners isusually not considered.

In the words of J. F. Covaleskie, who hasresearched this subject extensively, “A program thatteaches children that they are simply expected to obeyrules, even legitimate and properly established rules,fails the children and the larger society.”9

The second way that children can be educated isfrom the inside-out. In this philosophy, children areexpected to be active and involved. They are seenas individual people with traits and attributes of theirown.

They are people to get toknow, people with whom tointeract. They are seen as

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thingstobemolded,butpeopletobeunfolded.—CharlesF.Boyd

people coming into wholenessfrom the inside out, on theirown time schedules.Expectations andmethodologies areindividualized as much aspossible. Parents and teachersset up appropriate conditionsthat encourage skill

development and learning-success. Respect is theunderlying principle for interaction. Since the way weview and treat a child can be a self-fulfilling prophecy,when a child’s strengths are nurtured and respected,the child learns to be a confident, respectful person.Motivation for learning comes from having interests,strengths, and goals acknowledged, and from beingappropriately challenged.

The Learning Style Assessment encouragesinside-out education. The underlying premise is thatkids whose learning needs are met becometrustworthy, eager to learn, and capable of self-direction.

What words does your child’s teacher use todescribe your child?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do you think that this description affects yourchild’s ability and motivation to learn?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How is outside-in learning taking place in yourchild’s life?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How is inside-out learning taking place in yourchild’s life?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARYTaking a more active role in your child’s learningprocess can test and also strengthen the relationshipbetween the two of you. A new approach to interactionis the beginning of forming a learning team to guide,encourage, and cheer your child on to more and moresuccessful learning experiences. After many years of

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working with parents to find new ways of interactingthat include talking about and making strategies formore learning-success, I know that this is possible.The five C.A.R.E.S. actions described in this chapterwere: celebrate your child as she is, accept that youare the major influence in your child’s life—even forlearning, respond to your child by acknowledging whatshe tells you, expand your idea of where educationand/or teaching takes place, and stop accepting bellcurve definitions of who your child is. Keep theseideas in mind as you proceed to the next section of thebook.

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C

Part2

DotheAssessment

hapters 4 to 11 guide you through the LearningStyle Assessment. Chapter 4 describes the

process of administering the Assessment to themembers of your family. Chapters 5 to 9 take youthrough each of the five aspects of Learning Style:Dispositions, Talents, Interests, Modality, and

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Environment. Chapter 10 teaches you how to put all ofthe information together to identify each familymember’s learning style. And Chapter 11 presentsfollow-up activities that will help the whole family tobetter understand and put into practice the results ofthe Assessment.

According to Einstein, “It is nothing short of amiracle that the modern methods of instruction havenot yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.”1

I believe that this Learning Style Assessment can beyour key to cultivating curiosity and passion, and tobringing new life to your child’s learning journey!

Now on to Part 2!n Read Chapter 4n Print out the Learning Style Assessments in

the downloadable appendix and have familymembers fill out the Assessments

ORfor indepth learning styles information,

purchase A Self-Portrait™ Online LearningStyle Profiles at your special 50% off price

by going towww.aselfportraitonline.net/store/default.asp?promo=DiscBook

If you have already purchased our onlineProfiles in the past you can use those Profileresults.

n Read Chapters 5 to 9 for information about the

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different learning styles.

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99

Y

4

TheAssessment:GettingStarted

ou are now ready to discover your family’slearning styles. You can assess all of your

children and yourselves, the parents, as well.A Self-Portrait™ Learning Style Assessment was

carefully constructed to assess five aspects ofLearning Style: Dispositions, Talents, Interests,Modality, and Environment. Other learning styleevaluations generally assess only one or two of theseaspects. Please note that no assessment canevaluate every possible combination ofcharacteristics, and no human being can ever becompletely defined by a test or questionnaire.However, the Learning Style Assessment we createdis unique in putting together in one assessment so

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many aspects of important learning style information(see chart on next page).

The Assessment is fun and nonthreatening. It iseasy to administer and score. It is not a test. Rather, itis an assessment instrument devised to gatherinformation, to increase self-awareness, to encouragediscussion, and to facilitate changes in learningbehaviors. Most people, even young children, reallyknow what they are like. The Assessment helps themsort out, define, and validate what they already knowabout themselves. The best way to get this informationis to simply ask the questions.

Please note that it is not the intent of thisAssessment to rigidly categorize people. There will besome overlap across categories, and changes inpreferences sometimes occur as a child develops.The results of the Assessment are not meant to beused as excuses for problem behaviors, to limit achild’s vocational choices, or to put a ceiling onpotential. The results are meant to be used to unlockpotentials, increase learning efficiency, and help allchildren to become successful learners.

I hope that you will refer to your family’sAssessments often, and that they become a part ofyour discussions and educational planning.

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Allowhimtochooseevenifyoudon’tagreewithhischoice.

HOWTOPROCEED

1. Read this chapter:Before administering the Assessments, read this

chapter. It contains instructions and other valuableinformation to help you administer the Assessments.

2. Take the Assessmentsq Childrenq Parentsq Other significant adultsObservation Profile for younger than 8:You will find this Profile in the downloadable

appendix -print it out, administer it, and score it at this time.Quick Learning Styles Assessment for 8 - adultYou will find this in the downloadable appendix -print it out and administer it at this time.Online Profile - for ages 8 - adult:If you choose to purchase

the Online Profiles at yourspecial price of 50% off go to:

www.aselfportraitonline.net/store/default.asp?

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Idesirethattherebeasmanydifferentpersonsintheworldaspossible;Iwouldhaveeachonebecarefultofindoutandpreservehisownway.—HenryDavidThoreau

promo=DiscBook3. For online Profiles print out for each person:q Results Pageq Learn More sectionsor manual at top of Results Page

4. Keep the Plan form handy:You will find the plan form in the

downloadable appendix. In Chapter 10you will find instructions forfilling out the Plan form. As youread Chapters 5 through 9, youwill be able to refer to theindividual results, enhancingyour understanding of eachfamily member’s results.

ChoosingtheAppropriateVersion

The Quick Learning StyleAssessment and the Learning Style Profile online arefor ages 8 (3rd grade) to adult. If your child hasdifficulty reading, you can read the entire Assessmentto him. Accept the child’s choices and resist thetemptation to choose for him.

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Eachoneofushasagift.Thereis...thetortoisegiftoftheplodder,thefoxgiftof

If your 1st or 2nd grader can read and is able to doher own Assessment, allow her to fill it out. You canalso use this form with a 1st or 2nd grader who isn’treading yet, as long as she is capable of making thechoices when the material is read to her.

For children six years old and younger who are notreading yet, and who are not able to make the choiceswhen the material is read to them, we have onObservation Profile. Fill it out based on yourobservations of the child. Have the other parent orsignificant adults in the child’s life also fill it out, andcompare results. You can use this version for three-and four-year-olds, but children who are younger thanthree years of age are usually too young to beassessed.

Remember to do your own Assessment. When wework with or instruct others, we tend to use ourselvesas the model, and we expect what works for us towork for them! Knowing your own learning style willgive you valuable insights for interacting with yourchildren—you will learn more about this in Chapter 11.

GivingInstructionstoYourChild

Explain to your child that theAssessment is a fun tool,designed to determine herlikes and dislikes, her

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cunning,thedoggiftoffaithfulness,thesong-sparrowgiftofcheerful-ness,theswangiftofbeautyinmotion.—HughesMearns

strengths, and the ways shelearns best. The results giveideas for activities andmaterials that can make iteasier for her to learn, dohomework, study for tests, andfind out what she loves to do.Explain that there are no rightor wrong answers andencourage her to makechoices based on herpreferences, rather than whatshe thinks others would wanther to choose. This is her chance to focus on herselfand find out what she is like.

For some children, it is difficult to do all of theAssessment in one sitting. If this is the case for yourchild, allow him to do one section at a time. Ifnecessary, you can even break up each of the fiveassessments and ask your child to fill out only two orthree items at a sitting.

Explain to your child that she can ask for help if shedoesn’t know a word or does not understand themeaning of an instruction. You are encouraged to givehelp as needed as long as you do not choose theanswers for your child.

WhatIfIDon’tAgreewithMyChild’s

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Because[childrenhave]livedwiththeirpersonallearningstylesalltheirlives,theyareusuallythebestonestotalkwithabouthowtheylearnbest.—ThomasArmstrong

Responses?

Keep in mind that there are noincorrect responses. It isimportant for each child toanswer the questions forhimself. Again, resist thetemptation to choose for thechild—allow him to chooseeven if you don’t agree with hischoice.

If your child choosesanswers on the Assessmentthat you don’t think areaccurate, be open and acceptthem. Usually, the child is righton target. Sometimes parentsare surprised by the results ofthe child’s Assessment, but

later they tell me that after they began paying attentionthey realized that the child’s responses, in fact,characterized him best.

Occasionally, a child chooses items that reallydon’t describe her style. But this occurs rarely. If itoccurs with your child, simply accept the results andbegin a process of discovery. This is the way yourchild sees herself at this time, or perhaps this is theway she thinks she should be. As you talk with your

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Thereisnodoubtthatlistening,acknowledging,andvaluingpro-videthefoundationforsuccessfullearningexperiences.Theinformationinthisbookisanimportantingredient,butyourattitudeand

child and try the suggestions in this book, you’ll learntogether what is accurate and what works best. Andyour child will learn that it’s okay to question andexperiment.

BEPREPAREDFORASHIFTINTHINKING

As you sort out the significanceof the learning style informationcontained in the next fivechapters, you couldexperience a mixture offeelings. You might know deepinside that it all makes sense,yet it will sound contrary to the“rules of learning” that werepassed on to you through yourown school experience. Inbetween, “Yes!—this is theway it should be,” and “Whydon’t they know this in theschools?” you might think,“Learning is serious, it isn’tsupposed to be fun,” and “I’mnot here to indulge my child’s

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philosophyaboutlearningarealsocrucial.

every whim and fancy; I’m hereto help him become disciplinedand get his work done.”

Remember the principlediscussed in Chapter 3, whichencourages respect for each individual child throughlistening and acknowledging. There is no doubt thatlistening, acknowledging, and valuing provide thefoundation for successful learning experiences. Theinformation in this book is an important ingredient, butyour attitude and philosophy about learning are alsocrucial. If we truly believe as parents that each child isa unique individual, with her own set of marvelous giftsand creative abilities, then we must accept theimportance of helping her grow in ways thatencourage those gifts and abilities, rather than stiflingthem. Respecting individual needs is not indulgent, itis intelligent.

What about the friend or relative who says, “Theschools have always done it the same way and we allgot through it fine!” Well, as you read in Chapter 1,many have not come through it “fine.” Too many adultsare stuck in jobs and life circumstances that causethem great stress, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, evenanger. They don’t realize their capabilities or how touse their gifts and their unique learning styles tofunction and to find joy and fulfillment in the “realworld.”

Chapters 5 through 9 discuss in detail each of the

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five aspects of Learning Style. If there is too muchinformation to take in all at once, read one section at atime, implement one or two suggestions, and proceedslowly. Remember that no child’s program will beperfect, and you won’t be able to implement everytechnique and strategy you learn about in this book asyou strive to keep a balance with your personal needs,your family’s needs, and your child’s learning styleneeds. What counts is that you are willing to shift yourthinking—to listen to your child, consider changes, andimplement as many of the suggestions as you can.

At this time:Print out the Quick Learning Style Assessment fromthe downloadable appendix and administer to familymembers 8 years and older.ORPurchase the online Profile for family members, 8years and older at (use this link to get your 50%discount):www.aselfportraitonline.net/store/default.asp?promo=DiscBookFor younger children, print out the Observation Profilein your downloadabe appendix.Also print out Plan forms that are in the appendix. Youwill need one of each for each member of the family.Keep the Assessment results and Plan forms handyas you read the following chapters. Chapter 10 willgive you instructions for filling out the Plan form.

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5

Dispositions:TheWaytheWorldSees

Us

he terms disposition, personality, andtemperament all attempt to define the same part of

a person. A disposition or combination of dispositionsis an aspect of us that is more inborn than developed—hardwired into us, so to speak. Disposition,therefore, is difficult to change. Our dispositions arewhat we show the world. In daily life we interact withanother person’s disposition, not a particular talent,modality, or interest. In a way, all the other aspects oflearning style are expressed through our dispositions.

Dispositions basically determine the ways peoplework, communicate, and learn. The Learning Style

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Knowingaboutdispositiondifferencescanhavethewelcomeeffectofturninganargumentintoaproblem-solvingsession.

Assessment identifies five distinct Dispositions:Performing, Producing, Inventing, Relating/Inspiring,and Thinking/Creating. Detailed explanations of eachof these dispositions are provided in Chapters 5a–ethat follow. Verbs are used to name the categoriesrather than nouns (such as Performer, Producer,Inventor) because it is important to describe people bytheir actions instead of assigning career-like labels tothem. (See Chart on next page.)

A person’s dispositionaffects behavior as well aslearning. I often see parentsand teachers nagging atchildren, arguing with them,and punishing them for thesame misbehaviors over andover again. How much of theproblem is the fact that twopeople with two differentdispositions are seeing thingsin very different ways?Although each thinks he or sheis right, fighting, as you alreadyknow, won’t get you anywhere in the long term. Thinkof all the heated disagreements that result from thefact that you are a morning person and your child,husband, or wife is a night person.

What about the different concepts people haveabout time? If you say to one person, I’ll meet you in

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ten minutes, he’ll be there in exactly ten minutes.Another person with a different disposition will be therein a half hour. It isn’t that this person is necessarilyirresponsible but rather that she tends to get lost inprojects, ideas, or plans and forgets the time. Thisbehavior is hardwired into her disposition. Yelling orpunishing does no good, and punitive actions arelikely to harm the relationship over time. It isn’t as if thisperson can’t or shouldn’t learn anything new abouthow to be on time; it’s just much better to use problem-solving methods to help her be on time. (See Chapter12 for more information on solution-focused problemsolving.)

If you are arguing with a child daily over suchsimple matters, you may well be faced with dispositiondifferences. If you continue to argue about thesematters, you might as well be pushing a wall. Wallpushing is counterproductive no matter how hard, howcreatively, or how often you push. Knowing aboutdisposition differences can have the welcome effect ofturning an argument into a problem-solving session.

THEPRICEOFNOTACCEPTINGYOURCHILD’SDISPOSITION

If we don’t learn to accept and work with a child’s

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Insteadofpayingattentionandstayingontask,kidswhofeelunderattackcanspendagreatdealoftimeinheightenedemotionalstatesinwardlyoroutwardlyprotectingthemselves.

disposition—the aspect of his learning style that ismost apparent to others—he doesn’t get theacknowledgment and acceptance that is a basichuman need. When we aren’t accepted for who weare, we don’t feel safe in our environment, andrelationships and learning often suffer. And we don’tjust pay a price as a child—many people pay a pricefor their entire lives.

SafetyFirst

One thing many brainresearchers agree on is that“Learning environments mustfeel emotionally safe forlearning to take place. When achild feels intimidated, rejected,or at risk, an overproduction ofnoradrenalin [stress hormone]causes that child to focusattention on self-protectionrather than on learning.”1

Safety is a basic human needthat is a prerequisite toacademic learning. Safetymeans more than the absence

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of violent abuses. Put-downs,intimidation, negative labeling,

and overemphasis on a child’s mistakes andshortcomings create feelings of incompetence andcause stress hormones to be secreted throughout thechild’s body that prepare him to defend himself.Instead of paying attention and staying on task, kidswho feel under attack can spend a great deal of timein heightened emotional states, inwardly or outwardlyprotecting themselves.

When parents and teachers know what a child’sdisposi-tion is, and when they are willing to work with itrather than get angry, punish, or argue with her, theywill get much better learning results because thechild’s basic need for safety is being met.

OurDeepestNeed

I’m sure you’ve met adults who are insatiable in theirneed to be noticed, to control things, to instruct, toentertain, to take care of others, to psychologize,philosophize, or to tell you about their latest newproject. These people are still trying to beacknowledged for who they are—Producing,Performing, Relating/ Inspiring, Thinking/Creating, orInventing people. Perhaps this need to be recognized

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Ingeneral,onlyachildwhofeelssafedarestogrowforwardhealthily.Hissafetyneedsmustbegratified.Hecan’tbepushedahead,becausetheungratifiedsafetyneedswillremainforeverunderground,alwayscallingforsatisfaction.—AbrahamMaslow

for ourselves is the deepest need of all. Until this needis met, we are like broken records playing the sameold song over and over again.

In the chapters that follow,you will be given ideas for howto acknowledge and interactwith each of the dispositions tofacilitate successful learning.As you read the information,remember that acknowledgingan idea does not necessarilymean that you agree with aperson. Two points of view canexist in the same place at thesame time. As Victoria KindleHodson writes, “Just becausetwo people disagree, it doesn’tmean one is right.”2

PRIMARYANDSECONDARYDISPOSITIONS

Each of us has some attributes from all five of thedispositions identified in the Assessment; however,

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two, or sometimes, three dispositions usuallydominate.

If your are using the Online Profile, notice thescores. The disposition that gets the highest score isthe primary disposition. Taken alone, this doesn’tmean as much as it does in relationship to the secondhighest score, called the secondary disposition.

Please note:n If the gap between the primary and secondary

dispositions is ten or more points, the characteristics ofthe primary disposition are likely to dominate.

n The smaller the gap is between the primary andsecondary dispositions, the more the two interact andshare dominance.

n Sometimes a person has three scores that arewithin four or five points of each other. In this case, thecharacteristics of three dispositions interact and sharedominance.

Each person’s combination of scores is unique tothat person and tells something about how thedifferent dispositions interact for that person. Forexample, a person who has a score of 42 in onedisposition and scores ranging from 3 to 10 in theothers will have a very different pattern than someonewho scores about 30 on three dispositions.Remember that there is no “better” or “worse”combination of scores. Each disposition is equallyvaluable and the scores simply give an idea of how

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ThecomplexityyoufindintheLearningProfileisevidenceofeachperson’suniqueness.

strong or weak a particular disposition is for a person.If a person scores low in a disposition, it doesn’t

necessarily mean that he has no skills in that area. Forexample, scoring –5 in Relating/Inspiring does notmean that this person dislikes people or is hostiletoward them. It simply means that by natureRelating/Inspiring considerations won’t have highestpriority when it comes to learning and working. Afteradministering the

Profile to the staff of acommunity organization foryoung people, the director toldme that she thought the resultswere wrong because theydidn’t reflect her concern forothers. As we talked, it becameclear that she did have astrong desire to treat othersfairly. However, it was basedon a belief that treating others

well is the right thing to do, not because shespontaneously enjoys being with people and helpingthem feel comfortable and appreciated. In fact, duringthe talk with her I learned that she was really a veryprivate person who didn’t enjoy groups at all. Similarly,a low score in Producing doesn’t mean that thisperson never gets anything done. Many people getmountains of work done because they have learnedProducing skills, not because they genuinely enjoy

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organizing, planning, scheduling, and turning out yetanother finished product. The low scores help us tobetter understand why we might have difficulty in aparticular area or why we have to work extra hard tolearn skills in that area.

Wow! This is getting complex, you might bethinking. The complexity you find in the LearningAssessment is evidence of each person’suniqueness. This is what the Assessment celebratesin every child. Keeping the complexity in is whatmakes these Assessments believable to the kids.

DODISPOSITIONSCHANGE?

For the most part, primary and secondary dispositionskeep their dominant positions over time. In somecases, the primary may drop to secondary and thesecondary may rise to primary position. These arerather insignificant changes.

Sometimes overall scores even-out with time. Veryhigh highs come down a little, and very low lows comeup a little. When these scores are graphed (seeChapter 11), the peaks are not as high, and thevalleys are not as deep.

Once in a while a complete switch in scores mayoccur. Two predictable factors influence such

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changes. A dramatic event such as the death ofsomeone close to you or some other kind of emotionalshock has been known to affect disposition scores.The other way that the disposition scores can changeradically occurs when people fill out the Assessmentthe way they think they “should” be. False scores likethis result, for example, when a seven- or eight-year-old who takes the Assessment is very aware ofpredominant “Producing” requirements of the school,society, and perhaps the home, and thinks she“should” have these characteristics. The first time shetakes the disposition assessment, her primarydisposition turns out to be Producing because she istrying so hard to please the people around her thatshe chooses items that fit this style. When she takesthe Assessment in her early teens, it often turns outthat she has found another voice to speak from, onethat is more her own, and thus Producing is no longerher primary disposition.

Reassessment every two or three years is a greatway to check in with ever-changing needs,preferences, and goals. Some people reassess everyyear when they put together plans for eachsuccessive school year.

SUMMARY

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Whenyoulearnhowtolearninyourpreferredstyle—thewaythatbestsuitsyourbrain—it’slikewritingwithyourpreferredhand.Theresultismuchbetter,easier,andquicker.—ColinRose

Knowing the characteristics of your child’s variouslearning dispositions and discovering how to workwith them will help you turn arguments about schooland studies into productive problem-solving sessions.

The chapters that follow give important informationfor understanding each disposition including: LearningCharacteristics, Preferred Setting, Contributions to aGroup, Areas for Growth, Relationship Conflicts, IdealCurriculum, Homework Helps, and Motivators.

These chapters are a quickresource to help readersunderstand their children’sdominant dispositions. Tomake your task easier, wehave purposely simplified thepresentation. Please keep inmind that every child’sdisposition is much morecomplex than can berepresented in this reference-like format. Remember thateach of us has somecharacteristics from each of thedispositions and that usuallytwo, sometimes three, of themdominate.

Some combinations ofdispositions can be confusing. For example, you mighthave a child whose dominant dispositions are

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Weareallsodifferentlargelybecauseweallhavedifferentcombinationsofintelligences.Ifwerecognizethis,Ithinkwewillhaveatleastabetterchanceofdealingappropriatelywiththemanyproblemsthatwefaceintheworld.—HowardGardner

Performing and Inventing. A person with a PerformingDisposition usually enjoys being the center ofattention, and a person with an Inventing Dispositionusually enjoys working alone. Learning to balance twoconflicting forces is the primary skill this person needsto develop. She needs to learn when to redirect herenergy from outward activities to quieter, less publicpursuits.

One of my students has thiscombination of Performing andInventing Dispositions. Heuses his PerformingDisposition in class to makejokes and distract otherstudents from their work. Heuses the Inventing side of hisDisposition to create exoticrecipes and meals as well asto design, build, and maintain ahydroponic gardening systemto grow herbs and vegetablesfor his cooking projects. Whenhe figures out how to use bothaspects of his disposition incoordination with each other, itis difficult to say what he willdo. Perhaps he will be a well-known chef like Julia Child orGraham Kerr, the Galloping

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Gourmet. My job is to supporthis efforts to integrate the various aspects of himself.

As you continue to read you will gain insight intohow to work with and balance your child’sdispositions, as well as how to integrate them with theirtalents, interests, and modalities. See Greg’s andAnn’s stories in Chapter 10 for more on this subject.

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5a

ThePerformingDisposition:Move

To get along best with Performing people, it isimportant to acknowledge their needs for

spontaneity and playfulness.

eople with Performing Dispositions are among themost sought after, seen, and wealthy people in

our society. They are high-profile stars in the movieand music industries. They are entertainers. It is oftennot until after they finish high school that their gift forentertaining blossoms because in a family orclassroom they can be disruptive. Ironically, kids withstrong Performing Dispositions are often sitting outsidethe vice-principal’s office waiting to receive yet anotherreprimand for smartmouthing a teacher who has runout of warnings and patience. An audience is what

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ThefatherofoneofmystudentsisaPerformingDisposition.Hewastoldhundredsoftimesbyhisteach-erstostopmakingfunnyvoicesandsounds,whichhedid

Performing people enjoy most, and they have nohesitation about creating one whenever they can. Aclassroom of captive, often bored students providesan ideal audience for their antics and shenanigans.

Bold and unrelenting in their efforts to get a laugh,they stir up arguments or otherwise attract attention tothemselves and are often known for being the classclown. Performing students are often labeledhyperactive or ADHD. In my experience teaching inalternative educational programs, kids withPerforming Dispositions are bright, witty, andoutspoken. These kids often enjoy challengingauthority, rules, and traditions. Of all the Dispositionsthis is the one that schools have the most difficultycontaining.

In a family, this is the childwho drives siblings crazy withtaunting and teasing. Parentslose patience with Performingkids because they don’t seemto take agreements, rules, andexpectations seriously.Wherever they go, they findthemselves “in trouble,” whichcan result in discouragementand withdrawal orrebelliousness.

The father of one of mystudents has a Performing

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spontaneouslyandincessantly.Hewasintroubleagreatdealofthetime.HeisnowthevoiceofoneofDisney’smostlovedanimatedcharacters.

Disposition. He was toldhundreds of times by histeachers to stop making funnyvoices and sounds, which hedid spontaneously andincessantly. He was in troublea great deal of the time. He isnow the voice of one ofDisney’s most loved animatedcharacters.

A similar story has beenreported about Jay Leno.Robin Williams’ or Lucille Ball’s

or Whoopi Goldberg’s teachers must have someinteresting things to tell about these highly giftedcomedians as children.

Although most actors, singers, and musicians havea Performing Disposition, not all people with thisdisposition become entertainers. Many athletes, triallawyers, and politicians are Performing people, as wellas those who are never really “on stage” but are thelife of the party at home and at gatherings.

The Performing Disposition is best described bythe word “move.” The underlying objective of this styleis to be spontaneous.

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LEARNINGCHARACTERISTICS

Performing people prefer subjects and activities thatare entertaining by nature, have immediate relevance,offer variety and challenge, provide hands-onexperiences, and give plenty of opportunity to move,act, and do. They learn best when the teachingmaterials and techniques used are short and to thepoint, allow movement, and involve games,manipulatives, and audiovisuals.

PREFERREDSETTING

Performing people need flexible spaces that providelots of room to move around. They thrive inatmospheres that are fun and challenging and allowfor unscheduled free time. They love field trips and“real-life” learning situations.

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Hidenotyourtalents,Theyforuseweremade.What’sasundialIntheshade?—BenFranklin

CONTRIBUTIONS

Performing people bring fun, laughter, adventure, anda sense of excitement to a situation. They can beplayful, dramatic, flexible, clever, and witty. Theycontribute a sense of energy, outspokenness, and awillingness to take risks.

AREASFORGROWTH

Performing people usuallyhave little interest in keeping aschedule, planning ahead,keeping things in order, orreserving time for quietthinking. They have a hardtime setting appointments andare known to impulsivelychange plans in an instant,without regard for other

people’s plans or feelings. They can have difficultywith problem solving (because it takes too long) andare not great about following through on commitments(because they’re on to bigger and better things). Someof these behaviors might be listed under Areas for

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Growth on the Plan form. Then you can talk to yourchild about how to channel his energy in appropriateways, such as fiddling with Silly Putty, Legos, orsqueeze balls. He can choose something to keep inhis pocket for occasions when he needs to be quiet.

RELATIONSHIPCONFLICTS

The most valuable personal characteristic forPerforming people is spontaneity. People with thePerforming Disposition are often discounted for theirdesire to be “center stage” and they believe that theirintentions to bring fun and laughter to a situation areoften misunderstood. Sometimes they are seen asshallow, rowdy, irresponsible, or inconsiderate. Whenthis disposition is not acknowledged, the “problem”behaviors increase. Children who grow up withnegative reactions to their desires for fun andadventure become the adults who are never on time,miss appointments, tell inappropriate jokes, and so on.Parents who teach their children to use the PerformingDisposition appropriately in various situations helpthem become adults who are able to meet their ownneeds while respecting the needs of others.

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BecausetherecanbenoRecreationwithoutDelightwhichdependsnotalwaysonReason,butofteneronFancy,itmustbepermittedChildrennotonlytodivertthemselves,buttodoitaftertheirownfashion.—JohnLocke

IDEALCURRICULUM

Filmmaking, learning to play asport, and building a rocket areexamples of subjects that areentertaining by nature and giveplenty of opportunity to move,act, and do. Applying mathprinciples to designing andconstructing a skateboardramp or working with maps toplan a vacation trip areexamples of activities thatprovide immediate relevanceand hands-on experience.Playing basketball to learnmath facts or a board game todevelop reading skills are alsoexamples of activities thatallow movement and offervariety and challenge.

These students enjoyactivities that allow them tochange things, compose,construct, design, formulate, generate, originate,pretend, reconstruct, reorganize, revise, suggest, andvisualize.

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HOMEWORKHELPS

n Encourage movement breaks every fifteen totwenty minutes when doing paper-and-pencilassignments.

n Encourage study techniques that involvemovement—e.g., to memorize math facts, spread flashcards on the ground, bounce a ball on a card, thenshoot a basket while reciting the fact. Any activityinvolving hopping, jumping, skipping, running, ordancing is great.

n Play board games or computer games to teach orreinforce any subject matter, including history,geography, science, math, or a foreign language. Ormake up your own game!

n Help the student to put on a skit or demonstrationto show understanding of the material when studyingfor a test; suggest the student act like a reporter andtape the lesson, then play it back; have the student setthe information to a familiar song and sing it.

n Relate the lesson to a “real-life” situation whenpossible; for example, the math equation 3 × 5 = ____is like knowing five people and having to get each ofthem three presents, so how many total presents doyou have to buy?

n Ask the teacher to allow skits or demonstrationsin place of written reports.

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MOTIVATORS

Performing people are motivated when they areacknowledged for being fun, witty, clever, and bringingenjoyment to others. They are also highly motivatedby the chance to have free time, by the opportunity tochoose their activities, and by being allowed toentertain.

QuickReference—performingdisposition

Note: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download supplement..

PROGRAM EMPHASIS: MOVE

PREFERRED ACTIVITIES: skits, shows,demos, games, audiovisuals, sports, “real-life”experiencesHELPFUL MATERIALS

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Mathn Can Do Videotapes (exercise with mathfacts) (5 yrs. to 11 or 12 yrs.)n Wonder Number Game (5 yrs. to adult)n S’Math (5 yrs. to adult)n Math Trivial Pursuit (Primary: Grades 1 to 3;Intermediate: Grades 4 to 6)n On Cloud Nine (5 yrs. to adult)n Touch Math (5 yrs. to 12 or 13 yrs.)n Large walk-on number mats or clocks (store-bought or homemade, 5 yrs. to 9 or 10 yrs.)n Math computer games (all ages)Read/Spelln Sing/Spell/Read/Write (5 yrs. to 8 or 9 yrs.)n Phonics Tutor (computer program, 5 yrs. toadult)n Play N Talk (5 yrs. to adult)n AVKO (5 yrs. to adult)n Wilson Reading Program (5 yrs. to adult)n Computer games (all ages)n Star Trek Series, The Great Series (sixthgrade up)Writen What to Do When They Don’t Get It(information mapping, all ages)n Computer games (all ages)Other Subjectsn Large walk-on maps (store-bought or

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homemade, 5 yrs. to adult)n Presidential Card Game, Geography Rummy(at educational supply stores)n GeoSafari (for many subjects, 8 yrs. and up)n Science Trivial Pursuit (primary,intermediate, junior high)n Lyrical Life Science (9 yrs. to 15 yrs.)n Board games, card games, computer games(all ages)

TEACHINGTECHNIQUES

n Bouncing ball on flash cards, then shootingbaskets or running bases, or adaptations ofother sportsn Rhythmic activities such as hopping,jumping, and skipping whilereciting/memorizingn Jokes, rhymes, riddlesn Movie script, play script, music videon Poster, scale model, totem polen Videotaping, audio-taping, slide show, puppetshown Singing, dancing, song lyricsn Timeline, chart, scrapbookn Acting out, pantomime

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TheProducingDisposition:Organize

To get along best with Producing people, it isimportant to acknowledge their needs for

order and efficiency.

eople with Producing Dispositions fill the ranks ofbusiness, from secretaries to accountants to

management. They strive to keep society organizedand efficient. They get things done on schedule andon budget. Often, the more expectations they aretrying to meet and fulfill, the greater the challenge andthe more fun.

The traditional school system rewards children with

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Theygetthingsdoneonscheduleandonbudget.

Producing Dispositions. Classrooms, for the most part,are arranged for children who are well-practiced ornaturally gifted in the Producing skills. Because theirlessons are turned in on time, neatly written, with theproper headings and margins, and they don’t mindsitting in one place for long periods of time, childrenwith Producing Dispositions are a joy for teachers tohave in class. From the information I’ve gathered byusing the Learning Style Profile with students for thelast ten years, I have found that children with theProducing Disposition comprise between 8% and 16%of a regular classroom—or roughly, three to sixstudents out of thirty-five. These kids thrive onplanning, organizing, and scheduling. These are thechildren many parents wish they had! Of course, manyother children cooperate in the classroom, get work inon time, and strive to meet the standards of theteacher; however, students with ProducingDispositions seem to have an internal need tocomplete tasks once they’ve been assigned. In fact, inmany cases the joy is not in the subject, but infinishing the work and crossing it off the “list.”

Children who demonstratea Producing Disposition atschool may not do so athome. A secondaryDisposition may take over athome—before and after

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Attheendofeachweek,takeyourcalendarandplanthefollowingweek.Iplanoutthenextweekandmonthinadvanceatthesamesitting.—PatriciaFripp

school. Those children who continue Producingbehaviors at home as well as at school are often adelight to parents.

Producing is perhaps the most valued, mostnecessary disposition in our society. Producing skillsare required to carry any project through tocompletion; therefore, most of us develop someProducing skills whether we want to or not. In fact,some adults who are not Producing people by naturescore high in Producing Disposition.

For these people, theProducing skills are so deeplyingrained in them by the timethey are adults, that theyautomatically make ProducingDisposition responses on theAssessment. In this case, it isimportant to look very carefullyat the secondary disposition—the second highest score—fordeeper insight into disposition.Some people believe sostrongly that they “should” beexcellent in Producing skills,that they also score a falsehigh in this category. These

people need to pay attention to their secondary scoreas well. Occasionally a child will score a false high inProducing Disposition, because she is surrounded by

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people who value these skills and she wants to pleasethem.

The Producing Disposition is best described by theword “organize.” The underlying objective of this styleis to have order and to be efficient.

LEARNINGCHARACTERISTICS

Producing people prefer subjects and activities thatare structured by nature; have sequential, orderedcomponents; offer routine and drill; and giveopportunity to take notes and be organized. Theylearn best when the teaching materials andtechniques used are logical and sequential, allow theuse of workbooks, and involve planning, scheduling,and due dates.

PREFERREDSETTING

Producing people need quiet spaces that offer routineand orderliness. They thrive in atmospheres that areconsistent, secure, and predictable. They loveschedules, lists, and planning ahead.

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Producingisperhapsthemostvalued,mostnecessarydispositioninoursociety.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Producing people bringroutine, order, and proceduresto a situation. They can befocused, thorough, diligent,and very responsible. Theycontribute a sense of structure,tradition, continuity, and theimportance of customs andfollowing the rules. Avoidingwaste in all forms is also animportant aspect of this disposition.

AREASFORGROWTH

You might be thinking that you don’t know any kidswho are like this! That’s because there are only about3 out of 35 in a typical classroom. But they definitelyexist and I have met many. In fact, parents andteachers who don’t themselves have the ProducingDisposition often report that these kids “drive themcrazy” with their needs for order and keeping to aschedule.

Producing people usually have little interest in

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Theenlightenedtimemanagerallotstimeforeveryaspectofhislife.Heevenallotstimefordrifting,byschedulingtimetodonothing.—JimRohn

“wasting time” meditating on nature, experimentingand exploring, or talking things out. They have a hardtime breaking their routine or changing plans just tohave fun or help someone out. They feel a strongneed to be on time, honor commitments, and beresponsible, often choosing the “rules” or the scheduleover “people” issues. Becoming more flexible or takingtime to relax might be listed under Areas for Growth onthe Plan form. For example, a child who spends hourson homework with no break can learn to take shortstretch breaks or a five-minute walk because this is ahealthy behavior to encourage.

RELATIONSHIPCONFLICTS

People with a ProducingDisposition are oftendiscounted for their desire toorganize and keep thingsrunning smoothly. Whereasother dispositions may seethem as rigid and controlling,

they believe that their intentions to keep order aremisunderstood. Often, these children have an unusualproblem: Their organizing skills are held up as the

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Irememberasalittlegirlmaking

standard to siblings and classmates, making themtargets of resentment or jealousy. It is important to helpthese children learn how to be flexible in varioussituations without giving up their need for Producingbehaviors.

IDEALCURRICULUM

Classifying living things, diagramming sentences, andlearning to alphabetize are examples of subjects thatare structured by nature and have sequential, orderedcomponents. Workbooks and worksheets areexamples of materials that offer routine and drill.Developing timelines and outlines are examples ofactivities that involve logical arrangement andorganization. Multiple-choice tests and fill-in-the-blankquestions are examples of techniques that provideopportunities for note-taking and memorizing. Some ofthe traditional methods used in classrooms such asbook reports and research papers work well becausethey involve due dates, planning, and scheduling oftime.

These students enjoyactivities that allow them todefine, identify, label, list,locate, name, recall, spell, tell,

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dailyschedulesforsummervacation.Ofcourse,mybrotherwouldneverfollowthemandIwasquitedistraught—howcouldanyonenotseethevalueofkeepingtoanefficientschedule?Ididn’tlearnthisfrommyparents—itwassomethingIstarteddoingintuitivelyassoonasIbegantowriteatage5.—MariaemmaPelullo-Willis

underline, fill in the blank,describe, interpret, put in order,paraphrase, summarize,apply, analyze, categorize,classify, compare, determinethe factors, diagram,differentiate, dissect,distinguish, choose, decide,prioritize, and rank.

HOMEWORKHELPS

n Provide a quiet spaceaway from disorder or chaos.

n Allow the student to havea consistent routine forhomework, including ascheduled time.

n Praise the student forbeing organized, neat, andpunctual.

n Help the studentmemorize by being available topractice with flash cards or listen to the student recite.

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n Remind the student to highlight information intextbooks (if allowed to mark the books) or to outline oruse information mapping (discussed in Chapter 7)when studying for tests.

n An open-classroom type of setting might be toochaotic for this student. Ask the teacher to allow thestudent to have a routine, or place the student in amore structured classroom setting.

n Many of the materials listed in the ReferenceCharts for other Dispositions will work fine for thislearner, as long as private, “work alone with my books”time is also provided.

n It is easy to take this learner for granted andprovide only workbook-type activities. As long as alesson is organized and sequential, adding some funcan enhance learning for this child.

n Involve this learner in methods and materials thatadd a creative dimension and broaden the learningexperience. This learner needs a break from theroutine and rote assignments, just as much as theother learners.

MOTIVATORS

Producing people are motivated when they areacknowledged for being organized, neat, productive,

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efficient, and punctual. They are also highly motivatedby the chance to set goals, by personal approval, andby “good job” comments, stickers on papers, andgrades.

QUICKREFERENCECHART—PRODUCINGDISPOSITIONNote: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download supplement.

PROGRAM EMPHASIS: ORGANIZE

PREFERRED ACTIVITIES: schedules,outlines, workbooks, reading, writing,portfoliosHELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Any organized, sequential programn Workbooksn Key Curriculum (10 or 11 yrs. to adult,fractions to geometry)

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n Mastering Mathematics (by topic not gradelevel)Reading/Spellingn Sing/Spell/Read/Write, Play N Talk, PhonicsIn SongWriten Workbooksn Daily Grams (8 yrs. to 12 or 13 yrs.)n What to Do When They Don’t Get It(information mapping, all ages)Other Subjectsn Super Workbooks (all age levels)n Portfolio Assessments (all ages)n Historical TimeLine (all ages)n Computer programs that are organized andsequentialTEACHING TECHNIQUESn Keeping calendars, schedules, due datesn Portfolios, scrapbooks, photo albumsn Flowcharts, family trees, timelinesn Contracts, petitions, statement of rightsn Rules of order, etiquette, etc.n Research paper, graph, outlinen Resume, brochure, recipe

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TheInventingDisposition:Discover

To get along best with Inventing people, it isimportant to acknowledge their needs for

intellectual stimulation, competence, and achance to make a practical contribution.

ho are the famous inventors you know? I thinkof Johann Gutenberg, Thomas Edison, Wilbur

and Orville Wright, Madam Curie, Henry Ford, RichardFeynman, and, more recently, Bill Gates. What is itthat all inventors have in common? Their focus is ontheir inventions. Nothing matters to them as much asthe project they’re working on. Meals don’t matter.Doing chores doesn’t matter. Getting to soccerpractice on time doesn’t matter.

People with an Inventing Disposition prefer

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subjects or activities that allow experimentation. To aperson with an Inventing Disposition, nothing is quiteso compelling as a mechanical problem that could besolved in a creative way. Getting the job done quicklyis not important. Getting the job done efficiently is notimportant. Above all, the aesthetics of the device,structure, or creation are not important. It doesn’t haveto look good. What is important is that it works in aunique way. People with Inventing Dispositions willspend long periods of time reading or surfing theInternet for ideas and theories that shed light onpractical problems that interest them. Even if thesepeople don’t enjoy reading, the desire to know moreand to find a solution is often stronger than theiraversion to books in general.

Not all Inventing people become famous or createmarketable innovations. Most Inventing people applythe skills of this disposition to everyday life situations—figuring out how to get the window to stay propped up,transforming an old recipe into a new dish, running thecomputer wire so that it doesn’t show, setting up thedog dishes for continuous feeding, and so on.Inventing people love to have unlimited time to dowhatever it is they need to get their ideas to work.Because they get so focused and involved in theirprojects, they often lose track of time and are late for

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Becausetheygetsofocusedandinvolvedintheirprojects,theyoftenlosetrackoftimeandarelatefororcompletelymissappointments.

or completely miss appointments.As a rule, Inventing people enjoy brainstorming and

debating, if they can do it with “sharp” people who areknowledge-able about the topic being discussed.However, once they are absorbed in their explorationor project, they often are not inclined to interact andview talking as a waste of time. They often preferworking independently rather than in groups.

Inventing peoplesometimes view writing as awaste of time. They just can’tunderstand why someonewould take the time to write are-port on something that hasalready been written. If youneed information aboutsatellites, for instance, you gofind books about satellites,look up what you need, andapply it in a practical way towhat you are working on. Fromtheir point of view there is no

need to write the old information all over again—theycould be spending that time doing something moreworthwhile, like creating something new or finding thesolution to a problem.

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As children, these people are very inquisitive andthe adults around them are often annoyed at thenumber of questions that they ask. This is the childwho is told in class to stop asking so many questionsand just listen. Sometimes this child seems to askquestions that have nothing to do with the lesson,which makes matters worse, because the teacherthinks that he is not paying attention. In reality, thechild was paying attention, which is what stimulatedthe questions in the first place, triggering new ideasand, perhaps, earning him the label of ADD. In othercases, adults become exasperated because theydon’t know the answers to the questions, andclassmates are irritated because they view this childas a nerd or a know-it-all.

The Inventing Disposition is best described by theword “discover.” The underlying objective of this styleis to be smart and competent.

LEARNINGCHARACTERISTICS

Inventing people prefer subjects and activities that areexperimental by nature, that provide inspiration andnew solutions, and that give opportunities to question,design, and discover. They learn best when theteaching materials and techniques used are direct and

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offer “intellectual” ideas, theories, models, and time forexploration.

PREFERREDSETTING

Inventing people need flexible spaces that provideroom for labs, experiments, and models. They thrive inatmospheres that encourage questioning, exploring,debating, and unscheduled time to workindependently.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Inventing people bring innovation, enthusiasm forlearning, and a sense of discovery to a situation. Theyhave the ability to be independent and can speakdirectly and to the point. They contribute an interest inthe sciences, technical know-how, and problem-solving skills.

AREASFORGROWTH

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Inventing people can have little interest in being playfulor in spending time talking or “relating.” They easilyforget appointments and often spoil other people’splans, because they get lost in projects and lose theirsense of time (much like the absentminded professorin the movie of that name, more recently re-made asFlubber). They can be quite serious and focused, yetlack skill in organizing and planning. Being on time orspending time with a sibling might be listed underAreas for Growth on the Plan form. For example, achild could learn to set a timer to remind her to stopbuilding with the Legos and get ready for the 4-Hmeeting.

RELATIONSHIPCONFLICTS

People with a strong Inventing Disposition are oftendiscounted for their technical know-how and problem-solving skill. They believe that their intentions todiscover and “make things better” are misunderstood.Other dispositions can see them as too serious,unfeeling, disorganized, and possibly workaholic.When this disposition is not acknowledged for itspositive contributions, these children doubt theirintelligence and feel discouraged. They seekvalidation in their discoveries and could

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become loners, growing up to become adults whohave trouble relating to others. It is important thatthese children learn interaction and organizationalskills, so that they can integrate their InventingDispositions into their daily lives.

IDEALCURRICULUM

Engineering, electronics, architectural designing, andthe sciences are subjects that are experimental bynature and give plenty of opportunity to question,design, and discover. Doing experiments orconstructing theoretical models are examples oftechniques that inspire exploration and newapproaches to old problems. Independent projectsand “intellectual” debates are examples of activitiesthat tap these students’ problem-solving skills.

As students these people are likely to enjoyactivities that allow them to apply, compute, conclude,construct, demonstrate, determine, draw out, giveexamples, illustrate, make, operate, show, solve, statea rule or principle, analyze, categorize, classify,compare, contrast, debate, diagnose, diagram,differentiate, dissect, distinguish, examine, specify,change, compose, create, design, find an unusual

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way, formulate, generate, invent, originate, plan,predict, pretend, produce, reconstruct, reorganize, re-vise, suggest, support, visualize, write, juxtapose,combine, and analogize.

HOMEWORKHELPS

n Engage the student in a debate on the subjectbeing studied.

n Encourage study techniques that involve drawingor constructing a model—this could be as simple asinformation mapping (see Chapter 7).

n Provide computer programs to teach or reinforcea subject.

n Have brainstorming sessions; “collect” and“classify” the information.

n Provide hands-on models or visualrepresentations (videos, CD-ROMs) wheneverpossible for the subjects being studied.

n Ask the teacher to allow projects in place ofwritten reports.

MOTIVATORS

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Inventing people are motivated when they areacknowledged for being clever and smart, for makingdiscoveries, and for solving problems. It is also highlymotivating for them when people actually put to usetheir contributions, inventions, and technical know-how.

QUICKREFERENCECHART—INVENTINGDISPOSITIONNote: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download supplement..PROGRAM EMPHASIS: DiscoverPREFERRED ACTIVITIES: projects,portfolios, debates, brainstorming, computers,“labs”HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Abacus Math (4 yrs. to 10 or 11 yrs.)n Math Shop or Math Strategies computerprograms (all ages)

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n About Teaching Math, Family Math (all ages)n Computer programs (all ages)Reading/Spellingn Wilson Reading Program (5 yrs. to adult)n AVKO (5 yrs. to adult)n Star Trek Series, The Great Series (sixthgrade up)Writen What to Do When They Don’t Get It(information mapping, all ages)Other Subjectsn Portfolio Assessment (all ages)n Backyard Scientist (4 yrs. to 14 yrs.)n Historical TimeLine (all ages)n Switch On Electronic Circuit Kit (8 yrs. to 13or 14 yrs.)n Science Trivial Pursuit (primary,intermediate, junior high)n Janice Van Cleave’s Spectacular ScienceProjects (8 yrs. to 12 yrs.)n Science by Mail (grades 4 to 9)n What About Series (grades 1 to 4)n Dorling Kindersley and Usborne materials(all ages)n Computer programs for any subject (allages)TEACHING TECHNIQUESn Home or classroom “museum”

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n Museum exhibitn Relief map, diorama, terrariumn Survey, current-events reportn Time capsule, portfoliosn Scientific instruments, experimentsn Computer programmingn Electronics repair, auto mechanicsn Blueprints, schematic diagrams, drafting

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5d

TheRelating/InspiringDisposition:Interact

To get along best with Relating/Inspiringpeople, it is important to acknowledge their

need to contribute to the well-being of others.

ahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and MotherTeresa all had Relating/Inspiring Dispositions.

The foundational desire of a person with aRelating/Inspiring Disposition is to create the greatestgood for the most people. In their unrelenting need tosee that others are treated fairly, they can become aninspiration to schools, communities, and nations. Inaddition to the world-famous people listed above,

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Knownforhaving“heart,”manyofthesepeoplearenothappyunlesstheyarecreatingopportunitiesforothersor

Relating/Inspiring people often choose to work asbenefactors, sponsors, nurses, teachers, andcounselors. Known for having “heart,” many of thesepeople are not happy unless they are creatingopportunities for others or creating harmony wherethere has previously been discord. Relating/ Inspiringpeople sometimes neglect their own families andfriends because they are so busy taking care ofothers.

Children with strong Relating/Inspiring Dispositionsare chatty. They often know the latest news and/orgossip. In class, they pass notes and talk when they’resupposed to be working. At home, they spend lots oftime on the telephone, and sometimes, with their needto keep in contact with their friends, stress ahousehold so much that they are given their ownphone. Emotions run high among these young people.They are perceptive and sensitive to the feelings ofothers and readily offer compassion.

They are also sensitive totheir own feelings, and theirspirits can be easily dashed byfriends who want to play withsomebody else for a while.From a parent’s perspective itoften seems that friends aretoo important to these kids. Butwithout friends theseRelating/Inspiring kids lose

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creatingharmonywheretherehaspreviouslybeendiscord.

their sense of purpose andmeaning.

A Relating/Inspiring personcan very easily neglect his ownneeds. Because this personvalues teamwork, “class spirit,”and emotionally supportiveenvironments, he can easily be

taken advantage of and can find himself say-ing “yes”to helping out on numerous committees and proj-ects.Sometimes, this disposition becomes too dependentupon others for support. This person can have hurtfeelings and become discouraged if he is notrecognized for his kindness and goodwill.

The Relating/Inspiring Disposition is best describedby the word “interact.” The underlying objective of thisstyle is to be caring, to treat others as special and tobe treated as special in return.

LEARNINGCHARACTERISTICS

Relating/Inspiring people prefer subjects and activitiesthat are social by nature, involve human-behaviorissues, incorporate personal feelings, and give plentyof opportunity to interact. They learn best when theteaching materials and techniques used offer

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individualization, involve small groups, and allowcooperative interaction.

PREFERREDSETTING

Relating/Inspiring people need small group spacesthat provide room to talk and discuss. They thrive inatmospheres that are interactive, cooperative, and fair.They love personal attention and focus on fairness,values, and team spirit.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Relating/Inspiring people bring harmony, cooperation,and sensitivity to a situation. They can be kind, fair,and thoughtful. They contribute a sense of teamworkand emotional support.

AREASFORGROWTH

Relating/Inspiring people usually have little interest in

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WhatIwantinmylifeiscompassion,aflowbetweenmyselfandothersbasedonamutualgivingfromtheheart.—MarshallB.Rosenberg

working independently, in “wasting” time on relaxingquietly, or in subjects that lack a human connection—such as math and most sciences.They are attracted to peoplewho are in trouble or need todiscuss a problem. They caneasily become sidetracked bysomeone who needs help, andcan end up disappointingfamily and friends who arecounting on them. They aresometimes late forappointments becausesomething more importantinevitably comes up thatrequires their attention.Learning to workindependently for short periodsof time might be listed under Areas for Growth on thePlan form. For example, a child could learn to set atimer and challenge himself to finish a certain amountof work during that period.

RELATIONSHIPCONFLICTS

Relating/Inspiring people are

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...itisournaturetoenjoygivingandreceivinginacompassionatemanner.—MarshallB.Rosenberg

ThebestminuteIspendisthe

often discounted as beingoverly sensitive for their desireto be helpful to others or theworld. Because some areactive in causes they stronglybelieve in, they are oftenattacked politically. Theybelieve that their intentions tofoster cooperation andharmony are misunderstood.Sometimes they are viewed as

too talkative, too focused on causes, and toosensitive. When this disposition is not acknowledgedfor its strengths, these children become less likely tolearn independent skills and more likely to rely onsomeone else’s approval or a “pat on the back.” It isimportant that these children learn how to find value inthemselves independently from others, without givingup their need for Relating/Inspiring behaviors.

IDEALCURRICULUM

ournalism, psychology,counseling, and speech areexamples of subjects that aresocial by nature and give

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oneIinvestinpeople.—KennethBlanchard,Ph.D.,andSpencerJohnson,M.D.

Relating/Inspiringpeoplearemotivatedwhentheyareacknowledgedfornoticingothersandforbeingkind,fair,

plenty of opportunity to talk anddiscuss. Learning historythrough stories about people,conducting interviews forresearch, and correspondingwith pen pals to develop writingskills are examples oftechniques that look at humanbehavior issues and provide apersonal touch. Working on

cooperative projects and having group discussionsare examples of activities that allow time to relate andoffer the chance to develop team spirit.

These people enjoy many kinds of activities aslong as they can be done with others. They are likelyto enjoy activities that give examples, compare,debate, diagnose, differentiate, distinguish, suggest,support, defend, justify, select, give opinions,reorganize, visualize.

HOMEWORKHELPS

n Recognize the student’sneed to discuss and talkthrough the lesson.

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thoughtful,andconsiderate.

n Encourage studytechniques that involverelating, studying with anotherperson, alternating readingaloud to each other, discussing the meaning of thelesson.

n Pretend the student is involved in the subjectbeing studied—if she were Madame Curie why wouldshe have become a scientist, if she had been a Pilgrimhow would she have felt in the New World?

n Encourage the student to do oral presentations toan imaginary audience when studying for a test—it ishis job to convince the audience of the importance ofthe information.

n Relate lessons to social events—e.g. if the childis doing addition problems, pretend the numbers relateto giving a party: Three people said they were comingto the party, then two more came, how many camealtogether?

n Ask the teacher to allow small-group interaction,working with a partner on cooperative projects orwriting assignments, more discussion time, and taped“interviews” or oral presentations in place of writtenreports.

MOTIVATORS

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Relating/Inspiring people are motivated when they areacknowledged for noticing others and for being kind,fair, thoughtful, and considerate. They are also highlymotivated by the chance to talk, getting a personalnote or pat on the back, and receiving personalattention.

QUICKREFERENCECHART—RELATING/INSPIRINGDISPOSITIONNote: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download supplement.

PROGRAM EMPHASIS: INTERACT

PREFERRED ACTIVITIES: group projects,people stories, family trees, discussionHELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Can Do Videotapes (5 yrs. to 12 or 13 yrs.)

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n Family Math (all ages)n Real Life Math Mysteries (grades 3 to 12)Reading/Spellingn Sing/Spell/Read/Write (5 yrs. to 8 or 9 yrs.)n The Great Series (sixth grade up, high-interest, easy reading)n Pen Pal Newsletter (elementary)Writen What to Do When They Don’t Get It(information mapping, all ages)n Studentreasures™ (“publish” own book,grades 3 to 8)Other Subjectsn Historical TimeLine Figures (all ages)n Family History Project (11 yrs. to adult)n What Do You Think? (kids’ guide to dailydilemmas, elementary to junior high)TEACHING TECHNIQUESn biography, autobiographyn editorial, proposal, petition, statement ofrightsn oral history, family treen journal, memoir, timelinen photo album, scrapbookn eulogy, last will and testamentn news story, children’s bookn current events report, time capsule

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n story, fable, parable, survey

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TheThinking/CreatingDisposition:Create

To get along best with Thinking/Creatingpeople, it is important to acknowledge their

need to contribute new ideas.

hinking/Creating people have somecharacteristics in common with Inventing people;

however, practical application of their work forconcrete, realistic uses is not generally important tothem. Thinking/Creating people want to contribute atanother level—one that uses real-life issues andconcerns as the basis for their inspirational or thought-provoking works. Some may want to inspire, some

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TheThinking/Creatingchildisoftenquietintheclassroom.Absorbedinthought,shemaybejoltedbacktoclassroom

may want to instruct, and some may want to describe.They can spend a great deal of time in deep thoughtand contemplating abstract ideas such as space, time,meaning, or purpose, and the relationships amongpeople and/or things. Theirs is a world of ideas andthe expression of those ideas through formulas,solutions to philosophical problems, and works of art—paintings, drawings, sculpture, poetry, essays, music,plays, and dance.

Thinking/Creating people who find expression inphilosophy, mathematics, and sciences tend tofunction best in the realm of pure philosophy, math, orscience. They thrive on abstraction. Their productsare formulas and theories. People with an Inventingbent often take on the task of applying theThinking/Creating person’s work to find solutions toactual ecological, social, educational, political, orbiological problems and goals.

Albert Einstein, PabloPicasso, Diego Rivera,Stephen Hawking, Alvin Ailey,Emily Dickinson, Ralph WaldoEmerson, Henry DavidThoreau, and Maya Angelouare examples ofThinking/Creating people.

The Thinking/Creating childis often quiet in the classroom.Absorbed in thought, she may

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activitywhentheteachercallsonhertoansweraquestion.

be jolted back to classroomactivity when the teacher callson her to answer a question.She might doodle or look outthe window with a glazed starewhile the teacher is talking.The customary accusation is

“You aren’t paying attention.” These children usuallydon’t make waves in the classroom. They are able toentertain themselves for long periods of time and givethe impression that they are appropriately busy oftenenough to be left alone. Some are seen as withdrawnor shy. Others enjoy the stimulation of trying out theirideas on the teacher and arguing their point.

Parents sometimes worry about Thinking/Creatingchildren. The question I hear most is “Is it normal for achild to spend so much time playing alone?” Some ofthese children have an intricately developed fantasylife that seems excessive to a parent. “Is it good for achild to spend so much time disconnected fromreality?” is another question that comes up frequently.Deep interests, long attention span for specific things,and a rich fantasy life are normal characteristics ofThinking/Creating children. Because of this they areoften labeled ADD. (See Chapter 13 for moreinformation on this.)

The Thinking/Creating Disposition is bestdescribed by the word “create.” The underlyingobjective of this style is to contribute new ideas or to

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help others see things in a new way.

LEARNINGCHARACTERISTICS

Thinking/Creating people prefer subjects and activitiesthat are creative by nature, have artistic orphilosophical aspects, offer beauty and aesthetics,provide artistic expression, and give plenty ofopportunity to wonder, think, and dream. They learnbest when the teaching materials and techniquesused allow for time alone and involve arts and/or thecreative process.

PREFERREDSETTING

Thinking/Creating people need spaces that allow themto “escape”—to design, create, compose, formulate, orthink. They thrive in atmospheres that encourageopenness and wonderment and allow for unscheduledtime to doodle or daydream. Some appreciateopportunities to enjoy art, have an intellectualdiscussion, or read literature.

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CONTRIBUTIONS

Thinking/Creating people bring creativity and a senseof beauty and openness to a situation. They can beimaginative, observant, and philosophical. Theycontribute an appreciation for wondering, imagining,composing, formulating, and for aesthetics and thearts.

AREASFORGROWTH

Thinking/Creating people usually have little interest instrict schedules, interacting in groups, or completingprojects. They may forget appointments if they areinvolved in a creative project. They can get lost indaydreaming or become so focused on their work thatthey ignore the people around them.Relationshipssuffer when their actions are interpreted as moody orinconsiderate of others’ plans and feelings. Learningto keep a schedule or plan ahead could be listedunder Areas for Growth on the Plan form. Makingpicture charts and discussing the value of tasks areways of making things more meaningful for this child.

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RELATIONSHIPCONFLICTS

People with the Thinking/Creating Disposition areoften discounted for their desire to be imaginative orphilosophical. They believe that their intentions tocontribute new ideas are misunderstood becauseothers view them as illogical, aloof, spacy, andirresponsible. When this Disposition is notacknowledged for its positive contributions, thesechildren can become depressed and becomereclusive. They have a tendency to create their ownworld and can shun interactions with others. As adults,unless they have a strong secondaryRelating/Inspiring or Performing Disposition, thesepeople might keep to themselves to avoid riskingrejection. It is important that these children learninteraction skills so that they are able to integrate theirThinking/Creating Disposition into their daily lives.

IDEALCURRICULUM

Literature, poetry, art, and drama are examples ofsubjects that are creative by nature and give plenty ofopportunity to wonder, think, and express oneselfimaginatively. Drawing pictures to understand a math

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concept or writing a poem to remember history factsare examples of techniques that allow creativeexpression. Listening to music while reading, doodlingwhile listening to a presentation, or doingassignments in a quiet spot surrounded by nature areexamples of activities that support the need foraesthetics and beauty.

These people are likely to enjoy activities thatrequire them to compose, construct, design, find anunusual way, formulate, generate, invent, originate,visualize, write creatively/imaginatively, juxtapose,combine, analogize, diverge, create.

HOMEWORKHELPS

n Encourage drawing and doodling during studytimes.

n Experiment with different types of music in thebackground when studying for tests—Baroque isespecially good for helping some children focus.

n Provide time and space for quiet, alone time.n Encourage the student to draw pictures or write a

poem to understand a concept or summarize a lessonor book; suggest writing a song or setting theinformation to a familiar melody.

n Encourage information mapping with pictures

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(see Chapter 7) when studying for tests or to makeinformation more understandable and manageablewhen reading chapters on any subject.

n Ask the teacher to allow posters, collages,poems, or other artistic presentations in place ofwritten reports.

MOTIVATORS

Thinking/Creating people are motivated when they areacknowledged for being creative, artistic, open, andobservant. They are also highly motivated by thechance to work on creative projects, the opportunity tohave alone time, and having their work displayed orrecognized in some way.

QUICKREFERENCE

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CHART—THINKING/CREATINGDISPOSITIONNote: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download supplement.

PROGRAMEMPHASIS: CREATEPREFERREDACTIVITIES: art, music,composing, imagining, wondering, thinkingHELPFULMATERIALSMathn Abacus Math (4 yrs. to 10 or 11 yrs.)n It’s Alive and Kicking (grades 3 to 9)Reading/Spellingn Drawing with Letters and Numbers(elementary grades)n Draw Write Now (6 yrs. to 8 yrs.)n Sing/Spell/Read/Write (5 yrs. to 8 or 9 yrs.)n AVKO (5 yrs. to adult)Writen What to Do When They Don’t Get It(information mapping, all ages)n Studentreasures™ (publish own book,grades 3 to 8)Other Subjects

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n History Through Art (CD ROM program, allages)n Art with Children (elementary grades)n Color the Classics (composers, 8 yrs. to 10or 11 yrs.)n Build a Doodle (5 yrs. to 9 or 10 yrs.)n New Each Day or Audio Memory cassettes(songs about grammar, geography, etc;elementary grades)n Portfolio Assessment (all ages)n Coloring Book series: anatomy, zoology,biology, botany, etc. (high school and college)n books and programs on art, nature, poetry,music

TEACHINGTECHNIQUES

n essay, fable, parable, poetryn myth, biography, autobiographyn collage, mural, mosaicn diorama, shadow boxn musical instrument, songsn painting, drawing, sculpturen journal, memoir, timelinen puzzle, brainteaser, riddlen research paper, surveyn scale model, scientific instruments

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Talents:OurNaturalGifts

alents are often taken for granted. Each of us hasa specific combination of them. It is never more

obvious just how varied these talents are from personto person than when your spouse, who loves todance, wants to take ballroom-dancing lessons, andyou are “rhythmically challenged” and don’t enjoydancing at all, or when a group you belong to votes tohave a sing-a-long, and you never could carry a tune.At school our children face a daily round of similarchallenges as they move from subject to subject orclass to class with varying degrees of support fromtheir talents. English class might be a chance for yourchild to shine, but math causes heart palpitations andsweaty palms. Although talents are largely inherited,they can also be developed through consistent

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Oneofthegreatestgiftsistheabilitytoencourageothersandhelpthemdeveloptheirtalent.Teacherswerememberwithgratitudehavethis

training. You may have heard the saying, “Success is10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.” For example,some incredibly gifted people have no interest indeveloping their talent for music to a recognizablelevel of success, and then there are other incrediblyhardworking people with little music talent whobecome very successful.

Talents show up as skill and ease in learning asubject, or even disinterest and boredom when asubject is too easy. Some disinterested, bored kidsare labeled “gifted” and thrive in classes that areespecially designed to be challenging for them. Otherbored young people who don’t fit the “gifted” label dropout of school and steer by their own wits. Many ofthese kids are gifted for art, humor, performance, orother abilities that are more difficult to provide for inclassrooms.

Talents, as much as weappreciate them, are oftenmisunderstood andmishandled by well-meaningadults. Parents can block thegrowth of talents in two ways:1) by forcing children to pursuetalents that the parentsobserve or 2) by failing toencourage a talent that a childis interested in developing.

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wonderfulquality.—ChristopherNewsNotes

WHOSETALENTISITANYWAY?

Parents often encourage thedevelopment of a child’s

talents with unusual zeal and personal self-sacrifice.Even when a child has lost interest in soccer, or ballet,or piano, a parent will insist that the child attendlessons and continue to practice. You might be one ofthose moms, like several I know, who spends twentyor more hours a week hauling kids from one activity toanother. If the kids are doing things they truly enjoy, Ican see the point. However, what is the purpose ofcajoling children to pursue talents they aren’tinterested in? Parents tell me that when the child is anadult he will be grateful for the consistent urging theyprovided. This reminds me of “two-wrongs-make-a-right” reasoning. It doesn’t make sense. Years of painand nagging will possibly have a pleasant outcome ina nonspecific, remote future?

Nagging and preaching to your child about fulfillinga talent she is not interested in falls on deaf ears mostof the time; young people are primarily interest-driven,not talent-driven. (Interests will be talked about atlength in the next chapter.)

“What if my child has been studying clarinet for twoyears and wants to discontinue the lessons?” you

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might be wondering. “Won’t it be a great loss to stopnow, just when he could really start to learnsomething?” More harm than good will be done in thelong run if you decide to enforce your will on yourchild, and you can be sure that you are asking for adaily power struggle in the short run. Are you sure thatyou want to do this to yourself or to your child? Nowonder parents feel overburdened and burned out. Ifyou are in this situation, ask yourself why you wantthis for your child.

YOUWANTTOBEWHAT?

Not giving encouragement to a child’s desire to pursuea talent is a problem of a different kind. It is, however,as much of a mistake not to encourage talents as it isto encourage them for your own reasons.

What if you have a child, like one of my students,who is incredibly gifted in skiing and wants to preparefor the Olympics? If your expectation as parent is thatyour daughter should do all her homework, getexcellent grades, and have a “normal” social life, at thesame time that she is preparing for the Olympics, youmay be creating a roadblock for something that isimportant for your child to do. In a case like this, itmight be more realistic to adjust your expectations to

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Itis,however,asmuchofamistakenottoencouragetalentsasitistoencouragethemforyourownreasons.

include your child’s love for skiing.Getting all A’s may not be

as important to your child as itis to you, and if you can beflexible, you may see yourchild blossom in unexpectedways.

Furthermore, children whoare gifted in athletics and are intraining usually don’t have timeto have a large group offriends; that can be normal forthem. You will be greatlydisappointed and frustrated if you hold fast to a desirefor this Olympic hopeful to have a “normal” social life ifyour definition includes attending proms, football andbasketball games, and going to movies with herfriends. If homework takes up time that your daughterneeds to be working out, you might want to make aplan that allows your child to do less homework.Consult with your child’s teacher about this. Do youthink that B’s and C’s are acceptable grades if a childis enthusiastically pursuing her talents? As statedearlier, “Don’t let the bell curve define who your childis!”

If you find that you have difficulty changing yourexpectations to support your child’s talents, hopes,dreams, and expectations for herself, it is important foryou to look at the reason you need your child to

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behave in a particular way. Watch out for your“shoulds” and your ideas about the “right” ways to dothings. If you find yourself using these words to yourchild or in your own self-talk, stop and sort out yourthoughts. There is a gold mine here if you are willing tolook carefully at why certain expectations are soimportant to you. Maybe some voices from your pastare whispering in your ear that you “should” have donethings differently, and now that you have a child youare trying to make certain that she does things the“right way.”

TWELVETALENTS

Talents meet the following criteria: 1) they are donewith ease, as if natural to the person; 2) withoutprevious instruction, they put a child immediately“ahead” of others in a specific area of learning; 3) theyremain dormant if not developed, but they are not lostif they aren’t used; and 4) whether consciouslydeveloped and used or not, they have an underlyingeffect (for example, a talent for music gives a person’sdancing a more rhythmic quality). Talents can beactive or dormant. They can be known or unknown. Infact other people are often more aware of our talentsthan we are. Talents work closely with two other

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aspects of learning style: interests (see Chapter 7) anddispositions (see Chapter 5).

Many human attributes could be called talents. TheLearning Style Assessment includes twelve Talentareas. These are informal categories, observable tovarying degrees in most people. The twelve talentsidentified for the purpose of this Assessment are:Music, Math-Logic Reasoning, MechanicalReasoning, Word-Language Reasoning, Spatial, BodyCoordination, Interactive-Self, Interactive-Others,Interactive-Animals, Interactive-Nature, Humor, andLife Enhancement. You might be surprised at some ofthese categories. Perhaps you haven’t thought ofthem as talents before. People are talented in manyand varied ways and it is important to identify as manyof these ways as possible. There are, no doubt, othertalents that have not been included in thisAssessment. You are encouraged to notice yourchild’s many unique gifts and to think of them astalents.

What is most surprising about talents is that we canbe very gifted in a particular area and not have theleast interest in it. The daughter of a good friend testsin the ninety-ninth percentile for math on standardizedtests, and she hasn’t any desire to study math. It isn’tchallenging enough to hold her interest. She prefersacting and dance, and that’s what she’s studying. Herparents have accepted her decision to study the “lesspractical” subjects and find that, as a result, not only is

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Ifourschoolsweresetupdifferently,childrenwouldbeallowedtobegintheirschoollivesguidedbytheirtalents.

their daughter more content, but their relationship withher is closer.

Sometimes, a child is interested in and very happydeveloping a talent. In this case, the child’s talentcould lead to a particular life direction.

If our schools were set updifferently, children would beallowed to begin their schoollives guided by their talents. Inother words, each child wouldbe absorbed in developing theparticular talent areas that he isinterested in, and the othersubjects would be integratedaround these talent areas!

I am reminded of an eleven-year-old student who has atalent for baseball. All he wantsto do is watch, play, and thinkabout baseball. He isn’t interested in reading, writing,math, or history. Using an idea of Pastor Gregg Harris,a program was developed for him that builds skills inall of these areas by integrating educational goals withhis talent for baseball. At first, biographies of famousplayers were read aloud to him. Later, he read themhimself. He retold the stories to friends and relatives.He wrote letters to some of the living baseball heroes.He made a timeline of his favorite player’s life andrelated it to national and world events. Using his

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Amajorpremiseoftalent-orientededucationisthatallstudentsdeserveinstructionandlearningopportunitiesatalevelandpacethatareappropriatefortheircurrentdevelopmentandtalents.—JohnF.Feldhusen

collection of baseball cards he made a chart ofstatistics on various plays and compared andcontrasted them—learning to figure averages,percentages, and ratios.

As he followed his favoriteteam around the United Statesand the world, he learnedabout geography by puttingpins in a large map of the worldthat had been put on the wallof his bedroom. The variouskinds of pitches and theirvelocities brought physics tothe foreground, and he madegraphs and charts to explainthese concepts.

Without once referring toreading comprehension,arithmetic, science, history, orgeography, as the aboveexample shows, a child cansleuth for informationenergetically, share hersurprise at what she finds,make inferences, drawconclusions, and find

additional springboards for collecting even moreinformation. Many of my homeschool studentsproceed through the school year in this manner—with

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great enthusiasm and commitment to the direction thattheir talents lead them.

Another approach to talents in the classroom is touse talent-based study stations. Two years ago Ihelped a kindergarten teacher set up such acurriculum for her class. The first month, studentscycled through study stations for six of the twelvetalents listed in this chapter. The second month, thesix remaining talents were used as study stations.Content for the stations was changed weekly. One girlchose to stay in the Spatial Talent station most of thetime. A boy was continually drawn back to the MusicTalent station. Yet another boy was fascinated by theexercises at the Interactive-Self station and spent asmuch time as he could in it.

Many years ago I visited a model classroom forsixth graders in Washington state. It was set up withone work station for each of Howard Gardner’smultiple intelligences, which are loosely similar to thetalents listed in this book. The students cycled througheach of the work stations on a regular basis. Theywere required to finish the work in each of them;however, they had ample time to tarry and pursue theirown leads when they were so inclined. The teachertold me that he often received students who werediscipline problems or below average in theirperformance. He also told me that after a few weeks inhis class, it was impossible to identify the students withlearning or social difficulties.

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Atalentcouldbethestartingpointtowardhelpingachildtofeelcompetentandconfident.

Talent-based learning stations guarantee thatchildren will be exposed to a range of talents, and thatthey will learn new skills and can study in-depth whenthey are ready. In these situations it is impossible todetermine who is smarter than whom, and disruptivebehavior is minimized because children are allowed tomove about, talk to each other, and work together. Allstudents participate in their own learning process, attheir own pace, and in their own way.

Besides pointing to possiblecareer choices, talents canalso be utilized to help yourchild experience learning-success at school. As you lookat each of the twelve talentsindividually, you will learn waysof using your child’s talents tohelp with schoolwork. But keepin mind that these talents areyour child’s special gifts. When a child is interested ina talent, remember to also acknowledge andencourage that talent for itself, apart from the schoolsituation. A talent could be the starting point towardhelping a child to feel competent and confident. Let’stake the example of the eleven-year-old boy who hasa talent for baseball again. Imagine that he is your sonand that he doesn’t like school, that he doesn’t feelcompetent or confident there. If you are willing tosupport his talent and build upon it by using it as the

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basis for many different kinds of reading, writing, math,geography, and history activities, this child will begin tofeel competent in an area of his life. With competence,his confidence is apt to grow, and the new skills andfeelings of achievement are likely to transfer to schoolparticipation and performance.

The more aware you are of your child’s talents, theeasier it will be to think of ways of incorporating themto facilitate learning-success at school. The more youacknowledge and support the talents your child isinterested in, the more open he will be to participatingin activities which do not come naturally to him (athome or at school) when it is necessary to do so.

MusicTalent

Music Talent shows itself as skill in playinginstruments, singing, humming, whistling, listening tomusic, tapping out a rhythm, or memorizing songs. Itcan also show itself as having an ear for differenttypes of music, different instruments, harmonies, andso on. In the teenage years, an ear for music cansurface as an interest in collecting and listening toCDs and tapes.

To the detriment of our children, music is one of thesubjects that has been cut from primary and

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elementary school curricula in many parts of thecountry. In Canada some school districts have passeda new law requiring all children to create an originalcomposition in music in order to graduate fromelementary school. In the United States, however, ifmusic isn’t part of the home, many children don’t get achance to uncover their Music Talent at all.

Composers, musicians, vocalists, conductors,arrangers, and lyricists all possess this talent.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

Musically Talented children can use music for learningin various ways. In general, people can memorizelarge quantities of information quickly and easily bysetting it to song and singing it (this is how we alllearned the alphabet, and some adults still need tosing it in order to recite it in correct order!). Preschoolsand kindergartens make frequent use of thistechnique. It has also been discovered thatcomprehension and retention can be greatlyincreased by reading material to the rhythm of amusical piece playing in the background. According toChris Brewer and Don Campbell, authors of the bookRhythms of Learning, classical music seems to be thebest and, in particular, Baroque music, because it hasa pulse similar to the rhythm of the human heartbeat.1

While these methods seem to enhance learning for

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most people, they can become crucial for themusically talented child. At home, experiment withsinging and reading to music. Ask your child’s teacherto consider alternatives to written assignments, whichmight include composing a song to report on a topic,or doing a singing presentation of information to bememorized (for example, states and capitals, parts ofspeech, vocabulary word definitions, etc.). More waysof using music as a learning tool are discussed inChapter 9.

Math-LogicReasoningTalent

A person with a Math-Logic Reasoning Talent fornumbers can do well in traditional educationalsettings. This child catches on quickly to mathematicalpatterns, easily memorizes facts and formulas, and isable to crank out worksheets and timed quizzes.

Some students, however, have a type of Math-Logic Reasoning Talent that allows them totroubleshoot computer problems, do logic puzzles,understand electrical circuitry, or understand themathematical concepts of acceleration, angle, andthrust involved in passing a football or skateboarding.Many of these students don’t do well with rote

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learning; they resist repetitive worksheets, havetrouble memorizing math facts, and are inaccuratewhen working with numbers. A friend’s husband, forexample, can make incredible decimal calculations inhis head, but he is not allowed to touch the checkbookbecause, inevitably, he makes a mistake when addingor subtracting. Unfortunately, the adults who work withthese students incorrectly conclude that they are not“good at math,” even though they are probably morecompetent in math than the kids scoring A’s on theworksheets. These kids could be exploring complexmath concepts if given the chance to work throughtheir learning styles.

Scientists and mathematicians are among thosewho have a Math-Logic Reasoning Talent. Twopeople who come to mind are George WashingtonCarver and Albert Einstein. Math-logic reasoning isalso involved in such skills as working with money,devising experiments, playing chess or checkers, anddrafting-designing-building.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

The child who has a talent in math-logic reasoning, butwho is not good with numbers, does better with “real-life” math problems than rote worksheets. To help thischild with the mechanics of math (computation), use aprogram like Touch Math (information on this and

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other resources mentioned below can be found indownload supp.ement) and allow a calculator at home.Support your child’s talent by doing fun math activitiessuch as those found in the books Family Math andAbout Teaching Math . If your child enjoys working onthe computer, purchase programs such as Gizmosand Gadgets, How Things Work, and Sim City, all ofwhich explore geometry principles and other mathconcepts. Ask the teacher to consider allowingalternatives to the standard drill worksheet orworkbook assignments, which permit the child to workon math by using his talent. For example, the teachermight accept work completed in Touch Math , printoutsthat document progress on computer programs, orevidence of a math project from Family Math.

MechanicalReasoningTalent

Is there someone in your house who loves to fixthings? Or maybe just loves taking them apart andputting them back together? Many of us wish for justthis sort of person when the lawn mower won’t start orthe paper jams in the printer. A gift for mechanicalreasoning is the driving force behind some people’s

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mania for inventing, building things, and figuring outexactly how things work. Some people show theirtalent for mechanical reasoning by maintaining cars,computers, or appliances. Others can run everyimaginable kind of machine as if they had beenoperating them for years.

David Macaulay, who wrote the children’s bookThe Way Things Work, has a Mechanical ReasoningTalent and so do plumbers, electricians, builders, andmachinery operators.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

Children who have a Mechanical Reasoning Talentare very rarely recognized and acknowledged as“smart” in the classroom. These kids are usually veryhands-on and are strongest in the Tactile-KinestheticModality (Modality is discussed in detail in Chapter 8).It is important that we praise this talent and allow achild to use it as often as possible. For example,suppose the topic in history is ancient civilizations.This is the child who would easily understand why theaqueducts worked the way they did and could do ademonstration project which she presents to the class.Through this project she would learn other detailsabout the time period that she probably would notprocess from simply reading the textbook or hearing alecture. She would feel competent and acknowledged

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by her teacher and peers. If it is not possible for thistalent to be incorporated into your child’s schoolprogram, celebrate it at home by recognizing itfrequently. Also look for ways to incorporate it whenthe child is doing homework and is having troublemastering a concept.

Word–LanguageReasoningTalent

Word–Language Reasoning Talent has two parts: aproficiency with words and a strong reasoning abilitywith language. It is possible for a person to have abilityin only one area of this talent or in both.

The Word aspect of the talent shows up as skill inplaying Scrabble or other word games. It can show upas interest and proficiency in using the dictionary or indoing crossword puzzles. Have you ever met a personwho collects books on the history of words? Such aperson has a Word Talent. Notice that the talent is forusing words in isolation. Word Talent can show itselfas skill in spelling, reading aloud, talking, telling jokesand stories, memorizing names and facts, or learningvocabulary words and foreign languages.

The Language Reasoning aspect of this talentshows up as an ability to explain ideas; talk things out;

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discuss options; produce plans, outlines, and lists; andwrite essays, stories, and even poetry. These skillsseem to come naturally to those with a LanguageReasoning Talent. Any project or activity that requiresworking with language comes easily to this person. Healways gets the joke, gets the drift, or gets the point.This person understands puns, irony, personification,metaphor, simile, and symbols quickly and easily.People with this talent are apt to do well in traditionalschool settings; however, when their facility isdeveloped far beyond the level of peers, material thatis appropriate for their classmates is not challenging tothem. Especially if they are extroverted, these childrencan be stigmatized as “know-it-alls,” “too smart for theirown good,” or just plain “weird.”

Poets, writers, and diplomats take for granted theirtalent for Language Reasoning.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

Students who have a talent for words or languagereasoning usually think in words. They understandlanguage, grammar, and parts of speech;diagramming sentences makes sense to them. Sinceschools emphasize these skills, there are generallyplenty of activities in the classroom that utilize thistalent. Most assignments, including homework,involve working with word-language reasoning. As a

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rule, students who have this talent are recognized andpraised frequently.

SpatialTalent

Drawing or copying pictures or designs, painting,thinking in pictures, remembering what is seen, andknowing where things are (including oneself) arecharacteristics of people with a Spatial Talent. Theseare the doodlers in class. Sometimes the margins oftheir homework are covered with small drawings.People with Spatial Talent are good at jigsaw puzzlesor mazes and instinctively know how to find their wayin new territory. These people are likely to know wherenorth, south, east, or west is no matter where they are.But in case instinct fails, they are also good at readingmaps and charts. Kids with this talent are able to seeimages in their minds and rotate the images so thatthey can see all sides of them.

Architects, drafters, contractors, visual artists—including house painters and home decorators—havethis talent.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

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Students who have a Spatial Talent are often alsostrong in Visual Modality (see Chapter 8 for more onthe Picture Learner). These students need to seediagrams, charts, graphs, and pictures in order tounderstand concepts and retain information. If theschool curriculum does not incorporate visual formats,supplement at home with models, videos, CD-ROMs,and other visual material, which will help them learnthe subjects they are studying. If drawing comeseasily, suggest that they take picture notes in class(talk to the teacher about this so that he won’tconclude that the student isn’t paying attention). Also,encourage doodling and “drawing things out” toincrease comprehension and retention. This can beapplied to math word problems, English literature,history, science experiments, or any topic beingstudied. Ask the teacher to accept alternativeassignments such as presentation boards, collages,drawings, and even homemade videos.

BodyCoordinationTalent

At the level of large motor skills, people who enjoyand/or excel at hiking, bicycling, skating,skateboarding, skiing, swimming, dancing, or sports ofany kind have a Body Coordination Talent. These

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people demonstrate an ability to do complicatedphysics calculations that result in perfect footballpasses, skateboard jumps, and other athletic feats.This talent can also show up as skill in typing, sewing,hammering, sawing, or doing models, which areexamples of activities that involve small motor skills.

In the classroom, students with this talent are oftenfidgety; they are the students who balance their chairson the two back legs or tap a pencil on the desk orturn around to nudge their neighbor. Sitting still is amajor challenge for children with a Body CoordinationTalent. Children with this talent and a Tactile-Kinesthetic Learning Modality are among the mostdifficult for teachers to handle in a traditionalclassroom setting. (See Chapter 8 for an explanationof Modality.)

Athletes, dancers, builders, craftspeople,seamstresses, and tailors are examples of people whohave this talent.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

Students who have this talent can use it in variousways to help with their learning and schoolwork. Oftenthey comprehend or memorize information betterwhen they are moving! Moving keeps them focusedon what they are doing. This student could playbasketball, hopscotch, or jump rope while studying.

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For example, put math facts or other information onindividual cards, spread them on the ground, bounce aball on a card, say the fact, and shoot the basket! Howabout jogging or hiking while listening to a book-on-tape or a chapter from a textbook that the student hasrecorded? Making models, doing sewing projects, orbuilding something could be suggested to the teacheras alternative assignments when studying a particularsubject. A child learning to tell time could sew or craft alarge clock. A student learning about the planets couldconstruct a model showing their relationships to eachother. For geography, a child who loves to saw andhammer could “build” the states or countries beingstudied. Even learning math concepts and formulascan be facilitated through sewing and craft projects orlarge motor activities. By providing as muchopportunity as possible for such activities at home,you will be helping your child acquire skills and learnmaterial required by the school in a way that works forhim.

Interactive-SelfTalent

People with an Interactive-Self Talent often enjoybeing alone. In fact, because of the high priority theyplace on being independent, they might even be

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reclusive. They think about themselves a great dealand often understand their motives and desires verywell. These introspective people are clear about theirown opinions and many of them are quite happy toshare them. However, they can give the impression ofbeing preoccupied and often they are. These peopleare often good at taking care of their own needs.

Some of the people who have this talent areinterested in introspective activities including religiousstudies, meditation, and self-development.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

The student with this talent usually works well byherself. She is able to work from a list of assignments,figure out a routine that works best for her, andcomplete the tasks. Often, this is the student whoshrinks away from group activities or class projects.She would rather do it herself in her own way. A childwho is very tuned-in to her needs might also questionthe schedule or the rules when they interfere with whatshe has planned. For instance, if she feels that sheneeds more time to finish an assignment and this isinterrupted by P.E., she will probably have a toughtime participating wholeheartedly in P.E. because shewill still be thinking about the assignment.

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Interactive-OthersTalent

The focus for people with an Interactive-Others Talentis being social, making friends, understanding people,and to varying degrees, making others feel goodabout themselves. These people are most comfortablein groups—some are more comfortable in smallgroups, some in large groups. The Interactive-OthersTalent gives these people an uncanny ability towelcome others, settle arguments, and to be fair in allinteractions.

In the classroom, a child with this talent is likely topass notes and whisper to neighbors. For some youngpeople with this talent, associating with friends is theirprimary motivation for being in school.

People with an Interactive-Others Talent areinterested in group activities, helping others, and,sometimes, joining social causes.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

Students with this talent often learn best when theycan work in groups or at least with another person.Some teachers set up their classrooms so thatstudents have the option of working in pairs or smallgroups. At home, it is important to recognize thathomework and studying are facilitated when the child

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can interact with someone. If this child has a friendwith the same talent, consider having them dohomework and study together after school.

Interactive-AnimalsTalent

Unless you have met someone with a talent forinteracting with animals, you may not believe that itexists. My son is one of these people, so I know thatthere are such people. I sometimes call it the Dr.Doolittle Talent. These people have a rapport withanimals that verges on magic. They can train them,calm them when they are upset, and generallycommunicate with them far beyond telling a dog to sitor roll over. The talent that they possess generatestrust in the animal that results in what appears to be abonding process.

These people make wonderful veterinarians,animal trainers, rescuers, and keepers. Horsewhisperers and some jockeys have this kind of talentwith horses.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

If your child has this talent, allow him to study with his

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pets around him. Whenever possible, use animalexamples to help him understand a math problem orsome other concept. Books about animals mightencourage him to read more. He could also learn a lotabout science, history, and social studies by studyinganimal topics. Some great CD-ROMs do virtualdissection and teach a lot about the anatomy andbiology of animals. Developing a budget for a pet’scare and doing the shopping can increase math skills,and keeping track of vet visits, vaccinations, and otherpertinent information can help a child acquireorganization and planning skills.

Interactive-NatureTalent

Children with this talent have difficulty being indoors.You will find them outside in a tree, a mud puddle, apatch of dirt or grass investigating some naturalphenomenon—light, air, water, or creatures in nature—insects, frogs, butterflies, spiders, snakes, or othersmall creatures. This person’s talent often translatesinto feeling confined indoors and a need to beoutdoors, no matter what the weather. Some peoplewith this talent are concerned with taking care ofnature as well as enjoying it. They tend to get involvedin recycling, protecting the environment, and

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conservation.This talent might lead adults to becoming forest

rangers, tour guides for a national park, tree carespecialists, lifeguards, or enjoying other jobs having todo with ecology or the environment.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

The child with this talent needs as much time in natureas possible. Experiment with allowing her to study inthe backyard, at the park, beach, or in the woods(assuming these areas are close by!). Wheneverpossible, use examples from nature to help her tounderstand a math problem or some other concept.Books about nature might encourage reading. Shecould also learn a lot about science, history, and socialstudies by studying nature topics. These studentsoften think up great projects that have to do withecology and the environment, such as recycling,planting trees, developing community gardens, etc.These projects can be the stimulus for math andwriting activities, verbal presentations, and thedevelopment of organizational and planning skills.

HumorTalent

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Many people don’t think of a sense of humor as atalent. The fact is, many careers depend upon aspecial gift for turning an ordinary situation into onethat will make people laugh. People with this talent arenot embarrassed to display out-of-the-ordinarybehavior in front of others. They are willing to belaughed at, and they are willing to laugh at others in aplayful way. These people can be tricksters who makethe most of April Fool’s Day, Halloween, and any otheroccasion that encourages them to play practical jokes.People with a talent for humor are often great mimics,and they can make otherwise dull activities fun.

Comics, clowns, humorists, and cartoonists areamong those who possess this talent to make otherslaugh.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

Students with this talent have a really tough time withthe usual seriousness of the classroom andschoolwork in general. But their need for fun andhumor can be incorporated into study time, especiallyat home. The movie Mrs. Doubtfire comes to mind;

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when Robin Williams returns to his children as thenanny, he makes sure they complete their chores andhomework, but they all have fun doing it. They takefrequent breaks to do fun things, and sometimes theyincorporate the fun into the required task. Your childcould show his cleverness by making silly sentencesfrom his vocabulary words. He could think uphumorous rhymes to memorize facts, names, anddates. He might create an amusing skit or dance todemonstrate his knowledge of a topic or to study for atest. If he likes cartoons, these could be used toincrease reading skills. If he likes to make up his owncartoons, ask the teacher if he could do some of theassigned reports in a cartoon format.

EnhancingDailyLifeTalent

Talent in Enhancing Daily Life goes unacknowledgedfor the most part. People who cook wonderfully well orwho create lovely, livable, cozy, or inspiring placeshave a talent for enhancing daily life. Some peopledisplay this talent in the way that they coordinate theirwardrobes. Others, who love to clean and organizespaces, are among the least acknowledged of thosewho possess the talent. It is obvious from their oftentireless work that these people are expressing a desire

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to add aesthetic value to the ordinary, every dayroutine.

Stay-at-home moms and dads, interior decorators,landscape architects, chefs, clothing designers,gardeners, maids, plasterers, housepainters, floraldesigners, and people who liketo arrange spaces andcook meals all possess a talent for enhancing dailylife.

ApplicationstoLearning-Success

The child who loves to cook, clean, decorate, garden,or organize can learn a great deal from theseactivities. Cooking presents an opportunity to workwith math, especially fractions and measurementconversions. It can also involve budgeting, shopping,and working with money. Gardening can involve thegeometry side of math, as well as some of the sameaspects as cooking. Cooking and gardening can offerlessons in science, history, and world cultures.Decorating and organizing can involve design, math,and office skills. Books about cooking, decorating, orgardening might encourage reading for this child.

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CAREERS:THERELATIONSHIPBETWEENDISPOSITIONSANDTALENTS

Any one of the twelve talents listed in this chapter canbe expressed through any one of the five dispositions(see Chart in download supplement). The ways thattalents manifest through dispositions can be indicatorsof likely careers.

Parents are, of course, concerned about what theirchildren are going to do to earn a livelihood as adults.For the most part, I think that the number of careers orjob options acknowledged by our society is limited.Sometimes when I’m traveling and I meet new peoplein distant places, I’m fascinated by the ways they aremeeting their livelihood needs. The local professionalwomen’s network that I belong to has also expandedmy view of the number of creative things there are todo in life.

The Careers Chart (see download supplement) is atool that encourages you to expand your thinkingabout the number of ways it is possible for talents tomanifest as livelihood or careers. When you see thenumber of career possibilities there are, I hope yourealize that your child will be able to find a place withinthe larger scheme of things. The Careers Chart showshow the twelve talents interact with the fivedispositions to produce sixty career categories. Each

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career category has individual careers listed in it. Asyou can see, it is a work in progress. It will probablynever be complete, since career possibilities arelimited only by the imagination.

Here is an example of how the Careers Chartworks. A person with a Music Talent who has aPerforming Disposition might be a concert pianist, asinger, a conductor, or a member of an orchestra. Thisis the usual relationship between a talent and a careerthat we think of when we say, “Allison is so talented inmusic, I think that she will be a violinist.” Theconclusion is that a Music Talent is meant to beperformed. What is interesting is that not all peoplewith a talent in music have the disposition to be aperformer. Some people with Music Talent have aProducing Disposition. These people might sponsorconcerts, manage ticket sales, or do administrativework for a choir, orchestra, or opera group. Still otherswith a Music Talent and a Relating Disposition mightteach music. Some with an Inventing Disposition anda Music Talent might make musical instruments. Aperson with a Thinks/Creates Disposition mightcompose original scores.

Although the Learning Assessment can be usedas a tool to facilitate career choices, it is not meant tobe a job-search tool. The chart is most helpful fortalking in general terms about the range of possibilitiesthere are and the kinds of skills, talents, and intereststhat certain careers require. It increases awareness of

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Therichnessofafter-hoursactivitiescanevencontributetofeelingsofwell-beingduringtheworkinghours.

the many options available for our young people toexplore.

Parents often say that it isn’t practical or fair to leadchildren to believe that they can pursue their interests,talents, goals, and passions because not all of us canhave jobs that are sustaining at those levels. In theLearning Style Model of Education, people areencouraged to develop the things they love to do andpractice them with great enthusiasm in their free time ifnot in their work.

The richness of after-hoursactivities can even contributeto feelings of well-being duringthe working hours. Who knowswhat the world would be like ifwe all kept our interests,talents, goals, and dreamsalive.

When you understand thenumerous ways a talent canbe expressed in variousdispositions, the wide range oflivelihood, career, and free-time occupations becomesclearer. The hope is that you will feel more confidentthat your child will find a way of expressing hisuniqueness in the real world.

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S

7

Interests:SoEasytoOverlook

ome parents are surprised at their children’sresponses on the talent and interest assessments

because they reveal new information. Other parentsmight feel that they haven’t learned anything fromthese two assessments because talents and interestsare usually the most obvious and easily observedcharacteristics of learning style. If you are in the lattergroup, be patient. As you work through the otherchapters of the book, you will learn many techniquesthat will make a difference for your child’s learning, andyou will also discover new ways to think about thetalents and interests that your child has. In addition,you are communicating to your child that you value hisopinions regarding his talents and interests, becauseyou are asking about them rather than assuming that

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Wearemeanttoworkinwaysthatsuitus...Thiswork,whenwefinditanddoit—ifonlyasahobbyatfirst—isakeytoourtruehappinessandself-expression.—Marsha

you already know!Interests are your easiest access to, and the most

observable aspect of a child’s learning style becausethey are in the forefront of your child’s mind. They arewhat children often nag us about. You might think thatby transporting kids to soccer games, ballet classes,swimming meets, or any number of other activities youare involved daily in your child’s interests. It dependson whose choice the activity is. Most of us haveinterests and talents mixed up in a strange way thatkeeps kids busy yet doesn’t always satisfy their needto pursue their interests. We want them to develop thetalents that are so obvious to us, and they want topursue their interests.

When interests are viewedseparately from talents andseen as valid expressions ofyour child’s learning style, theyprovide important information.If you get some clarity aboutthis subject, you might even beable to cut down on the timeyou spend chauffeuring yourkids around. When kids arepursuing interests, they arefocused, energetic, andenthusiastic. It’s not hard tounderstand why many of thesesame kids slump at their desks

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Sinetar

Pursuinginterestsprovidesa

when it comes time to do theiruninteresting homework.

Pursuing interests providesa counterbalance to daily stress-creating activities.Most of the schoolday children are meeting externalstandards and following rules set down for them.Participating in free-time activities that they choosecan be restorative and crucial to mental and physicalhealth.

In spite of the obvious benefits of developinginterests, many adults don’t know what their owninterests are. Or they know but don’t make time forthem. Pursuing interests is a vital part of healthy living.

INTERESTSARENOTTALENTS

Interests are not talents, and unfortunately, withoutsome attention to the difference between the two,parents often tell children what they “should” beinterested in based on a quick assessment of theirtalents.

Have you heard yourself tellingyour child that she “should liveup to her potential” or that he“should” be a singer or a writer,etc.? Interest-driven creatures

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counterbalancetodailystress-creatingactivities.

that they are, children usuallyhave no idea what you aretalking about. In spite of yourbest intentions to giveguidance that will develop theirtalents, you have the bestchance of nurturing talents

through the back door—by listening seriously to yourchild’s interests. Sometimes a child’s interests supporthis talents and sometimes they don’t. Makingassumptions about what your child should beinterested in will plant seeds for resistance and maybeeven a full-blown power struggle. Your best bet is toset aside your desire to develop the talents that are soobvious to you, and support your child’s interests.Actually, your participation in your child’s interestsdepends upon how much time, money, and energyyou are willing to contribute.

PRIORITIZINGINTERESTS

Short-TermInterests

Children try on ideas the way we try on clothes orshoes when we’re shopping. For young people, ideas

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Childrentryonideasthewaywetryonclothesorshoeswhenwe’reshopping.

translate into interests quickly; therefore, short-terminterests come and go.In fact, you could meet yourselfcoming and going as you try tokeep up with some of yourchild’s latest great ideas. Eventhough they have lower prioritythey need to be dealt with, ifonly because they made thelist. Talk over these short-terminterests with your child andget more information. Ask what he needs from you tosupport his interest. Based on what you find out youcan make some decisions of your own about how youwant to participate, or if you’re going to participate atall. Too much time spent on your child’s short-terminterests might burn you out for making a commitmentto those interests that have long-term potential.

Long-TermInterests

Long-term interests usually take a bigger commitment.Whether they actually become long-term is not thepoint. The point is that your child feels an urgency forthem, which is why their numbers are higher. Takethem seriously and find out how you can help. It istempting to take over and start telling a child what sheneeds to do; after all, what does a child know?

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Parentsprovidethemostsupportwhentheystayinthebackground,watch,listen,andlearnabouttheirchild.

However, by letting your child take the lead whenthere is little chance of harm, she will learn invaluablelessons about herself, her decision-making process,her ability to get information, and her willingness tomake commitments and stay with them.

It is through long-term interests (six months to ayear or more) that you may see talent beingdeveloped. You can be sure that if your child pursuesan interest for more than six months, he is developinga new facility, if not an inborn talent.

A child who practiceskicking the soccer ball everyweek for six months is learningsomething. It might be how tofunction as a team memberrather than how to dribble theball. It might be how to stickwith something that is difficultrather than how to score. Wedon’t always know the reasonswhy a child chooses a certaininterest to pursue. Parents

provide the most valuable support when they stay inthe background, watch, listen, and learn about theirchild.

If you are accustomed to being in charge, it mightseem strange to you to have your child committed toan interest that is completely his own. Helping childrenpursue interests is not about pushing them to be the

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Whenachildisactingonbehalfofsomethingthatshelovesorrespects,she

best in the dance class or making sure they “stick to it”and keep attending soccer practice whether they hateit or not; it is about being supportive.

INVOLVEMENTISSUES

The idea for identifying a child’s Involvement Issueshas come from listening for years to kids talk with greatpassion about all kinds of issues, from “save thewhales” to “planting trees.” Some kids want to beinvolved in real-life issues, and why not? InvolvementIssues are an aspect of interests that pertain toparticipating in the larger community to support thingsthat the child really cares about. Finding out aboutyour child’s Involvement Issues is a way of talkingabout and encouraging respect—a way of giving backto the community and the world. Not all children willshow interests here, so don’t be concerned if yourchild doesn’t.

You will notice that theInvolvement Issues section ofthe interest assessment asksyour child to list things that hereally cares about: at home, inthe neighborhood, at school, inyour town, in the world. These

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feelspurposeful.AndtohaveapurposeisthesurestwayIcanthinkoftofeelconnectedtolifeandworthwhileasaperson.

things can be living or non-living. This list becomes thefoundation for learning moreabout these issues and gettinginvolved in helping to take careof them. A high school studentwho loves animals is a trainerat a children’s zoo in SantaBarbara; another is a natural-born horse whisperer andtravels to study with themasters while practicing her skill locally. Two studentswho were concerned about the negative treatment oflocal police officers planned a celebration for thecommunity to honor them. Many students are workingin small groups to bring attention to ecologicalconcerns and world peace.

Involvement Issues simultaneously develop thechild and contribute to the well-being of somethingthat has meaning and value for that child. When achild is acting on behalf of something that she lovesor respects, she feels purposeful. And to have apurpose is the surest way I can think of to feelconnected to life and worthwhile as a person.

INCORPORATINGINTERESTS

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Oneneverlearnstounderstandtrulyanythingbutwhatoneloves.—Goethe

INTOTHESCHOOLPROGRAM

Besides providing an outlet for your child’s enthusiasmand helping to build confidence and self-direction,interests can be used to help with schoolwork, muchlike talents.

For example, if your child iscrazy about dolphins, he couldchoose a book about dolphinsfor an assigned book report(often teachers leave it up tothe students to choose atopic). If she is involved as acoach in a Special Olympicsprogram, this could be thetopic for an oral presentation. If

he is helping to raise funds for a cause, there is plentyof opportunity for math lessons. If she is involved inScouts, she is learning about science, history, math,and many other subjects and skills. In fact, I find therequirements for earning Scout badges and othermerits quite amazing. It is remarkable what theseyoung people achieve. For a child who is seriousabout Scouting or 4-H activities, it is almost likeattending a second school!

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Youshouldbedoingwhatyoulove.—BarbaraSher

DELIGHT—THENUMBERONEMOTIVATOR

Greg Harris, a pastor, tells of doing very poorly inschool, no matter what his parents or teachers did toget him to change. Then he discovered turtles and forone summer became a budding herpetologist,reading, studying, and actively learning everything hecould about turtles. When summer came to an end hewent back to school to the same routine of poorgrades and unused potential.Years later, in preparing for theministry, Harris becameinterested in the question:What makes people learn? Hecame to realize that

people (that includes children),study the things that “delight”them . . . Without coercion,without tests to study for, without school. The key Idiscovered was delight. It is the spark and motivation forall true study. Where there is no delight, there is nosustained effort to understand . . . All children arestudying! Their interests may not seem important to us,but children are always applying themselves to learn whatdelights them.1

Becky Rupp, author and mother of three, has

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...themoreyouacknowledgeandsup-portyourchild’sinterestsandfollowhisdelight,themoretolerancehewillhaveforactivitiesthataren’tasinterestingtohim.

chosen to homeschool her children. She writes:Children, given the freedom to pursue their own interests,do. The writers write; the scientists spend whole days inthe basement where they’ve set up a chemistry lab. Thismeans that not all academic subjects get equalenthusiasm, equal dedication, and equal time. My husbandand I provide the fundamentals of a basic education, butthe boys, inevitably, pick and choose. We lay it out; theytake what they need. Each according to his own gifts.2

Not all of us have theopportunity to homeschool;however, comments such asRupp’s and Harris’s give asense of how importantinterests are in the learningstyle picture. I hope that youare inspired to be aware of andto encourage the things thatdelight your child. After all, themore you acknowledge andsupport your child’s interestsand follow his delight, the moretolerance he will have foractivities that aren’t asinteresting to him.

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P

8

Modality:MoreThanAuditory,Visual,orKinesthetic

erhaps the most familiar aspect of learning style toboth parents and teachers is modality. When

presenting workshops I often ask the audience what ismeant by learning style. The most common answer is,“Oh, you mean whether a student is auditory, visual, orkinesthetic.” Comments such as, “She’s an auditorylearner,” or “He learns best with tactile activities,” referto sensory modalities, and most people have come tothink of modality as synonymous with learning style.

There are three things to remember about modality:1. Modality is only one aspect of learning style.2. Modality refers to the modes or senses through

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Thereismoretomodalitythansimplylabelingapersonauditory,visual,orkinesthetic.

which people take in and process information.3. There is more to modality than simply labeling a

person auditory, visual, or kinesthetic.

THEBIGPICTURE

The concept of learning modalities sounds simpleenough—“visual people” need to learn visually,“auditory people” need to learn auditorily, and so on.The reality is much more complex because wereceive different kinds of visual, auditory, and tactile-kinesthetic input.

The Learning Style ProfileOnline looks at the differenceswithin the modalities as well asbetween the modalities. Forexample, “touch,” “draw,” “writeabout” are different types oftactile-kinesthetic activities.Music, conversation, and audiotapes of a lecture offer differentkinds of auditory input. It is

important to make these distinctions. Because thereare different ways to express each modality, you mighthave different kinds of kinesthetic learners: one wholearns better with drawing, another who needs to take

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things apart, and a third who chooses a combinationof these. Each person’s set of modality strengths isunique, and may even differ with the situation orlearning activity.

As we take a closer look at each of themodalities, the possible combinations will becomeevident.

TheAuditoryModality

Auditory material includes noise, music, songs,lectures, verbal explanations, taped information,stories told aloud, conversations, and the sound ofone’s own voice.

ListeningLearners

An Auditory Learner usually comprehends andprocesses information better when it is presentedverbally. Yet other aspects of this modality are oftenoverlooked. For example, music can greatly enhancethe ability to learn and some people need backgroundnoise in order to concentrate (see Chapter 9 onEnvironment). Some students do better when they canlisten to a tape rather than a live lecture, and others

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seem to grasp and remember concepts better if theyare taught through stories.

Some people are so proficient at learning throughthe Auditory Mode, that incoming information which isnot auditory might actually interfere with their learning.For example, if a speaker is referring to charts andgraphic illustrations, this learner might need to ignorethat part of the presentation (even closing his eyes!) inorder to focus on the auditory information. For AuditoryLearners, sounds can be the source of ideas.

It is important to identify for each learner whatworks best in different situations. Noise might behelpful when working on math problems but not whenreading history. Use of rhyming songs might be theonly way for a particular type of Auditory Learner tomemorize math facts. Books-on-tape could be helpfulfor someone who has trouble comprehending whenreading silently.

VerbalLearners

A special type of Auditory Learner needs to talk anddiscuss: the Verbal Learner. For this child, talking isnecessary for processing information. The act ofverbalizing what he knows helps him to process andremember the information. He needs to actually saythe words, not simply hear someone else say them.Reading instructions aloud to one’s self has worked

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wonders for many Verbal Learners who have troubleunderstanding written directions.

Knowing about the Verbal Learner helps us tounderstand a common scenario that is experienced byparents and teachers: A child has trouble withdirections in a text or workbook. She tells the adult thatshe doesn’t understand and needs help. Usually whathappens next is that the adult says something like,“What do you mean you don’t understand? Read whatit says.” When this child reads the instructions outloud, she says, “Oh, I get it now,” and is able tocomplete the task. The adult is annoyed because itseems that this child understood all along and simplywanted some attention. The adult becomes moreannoyed if this scene occurs frequently.

Actually, these children aren’t looking for attention;they really don’t understand the instructions until theyare read aloud. Not realizing that the magic ingredientsare the oral reading and auditory feedback, and notthe adult attention, these children continue to call forhelp each time. Simply teaching these students toverbalize instructions eliminates frustration foreveryone. But can verbalizing be acceptable in theclassroom?

Traditionally, any kind of verbalization has beendiscouraged in the classroom, and reading aloud tooneself has even been considered a “special needs”behavior—that is, something that is done by studentswho are not capable of doing it the “right” way.

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Traditionally,anykindofverbalizationhasbeendiscouragedintheclassroom,andreadingaloudtoone-selfhasevenbeenconsidereda“specialneeds”behavior—thatis,somethingthatisdonebystudentswhoarenotcapableofdoingitthe“right”way.

Verbalizing is the right wayfor the Verbal Learner and it isno more a “special need” thanany other child’s learning need.All learners have their ownunique needs, and one need isnot any better or moreimportant than another.Encourage your children toverbalize when they need toand be available to talkthrough lessons andassignments as the needarises.

Some Verbal Learners dobest when they can work withsomeone else. Try to providesomeone to work at least partof the time with your child onhomework, studying, etc.Homeschoolers can arrangefor their children to work in

pairs or small groups as needed. Many classroomteachers have organized their rooms so that studentshave the option of working together or alone. If timewith an adult is important for your child, even a shortperiod of one-on-one time with a parent or teacher canbe effective.

Verbal Learners benefit from talking out loud in

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many situations—following a recipe when cooking,working out directions on a map, reading theinstructions for assembling a desk, memorizing thenames of the continents, understanding the concept ofgravity, figuring out what to wear to the prom, making adifficult decision, and so on. Other options for childrenwho need to express themselves verbally includereading along with books-on-tape or working withinteractive video/computer programs. Verbal Learnersdo their best on assignments that involve verbalizing.Teachers could encourage these students to make anaudio or video report, prepare oral presentations,participate in a discussion, tell a story, even setinformation to a melody and sing it. When the goal isfor a child to demonstrate understanding of a body ofknowledge, it pays to discover the many alternativesto the written report.

TheVisualModality

There are two types of Visual Learners—Picture andPrint. Although very different types of learners, theyare usually lumped into one category. The result isthat Picture Learners are often mistakenly givenprinted-language techniques instead of pictures tohelp them learn. For example, Picture Learners often

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have difficulty with reading and spelling becausewhole-word or sight-word methods of teaching arebelieved to be best for Visual Learners. This wouldwork if our language symbols represented words orconcepts the way Chinese or hieroglyphics do; butsince our letters represent sounds, the whole-wordmethod doesn’t make sense to Picture Learners.

PictureLearners

Visual material for Picture Learners includes charts,graphs, designs, forms, layouts, maps, objects,drawings, movies, and dramatic performances.Temple Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures and RonaldDavis’s The Gift of Dyslexia do a great job ofdescribing the Picture Learner. This person translatesall types of incoming information into pictures beforeprocessing, memorizing, or acting on anything. Somepeople think entirely in pictures, which is very difficultto understand for a person who thinks in words!Strategies and techniques that transform verbal andprinted language into picture formats are very helpfulfor this type of Visual Learner.

Picture Learners learn best from various forms ofgraphic presentations. These include pictorial chartsor graphs, sequential drawings, and time lines withpictures. Picture note-taking can work like magic tohelp these learners organize information, comprehend

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written or auditory material, or write a report. Anotherexcellent tool is information mapping, a method oftaking information that is read, heard, or experienced,and plotting it out on paper with words, phrases,and/or pictures. It provides a “visual” representation orformat of the material to be learned or written about.(Other authors refer to it as Mind Mapping, clustering,and graphic organizing.)1–3 Many learners benefit from“moving” pictures, such as movies, CD-ROMs, or livepresentations. Videos and computers are excellenttools for some Picture Learners. For reading andspelling, the AVKO and Wilson programs are amongthe few that are suited for Picture Learners.

PrintLearners

Print Learners think in words. That is, they see wordsin their minds when they are listening, memorizing,recalling, and thinking. While Picture Learners arebusy trying to convert language into pictures, PrintLearners are converting pictures into words. Simplyhighlighting printed material in different colors is agreat strategy for many of these learners. Childrenwho visualize printed language are usually naturalreaders and spellers and are able to use thishighlighting technique to process and memorize moreefficiently. Some Print Learners are confused by

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diagrams and illustrations. For example, if this learneris reading a how-to manual, he might need to ignorethe pictures and concentrate on the writteninformation.

The Print Learner needs to read and write in orderto process information efficiently. This is probably the“dream” student for many teachers—give this child abook to read, a workbook to complete, a topic toresearch, or an outline to develop, and this student ishappy. In fact, many Print Learners would rather be leftalone in a corner to read and study quietly bythemselves. They want to be as far away as possiblefrom the Verbal Learners who need to discusseverything!

Print Learners benefit from marking the material asthey read it (such as underlining or using ahighlighter), taking notes in word-mapping (informationmapping using words and no pictures) or outlineformats, writing down incoming auditory information,and translating visual information into words.

TheTactile-KinestheticModality

Tactile refers to touch and Kinesthetic refers tomovement. Touch and movement keep Tactile-

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...movementinalearningsituationisusuallyinterpretedasdisruptiveratherthanintelligent.

Kinesthetic children most alert in the learning situation.For those who are not Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners,

this is probably the most difficult modality tounderstand. It is also the one that can get children inthe most trouble in school, since movement in alearning situation is usually interpreted as disruptiverather than intelligent.

The student who is tappinghis foot or doodling while theteacher is presenting a lesson,or the child who is touching thenew computer before theparent has finished givinginstructions, is more apt to getinto trouble than to be spurredon. These children receiveinformation more efficientlywhen they are able to touchthings and move around. Many parents and teachershave had an experience with a child who was jumpingaround or coloring or fiddling with something—seemingly “not paying attention”—who, when asked,could repeat word for word what the adult had said.

Tactile-Kinesthetic kids have a great deal of pent-up energy when they are confined to classrooms forhours each day, with few movement activities beingincorporated into their schedules. We can label themhyperactive, or we can choose to respond to theirlegitimate learning needs. At the very least, we can

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...doodling,coloring,squeezingclay,andsewingareallacceptablewaysofquietlykeepingthehandsmov-ingwhiletheparentorteacheris

legitimize some of their ways of keeping busy, so thatthey are not seen as disruptive when they aresupposed to be sitting quietly and listening. Forexample, doodling, coloring, squeezing clay, andsewing are all acceptable ways of quietly keeping thehands moving while the parent or teacher ispresenting a lesson or during a group discussion.

Have you ever attended a meeting where one ortwo women crocheted or knitted the entire time? I havenever seen anyone question that, or feel insultedbecause the women were “not paying attention.” Ifanything, we admired their efficiency for being able todo two things at once. In contrast, I can’t tell you howmany times a parent has grabbed an object from achild who is quietly twirling it in his hands while havingan intelligent conversation with me, and angrilycommanded, “Stop that and pay attention to her!”

This child had chosen amost appropriate way ofmeeting his movement needswhile remaining respectful tothe other people in the room,and now he was beingpunished for it. We can helpTactile-Kinesthetic kids byencouraging them to come upwith socially acceptable waysof moving that allow them tostay in control of themselves,

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presentingalessonorduringagroupdiscussion.

Kinestheticlearnersareless

and follow the rules.Other perplexing “rules” that

Tactile-Kinesthetic kids run intoinclude: “Don’t point with yourfinger when reading” and“Don’t use your fingers to add.”Both of these activities are

great strategies for these learners! Encourage yourTactile-Kinesthetic child to use her fingers to add,subtract, multiply, or do any math (fingers can be asefficient as an abacus or a calculator!), and pleaseallow your child to track with his finger when he reads.Using the fingers adds the needed tactile andkinesthetic components.

Whenever possible, incorporate movement intolearning. Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners need to draw ormake a model of a pyramid rather than read about it.They need to plant a real garden rather than hear ateacher talk about one. They need to touch andexamine the structure of leaves, work with models ofthe plan-ets, use an abacus and other manipulativesfor math, act out the story of the Pilgrims, memorizefacts while exercising or playing basketball, learn howto print by tracing textured letters. They can involvetheir whole

bodies when learning to telltime with giant clocks, or walkthrough a country by usinglarge floor maps. Also teach

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verbal,lessexpressive,lesslikelytobethefirsttoraisetheirhandinclassbecausetheyneedtogo“internal”tocheckouttheiranswersbeforeofferingthem.—EricJensen

them to take frequent breaks,to stretch, jump, run, or simplywalk around the room—this willhelp them be more focusedwhen doing paper and penciltasks.

You might be thinking, Oh,these kids just want to havefun and we don’t have time forthat. Well, first of all, there isnothing wrong with having fun;in fact, fun enhances thelearning experience. Both thequality and quantity of learningincrease when a student isenjoying the process. Even beyond this, it’s importantto understand that Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners needthe types of activities described above in order tolearn. Their brains process best when information iscoming through touch or through movement, orthrough a combination of touch and movement. Whenthey are literally reaching out to touch something, it isbecause they are responding to the demands of theTactile-Kinesthetic Modality.

Below are descriptions of the basic types of Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners. The first three describe thetypical Tactile-Kinesthetic child who needs to moveand do. Some children are a combination of thesethree. The fourth type describes children who learn by

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writing; they usually do not require the touch andmovement that the other types do.

Hands-onLearners

The Hands-on Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners processbest through hands-on activities such as constructing,assembling, taking things apart, working with texturedmaterials, and manipulating objects.

Whole-BodyLearners

The Whole-Body Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners need toact out, walk around, play, exercise, build, give livedemonstrations, and use whole-body movements.

SketchingLearners

The Sketching Tactile-Kinesthetic Learners learnthrough drawing, coloring, and doodling.

WritingLearners

For some children, writing is the Kinesthetic activity

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that helps them learn. That is, they need to write thingsout, in manuscript or cursive, in order to process,understand, and remember information. Thesechildren usually do not need the touch and movementrequired by true Tactile-Kinesthetic people and moreclosely resemble the Print Learners described above.In fact, for many Print Learners, it is writing thattranslates information into the visual format that theyneed.

MOREEFFICIENTPROCESSINGFOREVERYONE

One of our jobs as parents and teachers is to helpindividual children discover and use their modalitystrengths in order to learn more efficiently. Is there abasic modality rule that might help us increaselearning in general? A study done by SpecificDiagnostic Studies showed that on average 29% ofelementary and high school students learn bestthrough the visual mode (pictures), 34% through theauditory mode (sound or music), and 37% through thetactile-kinesthetic mode (moving, touching, doing).4Immediately it becomes obvious that the traditionalclassroom, which is set up to teach mostly to theauditory mode, is serving only about 34% of its

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Thetraditionalclassroom,whichissetuptoteachmostlytotheauditorymode,isservingonlyabout34%ofitsstudents!

students!We’ve probably all heard the general principle that

states we learn 10% of what we read, 15% of what wehear, 40% of what we see, and 80% of what weexperience. When we attend workshops or seminarsas adults, this principle is often quoted so that we willbe more open to the hands-on activities and learninggames that have become so common in workplacepresentations and personal development courses.

In The Learning Revolution,by Gordon Dryden andJeannette Vos, we read that:

The best learning systems aresimple. Better still, they are fun.Generally they have this incommon: they encourage you to .. . learn much faster: throughmusic, rhythm, rhyme, pictures,feelings, emotions and action.Overwhelmingly the best learningmethods are similar to those weused as infants.5

And Peter Kline tells us:You were born to learn with your whole body and all yoursenses. You were not born to sit in a chair eight hours aday and listen to someone talk, or to pore over books yearin and year out . . . Until recently (only minutes on theevolutionary scale) there were no books, no classroomsand no lecturers . . . If we pay attention to the learning of

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...higher-levelreasoningskillsareachievedpreciselywhenweallowapersontolearnthroughhisstrongestmodality,

babies and young children, we can see how similar it is tothe way our ancestors learned throughout their lives.6

The basic rule, then, seems to be the same foreveryone; that is, the more we can teach throughdoing experiential techniques, the better. Generally,this principle is applied to the teaching of toddlers andadults. Yet in the classrooms that our children inhabitevery day, the reverse is practiced: They are taughtprimarily through lecture (teachers talk, kids listen) andreading (assignments are given to read the book inclass or for homework). Even more distressing is thatthe need for hands-on learning is considered by someeducators to be a sign of lower intelligence and apredictor of inferior career potential—in other words,those who learn best through the Tactile-Kinestheticmode are considered incapable of higher-levelthinking or higher-level jobs.7

It takes a shift in thinking torealize that higher-levelreasoning skills are achievedprecisely when we allow aperson to learn through hisstrongest modality, whatever itmay be. Einstein and Edisonare among our famousinventors and scientists whowere Tactile-KinestheticLearners. And what would wedo without engineers,

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whateveritmaybe.

mechanics, electricians,landscape architects,computer programmers, andso many others, whose

expertise and incredible skills are rooted in hands-onintelligence?

The traditional school model not only shortchangesTactile-Kinesthetic Learners, it also shortchanges allthe other learners, because lessons that incorporatemoving and doing are helpful for everyone. So afteryou begin applying the information about your child’sunique modality needs, remember to bring someaction into the picture even for the Auditory and VisualLearners, because experience is still the best teacher!

SUMMARY

At this point you might be thinking, How will I ever beable to provide for the modality needs of each of mychildren? And how could a teacher possibly providefor the needs of each child in the classroom?

Relax. It’s not as difficult as it might appear at first.Here are some helpful hints:

1. Look at the results of the modality assessmentfor each of your children.

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ThetraditionalschoolmodelnotonlyshortchangesTactile-KinestheticLearners,italsoshortchangesalltheotherlearners,be-

2. Choose one or two activities from the ModalityQuick Reference Charts below and experiment.

3. Teach your children about their modalitystrengths so they will know how to meet their ownlearning needs.

Chapter 10 will go into more detail about combiningthe information from all of the Assessment sections.For now, here is a way to put together the modalityinformation. The Modality Quick Reference Charts atthe end of the chapter will also help.

Suppose that on the modality section your childscored highest in Visual and second highest in Tactile-Kinesthetic. Now you are wondering which activities tochoose from the list for these modalities. Many thingsthat you know about your child will provide clues.

For example, if you knowyour child dislikes working onthe computer and does not liketo dance, you would notchoose these activities. If yourchild loves to assemblemodels, watch NationalGeographic programs, and isdramatic, start with videos,building, and acting.

Now, when your child isstudying about Egypt andhaving trouble understanding

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causelessonsthatincorporatemovinganddoingarehelpfulforeveryone!

Researchonlearningteachesusthatlearnersofallagesusecombinationsofthesemodalities,andmayvarytherecipeaccordingtothesituation.

or retaining the information,you could provide a videoabout Egypt. You couldencourage him to act like areporter gathering informationfor a newscast, and havesomeone videotape him. If areport is required for school,you could find out if the teacher would accept a modelof an Egyptian city and a show-and-tell presentationwith little or no writing involved.

Also think about your child’s other strengths. Forinstance, she might like to sing (even though theAuditory Modality is not her dominant one). If that’s thecase, she can learn to easily memorize information fora test by setting it to a melody and singing it. (Trysinging the Declaration of Independence to themelody of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!”)

These are examples of howmodality information is put tobest use when the strategieschosen form a bridge betweenthe student’s most developedprocessing mode and the skillor concept that he is trying tolearn.

Remember that your childwill appreciate all your attemptsto acknowledge and meet her

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—PriscillaVail

Boththequalityandquantityoflearningincreasewhenastudentisenjoyingtheprocess.

modality needs. As you worktogether to find what worksbest, the whole process will

become easier and more fun!

QuickReferenceChart—AuditoryModality

Note: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download supplement..

PROGRAMEMPHASIS: hear/talk

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Listening:HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Can Do Videotapes, Arithme-toons, MathMystery Theater, Audio Memory cassettesReading/Spellingn Sing/Spell/Read/Write, Play N Talk, PhonicsIn SongOther Subjectsn Boomerang (magazine on cassette), NewEach Day cassettes, Audio MemoryCassettes, Lyrical Life Science

TEACHINGTECHNIQUES

n audio tapes, books-on-tape, music, rhyming,songs, stories, computers, live lectures, oralor duet reading

Verbal:HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Bornstein Memorizer cards, Rhyme Tymes,TNTTM Fact KitReading/Spellingn Sing/Spell/Read/Write, Play N Talk, PhonicsIn SongOther Subjects

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n Lyrical Life Science, New Each Day andAudio Memory cassettes, Stories and PlaysWithout EndingsTEACHING TECHNIQUESn reading aloud, discussing, verbalizing tooneself, reading along with books-on-tape,interactive video/computer programs, tapingreports and assignments, oral presentations,setting information to music and singing it,working with another person or in a smallgroup

QuickRefereceChart—visualModality

Note: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download suplement.

PROGRAM EMPHASIS: see/read

Picture:

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HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn On Cloud Nine, Abacus Math, Touch Math,Multiplication Rock Video, Mathematics (high-school video/computer program)Reading/Spellingn AVKO, Wilson Reading ProgramOther Subjectsn Graphic Organizers, National Geographicvideosn Cartoon Guide series: American history,economics, physics, genetics, etc.n Coloring Book series: anatomy, zoology,botany, geography, etc.

TEACHING TECHNIQUES

n videos, computers, picture cues, picturediagrams or charts, picture timelines, picturenote-taking and information mapping, liveperformances

Print:HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Mastering Mathematics, Video TutorReading/Spellingn Phonics Tutor, Ultimate Phonics

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Other Subjectsn Graphic Organizers, Stories and PlaysWithout EndingsTEACHING TECHNIQUESn reading, research, word diagrams or charts,timelines, word note-taking and informationmapping, highlighting written material,workbooks

QuickReferenceChart—Tactile-kinestheticmodality

Note: Sources for the resources listed belowcan be found in the download supplement.

PROGRAM EMPHASIS: touch/do

Hands-on:HELPFUL MATERIALS

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Mathn On Cloud Nine, Abacus Math, Touch MathReading/Spellingn Sing/Spell/Read/Write, Wilson ReadingProgramTEACHING TECHNIQUESn touching, constructing, assembling, takingthings apart, manipulating objects, texturedmaterials, models, blocks, Legos

WholeBody:HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Can Do VideotapesReading/Spellingn Sing/Spell/Read/Write, Play N TalkOther Subjectsn Stories and Plays Without Endings

TEACHING TECHNIQUES

n acting out, moving, dancing, exercising,building, walk-on materials

Sketching:HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Touch Math

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Reading/Spellingn Wilson Reading Program, Draw Write Now,Drawing with Letters and NumbersOther Subjectsn Graphic Organizers, Stories and PlaysWithout Endingsn Cartoon Guide series: American history,economics, physics, genetics, etc.n Coloring Book series: anatomy, zoology,botany, geography, etc.TEACHING TECHNIQUESn drawing, coloring, doodling, picture note-taking and information mapping

Writing:HELPFUL MATERIALSMathn Touch MathReading/Spellingn AVKO, Wilson Reading Program,StudentreasuresTMOther Subjectsn Graphic Organizers, Stories and PlaysWithout EndingsTEACHING TECHNIQUESn writing, tracing, copying, workbooks,research, outlines, word note-taking andinformation mapping

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M

9

Environment:BeyondaDeskandFour

Walls

ost of us would agree that our environment, orsurroundings, can greatly affect our ability to

think, learn, and work.We realize that if we are too hot or too cold, or very

hungry or thirsty, our concentration will be affected.We also know how hard it is to give our completeattention to work or study when the wind is blowing orspring is in the air or the first snow is starting to fall. Werealize that the noise level might be annoying, the lighttoo dim or too bright, the seating uncomfortable, or thelayout of the room too distracting for us to processinformation efficiently. Some of us know that we won’tget anything done unless we are alone, while others

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Wetendtogreatlyunderestimatetheroleofenvironmentforlearningandthenecessityfortakingitintoaccountintheclassroom.

can’t function if they are alone. Still others are verysensitive to elements of beauty and harmony andhave a difficult time being productive in unattractivesurroundings.

Yet we tend to greatly underestimate the role ofenvironment for learning and the necessity for taking itinto account in the classroom. Instead, we tell ourchildren that they need to learn to ignore thesurroundings—to concentrate no matter what else isgoing on. Even when other students are distractingthem, they are to stay completely focused, somewhatlike the guards at Buckingham Palace. Those whodon’t, won’t, or can’t stay focused are labeled ADD,ADHD, distractible, undisciplined, or problematic.

The traditional setting for“efficient” study insisted uponby teachers and parents is this:The student should be alone,in a quiet place, sitting at adesk or table, with plainsurroundings, preferably in themorning when the student is“fresh.” This is recommendedfor homework and studying fortests. It is interesting that thisnotion continues to be passedon, even though many peoplehave realized as adults that

this is not their ideal setting for learning or working. I

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Wemayaccidentallyreducemotivationandlearningbykeepingatraditional

hope by the end of this chapter you will understandhow essential it is to change outdated ideas about achild’s study environment.

STUDIES

Abraham Maslow’s now famous system, called theHierarchy of Basic Human Needs, helps to explainwhy a person cannot pay attention to academiclearning if the need for nourishment is not met and ifthe environment is not safe and secure. Only whenthese basic needs have been taken care of are wefree to concentrate on more intellectual pursuits. Forthe most part, we go along with this thinking, and weunderstand that children who are in situations ofpoverty, neglect, fear, or trauma of some sort do nothave environments that are conducive to learning.

What about the rest of ourchildren, those who live in“normal” circumstances? Cantheir environments really affecttheir learning?

Rita Dunn, who hasresearched the subject oflearning styles for at least thirtyyears, has demonstrated that

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seatingpattern.—EricJensen

Acrossthecountry,withgreaterfrequency,teachersarerearrangingtheirclassroomstobetterfittheneedsofindividualswithinthegroup.

many aspects of theenvironment affect learning,including sound, lighting,temperature, seating design,

food availability, time of day, opportunity formovement, and number of participants. Adapting tothe needs of individual children in each of these areasresults in greater concentration and improved learningfor all students.1

Oh, sure, you’re thinking,my child’s teacher is going toallow food and drink in class,arrange the furniture differently,dim the lights, and encouragea radio with headphones, justbecause these are my child’senvironmental needs! Well, it ispossible. Across the country,with greater frequency,teachers are rearranging theirclassrooms to better fit theneeds of individuals within thegroup.2 This topic is also coming to the attention ofarchitects and others involved in developingarchitectural design ideas for schools.

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FUTURESCHOOLS

American School & University asked the nation’sleading educational architecture firms for input onbuilding schools for the future.3 The magazine waslooking for ideas on designing school environmentsthat are more conducive to learning—facilities thatprovide flexible spaces that can be arranged to satisfya variety of teaching and learning styles. One firmcommented that “With the 21st century almost here, itis sobering to realize that architects and educatorshave yet to generate a concept for the classroom ofthe future that looks much different from the classroomas we have known it for the previous 100 years.” Itwent on to say:

A fundamental change in curriculum delivery . . . easilycan be accomplished with no increase in room size.Instead, it simply needs a fresh approach to classroomfurniture and layout. Those who doubt the vital relevanceof furniture to pedagogy would do well to consider theimpact of the Harkness table at Phillips Exeter and otherleading private secondary schools, where all classroominstruction takes place around large oval tables that canaccommodate 12 students and one instructor. Thesetables have encouraged and supported the notion of theteacher as the facilitator for the past 70 years . . . Theproblem, of course, is that no public school system canafford the 12:1 student-teacher ratio . . . However, with thecoming of . . . computer networks, the Internet, distance

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learning . . . it should be possible for students in publicschools to begin to experience the kind of classroomfacilitation that, until now, only has been available tostudents in elite private schools.

Participating architectural firms submitted ideascentered around the concept of flexible learningspaces, or learning centers, designed to provide user-friendly environments for learning by accommodatingvarious modes of instruction—teams, pairs,independent, small group, and large group. Mostincluded provisions for natural lighting, various seatingarrangements, integrated learning, and interactivelearning. I am encouraged by the vision of thesearchitects and the forward-looking educators who areengaging in this type of dialogue. I am also remindedof Maria Montessori and the careful attention herschools give to the learning environment.

ELEMENTSOFENVIRONMENT

The Learning Style Assessment in this book looks atthe following aspects of environment: sound, bodyposition, interaction, lighting, temperature, food, color,and time. It is important to keep in mind that theseelements can become more or less significantdepending on the situation and what we are being

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asked to do. In other words, our preferences or needsmight vary with the task or combination of factorsinvolved. If we are working where the sound andseating suit our needs and the task does not requireintense concentration, then the time of day might notaffect us. It is also important to remember that forsome students each of these elements or combinationof elements can be more crucial than for otherstudents.

In this chapter you will take a look at each of theenvironmental elements and how they might be variedfor different types of learners. If you feel like you aregetting too much information all at once, slow downand take it section by section. Remember that you aregetting the complete picture about environment so thatyou will be aware of its many aspects. In most cases, itis not possible to satisfy every aspect for each child,but knowing about all of them will give you moreopportunities to choose as many as you can for yourchild. As you work with your child you will probably findthat even one or two environmental changes canmake a great deal of difference.

Sound

This element of environment includes two possibilities:the need for quiet and the need for noise.

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Childrenwhoareverysensitivetoallsoundhaveatoughtimeintheclassroomwherethereisusuallyagreatdealgoingon.

Asyouworkwithyourchildyouwillprobablyfindthatevenoneortwoenvironmentalchangescanmakeagreatdealofdifference.

NeedforQuiet

Somepeopleneedtotalquietwhentheyare

thinking, studying, or workingon a project. If there is anysound at all, they are distractedand unable to work. “Noise”

could mean people talking, music playing; a radio orTV on; or back-ground noises such as street sounds,rain, or wind. Even noise coming from a distance, suchas construction sounds, bells chiming, or sirens caninterrupt thought and concentration. Children who arevery sensitive to all sound have a tough time in theclassroom where there is usually a great deal goingon. At home, also, it could be too noisy for them to dohomework and study effectively.

Options for the child who needs quiet include:

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Scienceisnowcorroboratingage-oldintuition.Weknowthatmusicusingcertaintypesofrhythmdoesbringaboutastateofrelaxedalertnessandphysicalcalm.—ColinRose

n Provide a room that is quiet where the child cango to study alone.

n Provide earplugs for the child if a separate roomis not available.

n Have a family discussion about the importance ofrespecting this child’s need for quiet and uninterruptedstudy time.

n Ask the teacher if the child can wear earplugswhen working alone on certain tasks.

NeedforNoise

Some people cannot function ifit is too quiet! In order to focusthey need background noise—people talking, music playing,radio or TV on. Noisyclassrooms suit the needs ofchildren who need sound.However, these children do notdo well at home if they arerequired to work or study alonein a quiet room. All through myown school years, I did most ofmy homework and studyingeither lounging on the couchwith the TV on, or lying on thebed with the radio on. Since

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my grade point average wasalways between 3.8 and 4.0 my parents neverquestioned my routine! This was my way of providingsome auditory relief for the endless hours I spent bymyself doing homework.

Options for the child who needs noise include:n Allow the child to work in a room where normal

activities are going on.n If the home is a quiet one, allow experimentation

with radio or TV on as background noise. (Of course ifTV is not acceptable in your household, do not offerthis as an option!)

n Experiment with music of the child’s choosing(within reason—do not offer as an option music thatyou feel is not conducive to learning, for example veryloud music or inappropriate rap music). Also tryclassical, and, in particular, baroque music, which isreported to stimulate brain areas that facilitate learning.Many children balk at this type of music at first, butlater they decide they like it and ask for it!

n Distinguish between music and other sound.Some children are distracted by conversation or evengeneral background noise, but not by music. In somecases, having music on helps to block out the otherdistracting sounds.

n Talk to your child’s teacher about playing softmusic in class. Studies have shown that music canenhance learning and productivity in the classroom; in

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Beingabletogetupfrequentlyandwalkaroundmightbedesirable.Somepeopledotheirbestthinkingwhentheyaremoving!

fact, most students are positively affected.4n Some teachers will allow students who need

music to use a tape player with earphones.

BodyPosition

While some children need to sit up at a table or deskto do their best work or thinking, just as many do betterin other positions. Reclining or sitting on a bed, couch,bean bag chair, or the floor are alternatives. Still othersneed to be standing up, perhaps working at an easel,a board on the wall, or a tall drafting table. Being ableto get up frequently and walk around might bedesirable. Some people do their best thinking whenthey are moving!

At home, you and your childcan experiment with differentarrangements. At school, theteacher might allow carpetmats for those who do betteron the floor. Some teachersencourage students to changepostures as needed. Havingguidelines for using mats ormoving about the room withoutdisrupting the class helps tomake free movement possible.A tall counter or table could

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accommodate those who needstanding up time.

Options for body position include:

n Sitting: desk, table, floorn Reclining: bed, couch, floorn Standing: easel, board, drafting table, countern Teacher allowing students to work on carpet mats

or at the board

Interaction

People have different interaction needs when they arelearning. The child who needs to work alone is usuallythe most easily accommodated, since this is stillthought to be the best study method both at home andat school. Yet, for the children who really do need tobe alone, the crowded classroom is less than ideal,and the home setting can also be a problem if anempty room is not available. Every effort should bemade to provide a private space. Sometimes this canbe done easily with inexpensive curtains, screens, orroom dividers. When none of these is an option, anopen space or corner separated with chalk, tape, paintmarkings, pillows, or furniture can give the illusion of aprivate space. In one classroom, a student took hiswork to the floor space underneath a table, where hewas able to work independently and quietly.

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Whenotherpeoplearenotavailableduringstudytime,petscanbeas(ormore)effectiveinfillingtheneedtohaveotherlivingbeingsaround.

The child who needs other people around is oftenbanished to his room to study alone, because that isthe traditional study setting. For this child, theclassroom easily provides the other people. At home,this child needs to work in spaces where other familymembers are present. Those children who need quietdo best when the other people are also workingquietly; those who need background noise do betterwith activity (refer to the above section on soundregarding conversation versus “working” noise).

When other people are notavailable during study time,pets can be as (or more)effective in filling the need tohave other living beingsaround.

Some children need tointeract with another person orin a small group. Verballearners often fit this category.As discussed in Chapter 8, it isa good idea to have someoneavailable at least part of thetime when this child is doingschoolwork. You can alsoallow studying with a buddy or two.

Options for interaction include:n Alone: separate room, private space created with

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room dividers, small space created with markings orfurniture

n With others: in the same room with peopleworking quietly, in the same room with people busywith conversation or other activities, or with pets

n With interaction: with a buddy or parent, with asmall group of students

n Ask the teacher if it is possible to create somesmall private spaces in the classroom toaccommodate children who need to work alone

n Ask the teacher if it is possible to provide aclassroom space to work with a buddy or in a smallgroup

Lighting

People are affected differently by various lightingsituations.5,6 Is the lighting bright or low, natural orartificial? If artificial, is it incandescent, fluorescent, orfull-spectrum?

Fluorescent lighting in particular has been shown tonegatively affect children and adults. It can causeheadaches, difficulty reading, eyestrain, irritability, andhyperactive behavior. Plants will not survive underfluorescent lighting although we expect people to!Full-spectrum lighting, commonly used to grow plantsindoors, more closely resembles the full spectrum of

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Plantswillnotsurviveunderfluorescentlightingalthoughweexpectpeopleto!

light present in nature. Plants thrive under full-spectrum lighting and positive effects have beendocumented in the classroom as well. At home, if youhave fluorescent lights, try switching to full-spectrum.Several brands are available at nurseries, buildingsupply stores, and in home improvement catalogs. Itcould make a big difference in attitude and productivityfor the whole family!

Some schools haveswitched to full-spectrumlighting after realizing thebenefits. In an experimentreported by Eric Jensen,students in classrooms withfull-spectrum lighting missedsignificantly fewer school daysthan those in the otherclassrooms. Furthermore,ordinary fluorescent light has been shown to raise thecortisol level in the blood, which is likely to suppressthe immune system.7

If you have mostly incandescent lighting in yourhome, this should be fine, as long as the brightness isadjusted for individual needs. Jensen also reports thatmany students who are fidgety and restless where thelights are bright, relax and perform better in low-to-moderate light situations. Dimmer lighting seems tohave a calming effect, especially at younger ages, andthe ideal lighting seems to be indirect natural sunlight.

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When it is not possible to switch to full-spectrum lightsor to dim the lights, have your child try wearingsunglasses or a visor to cut down on the brightness.

Note your child’s choices on the Assessment, thenadd your observations about how your child is affectedby various types of lighting.

Temperature

Is it too hot or too cold? As we all know, hot and coldare relative. My husband and I never agree on thetemperature— one of us is always either too hot or toocold! We can usually solve the problem with clothingchanges.

However, there are instances when a room issimply too warm or too cool for everyone. Again, aswith the other aspects of environment, some childrenare more affected by uncomfortable temperatures thanothers. But classrooms that do not have adequateheating or cooling systems might be affecting thelearning efficiency of a majority of the students. Spaceheaters or fans might be enough to do the trick atschool and at home. For those students who areunusually warm or cool when the majority seem to becomfortable, experiment with changing clothing, sittingnext to a window, or using a small personal heater orfan, as the situation warrants.

Note your child’s choices on the Assessment, then

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add your observations about how your child is affectedby room temperatures.

Food

Availability of food and drink can also affect learningefficiency. Some students do better when they cansnack throughout the day. If this is the case with yourchild, provide healthful food and drink such as fruits,vegetables, whole-grain cereal bars, nuts, rice cakes,yogurt, unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices, andwater. More and more teachers are recognizing thatthe need for frequent food intake is legitimate for manychildren and are allowing students to have snacksand water bottles in class.

Note your child’s choices on the Assessment, thenadd your observations about your child’s nourishmentneeds.

Color

The effect of color on mood and activity has beenstudied for years, especially by media marketers.Color plays a big part in advertising, and marketersknow which colors will get us to buy, to stay longer, tospend more, etc. We know that some colors depress

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...Whenarchitectschangedschoolroomwallsfromorangeandwhitetoblue,students’bloodpressuredroppedandtheirbehaviorandlearningcomprehensionsoared.—Dr.MortonWalker

and others energize, some are soothing and othersmake us feel rattled. Some colors slow us down, andsome make us feel hyper.

Besides the general color principles that seem toapply to everyone, a person’s favorite colors can alsodramatically affect mood and activity.

When we are surroundedby our favorite colors we tendto think more positively andfeel more motivated. Whensurrounded by colors we don’tlike, the opposite happens,and we can actually feelrestless, upset, distracted,unhappy, even angry. Just aswith any of the other elementsof environment, differentpeople are more or lesssensitive to color.

At home, parents can helptheir children decide on how toincorporate favorite colors indesignated areas. For theclassroom, children can learnto buy school supplies infavorite colors. Will having yourfavorite color around guarantee passing the test orgetting an A on a paper? No, but color cansubstantially change mood and outlook, and it’s one

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more piece of the puzzle that can contribute to a morepositive learning experience. Talking to your childabout color is also another way of letting him know thatyou are listening and that his needs and preferencesmatter.

Children (and adults) can learn to:n Add favorite colors (to the extent possible) to a

personal room, study space, desktop, or office in theform of paint, art, rugs, plants, furniture, pillows, orother accessories.

n Use pens and notebooks in favorite colors whentaking tests or doing other paperwork.

n Wear favorite colors to an important interview orother appointment.

n Stay away from disliked colors.

TimeofDay

Like adults, children operate differently at differenttimes of the day. Taking this element seriously meansbeing flexible about the time of day that children areasked to do schoolwork. According to Rita Dunn’sextensive research, “Most students are not morning-alert . . . Only about one-third of more than a millionstudents we have tested prefer learning in the earlymorning, and the majority prefer late morning orafternoon . . . Many do not begin to be capable of

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Iamaskingustoquestiontheorderofactivitiesthatwe

concentrating on difficult material until after 10:00 a.m.and many are at their best in the early afternoon.”8 Arecent article in the L.A. Times stated that teenagerswere the subject of a bill being presented toCalifornia’s 106th Congress by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose). The bill, called the “Zzzs to A’s Act,” wouldencourage high schools to start classes after 9 a.m.“so that teens are in school during their most alerthours and can achieve their full academic potential.”9

This is probably the most difficult element ofenvironment to apply. Those who homeschool are in abetter position to arrange a schedule that takesadvantage of each child’s best time of day. In theregular elementary classroom, a child is not able tomake choices about his schedule. Furthermore, mathand reading, which are considered the most importantsubjects, are often taught first thing in the morning. Inhigh school, the student sometimes has a little controlover the schedule and can choose a physicaleducation class or study hall for first and secondperiods. College students have even more leeway andare often able to arrange class schedules to bettermeet their learning needs.

What about the old saying,“The early bird catches theworm”? Isn’t it generally truethat disciplining yourself to getup early gives you a good starton the day and forms good

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requireachildtoengageinthroughouttheday.

Formost

habits? Actually, yes, it is true. Iam not suggesting thatchildren sleep until noon, or getup whenever they feel like it, orjust lounge around until theyare bored enough to do somework. However, I am asking us to question the order ofactivities that we require a child to engage inthroughout the day.

The study mentioned above tells us that, for mostchildren, academic learning is probably done best inthe late morning or early afternoon. If this is true, arethere other things they could do early in the morning?

On the farm, children rose early and did all kinds ofchores before heading off to school. This is a big clue.Children were getting up and doing physical activities.They were feeding animals, cleaning barns, milkingcows, tending the garden, and cooking breakfast.They were spending their first hours outdoors,engaged in valuable work, interacting with people andanimals, and eating a full meal. My guess is that by thetime they started off to school (walking and thusgetting even more exercise), their minds were clearand alert and ready to start higher level thinking. Itshould also be mentioned that these children (andtheir parents) had early bedtimes.

Our typical present-daychild drags himself out of bed,throws some clothes on,

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children,academiclearningisprobablydonebestinthelatemorningorearlyafternoon.

maybe munches on a donut,and rushes out the door,arriving at a classroom wherethe first thing he will do is sitand listen to a lesson or writein a workbook. What if he atleast got to do some stretchingor warm-up activities beforestarting on academics?

Many years ago, when Iwas the director of a private school, all of the studentsbegan their day with an exercise program. In someprivate religious schools students begin the day with achurch service. Some schools serve breakfast tomake sure the kids have the nourishment that theirbrains require. Some of the homeschool families that Iwork with start their school day with a family meeting,at which they discuss how each person feels thatmorning, what each person’s goals are for the day,what each person is happiest about, the most excitedabout, the most grateful for. All of these activities givekids a chance to warm up and get their brains in gear!Your child’s teacher might be open to experimentingwith stretching, simple exercises, and/or warm-updiscussions in the morning. Reading and discussing apositive, inspiring story, such as those in ChickenSoup for the Kid’s Soul and Chicken Soup for theTeenage Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark VictorHansen, is another great way to start the day. In

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Alloftheseactivitiesgivekidsachancetowarmupandgettheirbrainsingear!

religious schools, the morning activities could includeprayer, Bible stories, or other religious readings.

If the teacher is not able toprovide a warm-up time, thinkabout doing something athome before leaving forschool. I know that in manyhouseholds the morning is avery hectic time, as the wholefamily is struggling to get towhere they need to be.Bedtimes can also make adifference for the dynamics of what occurs in themornings. A late bedtime usually means it is moredifficult to get up in the morning. Think about yourfamily situation, you might be surprised at what youcan come up with. It could be as simple as twominutes of jumping jacks or a quick walk around theblock. If you are a family that rises early, there mightbe time for some stretching and exercise routines. Ifyour kids end up watching cartoons while you arepreparing breakfast, you can put on a math videoinstead, which will have them doing exercises andpracticing math facts (see download supplement forCan Do Videotapes). How about putting on energizingmusic and jogging in place to the rhythm? Eventhough you can’t change the time that your kidsactually start schoolwork, you can at least give themsome waking up activities that will make them better

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prepared for the classroom.Parents can experiment with:

n Movement activities: stretches, exercises,rhythmic movement, dancing, aerobics

n Discussion activities: family meetings, problemsolving, goal setting, planning the day

n Story activities: read inspiring, motivating storiesand let kids discuss

n Fun activities: puzzles, brainteasers, coloring,drawing, crafts

n Asking the teacher to consider starting the daywith movement, discussion, story activities, orbrainteasers

THETEACHERWON’TCHANGEANYTHING!

Yes, it’s true—you can share all the information in thischapter with the teacher, and he won’t change a thing!Then what?

To begin with, acknowledge your child’s needs,thus validating her feelings. Then seek solutions. Forexample, if your child complains that she just can’tthink about math first thing in the morning, instead ofsaying, “Well, there’s nothing you can do about it. All

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Wecannotalwayscontrolwhathappensincertainplaces,suchastheclassroom,butwecanuseourbrainstocomeupwithsolutionsthatwillhelpustodobetter.

the other kids seem to be able to do it. Math is at 9:00,you’re just going to have to put up with it. Pay attentionand don’t get distracted!” try this, “I am so sorry math isearly. I know that’s your least favorite time of day, andyou have to deal with an important subject like math.Let’s brainstorm—I bet we can come up with greatideas to make it easier for you.” Then review thesection on Time of Day for ideas and see what youcan figure out together. (See more about solution-focused problem solving in Chapter 12.)

Discuss the variousaspects of environment withyour children and talk aboutchanges that can be made athome. Explain that we cannotalways control what happensin certain places, such as theclassroom, but that we can useour brains to come up withsolutions that will help us to dobetter. You can ask for yourchild’s ideas on how she mightget along in class when shewishes it was warmer, or shecould snack, or that the lightwasn’t so bright, or she couldturn on the radio, and so on. She might learn to thinkof it as a daily challenge or game—What can I dotoday to turn the negative into something posi-tive and

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fun?—a skill that will prove to be useful many times inher life!

You might be surprised at the ideas your childcomes up with. Sometimes, simply having thisconversation, showing that you understand and arewilling to make some changes at home, really listeningto your child’s concerns, and encouraging creativeproblem solving—sometimes, this is enough to helpyour child do better in the classroom, even when theteacher changes nothing.

As mentioned earlier, you will not be able to makeall the changes required for every aspect of yourchild’s learning style. Remember that balance is thekey. Consider family priorities, your own needs, andyour child’s needs, as you learn to work together.

ONELASTTHING

For those who still aren’t quite sure, or who still needpermission—yes, it’s okay to allow your child to workon his book report spread out on the floor, with the catcurled next to him, and the CD player on. If this is whathe needs, it’s more than okay, it’s essential!

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Y

10

PuttingItAllTogether

ou’ve just finished taking an in-depth look at thefive aspects of learning style. You are now

probably thinking, Where do I go from here? How can Iput all of this information together? If you are feeling alittle overwhelmed, relax! This chapter will help you putit all together by taking it one step at a time. Then, inChapter 11, you will learn more about how to use thisinformation with the whole family.

FILLOUTTHEFORMS

If you have not already done so, take the

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Assessments. If you took the online profile it isrecommended that you also print out the Learn Moresections and make personal booklets for eachmember of the family. Also make copies of the Planform for each child (found in the downloadableappendix).

TheResults

Go back through the results with your child and notethe following:

DispositionSection

Circle or highlight the two top dispositions. Rememberthat there are no “right” or “wrong” answers, or “better”or “worse” scores on this Assessment.

TalentsSection

Circle or highlight the top talent areas. (For the OnlineProfile note scores of 60 or above.) Occasionally, achild will choose almost everything on the page or

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hardly anything. If either of these happens, it couldindicate that the child does not have confidence in hisown abilities. Accept the responses for now and planto readminister this part at a later date, perhaps afteryou have been working with the Learning Style Modelfor awhile and the child’s confidence has increased.Most children, however, are aware of their talent areasand do not have difficulty choosing the items thatreflect these talents.

Interests Section

Note all of the chosen Interests. In particular, be awareof those rated 5 to 10 on the Interest Priority Scale.

ModalitySection

Scores on the Quick Learning Styles Assessmentindicate overall modality strengths. Circle or highlightthe highest scores. Scores on the Online Profileindicate specific ways of learning within each modality.Circle or highlight the three items chosen.

EnvironmentSection

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Note the choices in each element of environment.

ThePlanForm

On this form record the “ideal” learning activities foryour child—what you would do if anything werepossible. Work on this form with your child. Youngerchildren can participate to the degree that it isappropriate.

If you don’t feel ready to fill out this form, finishreading this chapter and then come back to it. Thestories about real families that come later in thischapter will help you be more confident aboutcompleting this form.

Step1

Go back through the Assessment chapters (5 to 9),use the charts and note in each section of the Planwhich materials, techniques, strategies, andenvironmental set-ups would work best for your child.

Step2

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Now go back over the Plan. This time circle orhighlight one or two items in each section that you feelcomfortable trying at home. Also note a couple ofitems that you might be willing to talk to the teacherabout.

Step3

Fill out the Areas for Growth section. These aregeneral areas, for example: Producing skills, Word-Language Reasoning skills, Math skills, and so on. InChapter 11 you will learn how to work on specific skillssuch as spelling and memorizing math facts.

Step4

Fill out the Life Goals section. Again, these aregeneral goals: become a veterinarian, own my ownbusiness, teach ballet. In Chapter 11 you will learnhow to work on specific learning goals such asincreasing the score on spelling quiz, memorizing the3× table, etc.

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TALKTOYOURCHILD

How do you talk to your child about learning style?Very simply! Share with your child what you havelearned in this book. Talk about the benefits oflearning about oneself and how this knowledge canhelp at school, at home, and at the workplace. Talkabout the importance of respecting each person’sunique gifts and style of learning. Explain that each ofus has differ-ent talents, dispositions, interests,environment needs, and modality strengths. We areall smart in our own ways and we all learn differently.Teach your child that the information about herlearning style can help her in many learning situationsand can also help point the way to possible careerchoices.

You can also tell your child that most classroomsare set up to basically teach one type of learner—onewho has the Producing Disposition and AuditoryModality strength. If this is your child’s style and she isalready doing well in school, explain that applyingsome of the other learning style information can makestudying even easier. Also explain that there areaspects of her learning style that probably are notbeing addressed by the school program, and that youcan help her tap into those areas in other ways. If yourchild is not the Producing Disposition–AuditoryModality type, and she is having difficulty in school,

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Teachyourchildthattheinformationaboutherlearningstylecanhelpherinmanylearningsituationsandcanalsohelppointthewaytopossiblecareerchoices.

Learningstyleinformationalsohelpsustobettercommunicateandcooperate

explain that her teacher is doing the best he knowshow with the system he has to work with. Offer tomake as many changes as possible at home and helpher come up with strategies to cope with school.Assure her that no matter what, you know that she issmart and capable and talented.

Also tell your child thatlearning style information is notmeant to be used as anexcuse to get out of somethingyou need to do, or as a reasonto give up on something that isdifficult. The information ismeant to be used in a positiveway, to help a person besuccessful and move forward.Learning style information alsohelps us to bettercommunicate and cooperatewith others as we becomeaware of their individual stylesas well.

As children participate inthe learning style process theybecome more proficient atmeeting their own learningneeds. Do not keep the resultsto yourself and file them away!Refer to the Assessments

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withothersaswebecomeawareoftheirindividualstylesaswell.

often, have family discussions,talk about the differencesamong the members of thefamily, think about ways toapply the information to makelearning easier. In Chapter 11you will find more ideas forapplying learning styleinformation, including how to graph scores;suggestions for family meetings, discussions, andindividual meetings with each child; and how to usestrengths to overcome weaknesses.

TALKTOTHETEACHER

In many cases, you will be the first to approach yourchild’s teacher with information about learning style.You might feel awkward speaking to a professional,and not very confident. In Chapter 14 you will findsuggestions to help you.

DOESTHISWORKFORREALFAMILIES?

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Manypeopledon’trealizethatthewordgeniusactuallymeans“tobeborn”or“tocomeintobeing.”Inancienttimesallpersonswerebelievedtopossessapersonalgenius...thatwasgiventothematbirthandthatgovernedtheirfortunesinlifeanddetermined

Okay, you’re thinking, I understand all of this. But I’mstill not sure what to do. How does it work in real life?Does this learning style stuff work for real families?

Let’s take a look at some real families who haveused the Learning Style Assessment: why they wereinterested in learning style assessment; how eachfamily applied the results of the assessment; and thedifferences it made for the children and their families.

Greg’sStory

Greg was in seventh grade in aprivate school. He couldn’tseem to keep up with the classwork and the assignments. Hehad difficulty comprehendingthe material in several subjectareas and did not do well ontests. It was suspected by theschool and his parents thatGreg had a learning disabilitythat affected areas ofcomprehension, retention,organization, and writtenexpression.

I tested Greg. In most areashe seemed to perform in anage-level appropriate manner.

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theiressentialcharacter.—ThomasArmstrong

He could probably use a fewtricks to help him learn how toorganize material to study for atest or write an essay. Hiscomprehension was fine; hisspelling was a “problem.”1 His

parents wondered, Should he be in special educationclasses?

ResultsofGreg’sAssessment

As you read this section refer to Greg’s Learning StylePortrait (see downloadable appendix).

In the Disposition section of the Assessment, Gregscored highest in Invent and second highest inRelate/Inspire, indicating that he learned best when hewas able to take his time thinking things through, andthat bouncing ideas off other people was also helpful.Jumping from subject to subject was not his style. Hedid better when he could concentrate on one projectfor awhile. Discussions, field trips, and time to explore,reflect, and discover could all be helpful to Greg’slearning.

In the Modality section he chose a combination ofVisual (Picture) and Tactile (Hands-on). This indicatedthat the use of charts, graphs, and posters couldincrease learning and retention; visual strategies suchas information mapping could increase his

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organization and writing skills; computer games,visualization “tricks,” and hands-on techniques foranalyzing words could help him to be a better speller.2

In the Talent section Greg scored highest inMechanical Reasoning and Spatial Talent. HisInterests included science and history. The informationin both these sections gave us further insight into thedisposition and modality results. For example, Greg’sInventing Disposition will probably tend towardphysical science and possibly engineering. Hisinterest in history is probably tied in to the RelatingDisposition but could also be linked to his dispositionfor exploring and discovering (Inventing).

We also found out that Greg needed a quiet settingwhere he could be alone part of the time. Ideally hewould be allowed to get up and move around and toperiodically engage in discussion to help him betterunderstand a lesson. His favorite color, green, couldbe chosen for pens, pencils, notebooks, beanbagchair, and so on. Bright, natural light helped him stayfocused, so working next to a window could bebeneficial.

As we began to integrate the five parts of theAssessment, Greg’s parents were able to see, for thefirst time in Greg’s school life, all of his strengths, gifts,and abilities. A picture began to emerge of a verycapable, unique individual with many positiveattributes! Options and possibilities for goals andcareers became evident. Now, by taking action based

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on the results of the Assessment, we could takeadvantage of his strengths and give him the tools tohandle the subject matter he was struggling with atschool. This would build up his confidence and lead tomore successes.

As we discussed the results of Greg’s LearningStyle Assessment, another aspect was uncovered.Greg’s family realized that Greg was the onlyInventing–Relating Disposition in the family. The restof them were Performing people!—always on the go,very athletic, energetic, noisy . . . No one couldunderstand why Greg didn’t fit in, why he didn’t want togo to game after game, why he became upset andedgy and crabby. Now they understood. He neededquiet, reflective time . . . time to just be alone with histhoughts . . . time to invent and create.

WhatHappenedNext?

Greg recognized himself in the descriptions of theInventing and Relating styles. Instantly, his facialexpression, his smile, and his body language told methat this made sense to him. He wasn’t stupid or lazyor disobedient or contrary or disabled! He had awonderful learning style of his own—and he was smartand creative. He understood that he was in a learningsituation that did not allow him to make use of hisabilities or learn the way he was born to learn. He

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realized that he was being forced to operate in a waythat was contrary to his makeup.

Greg’s family began to allow opportunities at homefor Greg to have quiet, reflective time amidst thefrenzied atmosphere. They also gave him somechoice about whether or not he would accompanythem to all of their activities and outings. With respectto schoolwork, his parents talked to his teachers aboutthe Assessment results and also encouraged Greg touse the information about his disposition, modalitystrengths, talents, and other learning style areas whendoing homework assignments and studying for tests.

Did the teachers change anything for Greg?Actually, no. One of them wasn’t really interested; theother was sympathetic, but she had a large class andshe didn’t think there was much she could do otherthan acknowledge and encourage him.

What did Greg do? He did not turn into the perfectstudent. But his attitude changed. He understood thatsometimes we are stuck in a learning or job situationthat is less than ideal. He realized that there wasnothing wrong with him; rather, the system was aproblem. He stopped feeling stupid and inadequateand angry. And he actually started to improve! All byhimself, he began applying the information that helearned about his best ways to learn. He also wasmore willing to cooperate with the teachers and thesystem now that he knew this “problem” was not hisfault.

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Thereissimplynosubstituteforself-confidencerootedinacceptanceandappreciation.

WhatReallyHappenedHere?

The teachers didn’t change, the parents changed alittle, but mostly Greg changed! Often, merelyacknowledging a child’s unique characteristics andtalking with him about his Assessment results isenough to produce feelings of self-worth and majorchanges in attitude. Remember the C.A.R.E.S.principles discussed in Chapter 3: When we beginworking with them, they begin working with us andthemselves.

I am amazed each time Iexperience this. Greg’sreaction is not a rare one; Ihave seen this happen overand over after discussinglearning style results with achild. Whether or not theschool program is changed,the kids feel better and actdifferently just knowing that

someone has bothered to find out what they are like,and that their results describe a competent, valuedperson. There is simply no substitute for self-confidence rooted in acceptance and appreciation.

WhatElseCouldHaveHappened?

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Even though Greg made gains on his own, think aboutthe possibilities if his learning style information hadbeen used by his teachers and implemented in hisschool program. The Assessment information was apowerful tool waiting to be used and applied by histeachers to create the best possible learning situationfor Greg.

Ann’sStory

As you read this section, refer to Ann’s Learning StylePortrait (see downloadable appendix). Ann was in firstgrade. She was a bundle of energy and loved to talk.She was having trouble staying at her desk, keepingquiet, and paying attention to directions. She lovedrecess and the other kids, and she liked to swing andbuild and dance and play the musical instruments.She seemed to be doing okay in reading, but shewasn’t getting math at all. Her parents wondered, Wasthere something they could do at home?

ResultsoftheAssessment

Ann scored highest in the Perform and Think/CreateDispositions. The Modality section showed Visual(Picture), Tactile-Kinesthetic (Whole Body), andAuditory (Verbal) strengths. Her Environment needs

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Thechild’strueconstructiveenergy,adynamicpower,hasremainedunnoticedforthousandsofyears.—MariaMontessori

included having other people around, being able towalk around, having frequent snacks, and dimmingthe lights. Her Talents showed up in the categories ofSpatial, Body Coordination, Interactive-Others,Interactive-Animals, and Humor. Her Interestsincluded playing the drums, building with Legos,singing and dancing, doing crafts, playing with herdogs, and playing computer games.

It was obvious from theAssessment results that Annneeded to move. She did herbest learning when peoplewere around, when she couldtalk about the material beingpresented, and when shecould involve her whole bodyin a learning experience.

Since math was theimmediate concern,suggestions were made tohelp Ann at home. A programcalled Touch Math and the

Can Do exercise math videos (also mentioned inChapter 9) were recommended. The Touch Mathprogram involved Ann’s tactile sense and she quicklygrasped the concept of addition. The Can Do videosmade it fun to memorize math facts because shecould sing along and exercise with the kids in thevideo. Her parents also provided two computer math

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programs that taught math thinking-skills throughmazes and games. Once Ann caught on, math was abreeze. (See downloadable appendix for informationabout where to obtain these materials.)

WhatAboutAnn’sBehavioratSchool?

Ann continued to have trouble sitting at her deskquietly and completing worksheets during the schoolday. The classroom was simply not conducive to herstyle of learning. However, when I spoke to theteacher, she told me that even though her behaviorwasn’t “perfect,” for the first time Ann was bringing incompleted homework assignments and she wasdemonstrating that she really understood math.

Ann’s parents continued to apply what they hadlearned from the Assessment results. At home theyallowed Ann to do homework with music in thebackground, take frequent movement breaks, andsnack as needed. They helped her to make rhymesand sing and dance when she had to memorizescience terms. If she had difficulty with a spelling word,they encouraged her to draw silly pictures around the“problem” letters, then picture the words in her mind.And they recognized that she needed to talk thingsout, rather than work quietly by herself. Suddenly,learning became fun and easy—for Ann and herparents.

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Ann’s parents talked to her about the differencebetween the home and the classroom. They explainedthat the teacher cared about Ann and was doing herbest. They helped her to come up with ways she couldchallenge herself to stay in her seat or complete aworksheet when it was boring. Ann had a watch with atimer and she made a game out of timing herself. Howlong could she stay quiet? How fast could shecomplete a worksheet? Could she break her record?The teacher realized that Ann was putting forth aneffort to comply with the classroom “rules” and beganpraising her for her “improved” behavior. Ann waspleased and so were her parents.

IsThisReallyWhatIt’sAbout?

You might be thinking, Isn’t this just like “playing thegame”? Are we doing Ann a service or disservice?First we are showing her what a great learning styleshe has and teaching her about how she learns best.Then we are telling her to come up with ways toconform, fit in, and act that are contrary to her learningstyle.

One can look at this several ways. From one pointof view, if you don’t have a schooling option and yourchild must attend a traditional school, you don’t wanther to miss out on learning basic skills simply becausethe school isn’t teaching to her learning style. You can

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Themoreyouallowchildrentoworkthroughtheirlearningstyles,thebetterequippedtheyareforthe“realworld.”

use the information from the Assessment to show herways to understand and remember and learn that shewill use for a lifetime. In addition, the “tricks” that shelearns to help her deal with less than preferablesituations will lay the foundation for an attitude ofpositive problem solving—that is, using creativity tofind solutions. You will learn more about this inChapter 12.

From another point of view,it might be time to considerother schooling options forAnn. Many families make thedecision to homeschoolbecause they want to tap intotheir children’s highestpotentials. Actually, the moreyou allow children to workthrough their learning styles,the better equipped they arefor the “real world.” They still

learn how to deal with less than preferable situations,and they develop and learn in ways that are notpossible when their natural talents and dispositionsare stifled.

I am giving you both sides of the story here. It couldbe that you are in a position to change your child’sschooling situation. If you are not, you still have plentyof great tools to give your child, and your own attitudeof support will be most important. Remember, you are

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your child’s first and most influential teacher. (In Part IIIyou will also learn how to be your child’s learning-success coach.)

WhatElseMightHappen?

The teacher might change! As Ann’s parentscontinued to share all of the techniques they wereusing and their successes, and as Ann “improved,” theteacher was more open to suggestions. She gavepermission for Ann to wear a visor in class when theclassroom was too bright for Ann, and she beganexperimenting with turning on music for the wholeclass. She was also open to Ann listening to musicwith earphones, since this helped Ann tune out whatwas going on around her and allowed her to focus onthe task at hand. This teacher was learning aboutlearning style from these parents. Your child’steachers can learn from you, too!

COMBININGALLASPECTSOFLEARNINGSTYLE

These stories show how the different aspects oflearning style are put together to get the whole picture.

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Dispositions, Talents, Interests, Modality, andEnvironment interact in various, unique ways for eachindividual child. Two children can score about thesame in a particular disposition but learn verydifferently because of the unique combinations of allthe other aspects of their learning style.

If you used the Online Profile you can look atspecific scores. Let’s say two children score thehighest in the Performing Disposition. Child A scores45 and Child B scores 32. Already there is adifference. Child A’s highest score is higher than ChildB’s highest score. Child A probably has more of thePerforming characteristics than Child B. Then we lookat the second highest score. Child A doesn’t reallyhave one—all the other scores are in the teens andabout the same. But Child B scores 29 inRelate/Inspire. We are beginning to get the picture oftwo very different children. When we look at the othersections we find more differences. Child A is Visualand Tactile-Kinesthetic; has talents for buildingmodels, telling jokes, and dancing; and works betterwith music and a space in which he can move andstretch often. Child B is Auditory-Verbal; has talents forworking with people, playing guitar, and playing sports;and needs a quiet workplace with other peoplearound. Child A loves woodshop and acting, and ChildB has a passion for photography. Child B also likes todraw, even though he scored low in Think/Create anddoesn’t have a particular talent for art. If drawing is an

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interest, it can be incorporated into teaching strategiesfor this student—it’s okay to use whatever works.

Now that you have learned more about how to putall of the learning style information together, takeanother look at the Summary form. Notice that it isorganized so that you can easily access the results ofall five aspects of learning style. Now go back to thePlan form and fill it out if you have not already done so.This form will help you organize the specific learningtechniques you gather from each chapter (5 to 9)about the various aspects of learning style. Assuggested earlier, plan the “ideal” program for yourchild, based on the recommended methods andstrategies. Then think about the options, choose afew, and get started!

MakeLifeEasier

Don’t worry about coming up with the “perfect”program. Realize that it will take some experimentingon everyone’s part. You might make some mistakes.Keep a sense of humor while you and your childexplore different options.

YouWillBeAppreciated

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Whenchildren’slearningneedsareacknowledgedandrespected,theyrespondwithanamazingeagernesstodotheirbesteveninlessthansatisfactoryconditions.

When children’s learning needs are acknowledgedand respected, they respond with an amazingeagerness to do their best even in less thansatisfactory conditions. In other words, even a littlewillingness on your part to make some changes will goa long way. Your child will appreciate what you aretrying to do. Include her in the “strategy” sessions.Discuss her unique combination of needs and theconditions that will help her learn best. She willprobably surprise you by offering to handle thosecircumstances that cannot be changed easily.

AcceptYourChild’sUniqueness

Remember that the mostimportant part of this wholeprocess is getting across themessage that your child is awonderfully gifted and capablehuman being, who has aunique life purpose to sharewith the world that no one elsehas. Her value does notdepend on being a greatspeller or on understanding

parts of speech. When your child feels this inside, she

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Rememberthatthemostimportantpartofthiswholeprocessis

will be confident in moving forward. Often it seems thatmiracles happen. The side benefit is that she canlearn the parts of speech and her spelling will greatlyimprove when she is taught through strategies that fither learning style and make her feel competent!

KEEPITSIMPLE

In developing the Learning Style Assessment, everyeffort was made to use category names (such asPerform, Invent, Visual-Picture) that people couldidentify with. However, the terminology is not asimportant as the message. In other words, if you can’tremember the names of the different dispositions, thetalent categories, or the modality types, don’t worry! Ifyou haven’t grasped all of the information aboutlearning style, relax. You don’t have to understand it allin order to make it work. Most of us don’t know howcomputers, microwave ovens, and VCRs work, but weuse them anyway!

As you continue to workwith the Assessment and yourfamily’s results, the languageand concepts will becomemore familiar to you. Referoften to the Assessmentchapters, the teaching

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gettingacrossthemessagethatyourchildisawonderfullygiftedandcapablehumanbeing,whohasauniquelifepurposetosharewiththeworldthatnooneelsehas.

suggestions, and the chartsprovided in the downloadableappendix. Eventually, you willintegrate the information andwill be able to talk about itnaturally and automatically,just like when you learned toride a bike. Remember that it’sokay to use common,everyday language to describehow your child learns best: Heneeds to act things out, drawpictures, watch videos, etc.

The important thing is thatyou are now aware of all thedifferent aspects that make up learning style; that youcontinue to observe and listen to your child, and askquestions to further clarify what works best; and thatyou are willing to provide the opportunities that willhelp make your child a successful, eager, self-motivated learner!

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T

11

Follow-ThroughActivities

his chapter gives you several simple ways tocontinue to use the Learning Style Assessment to

contribute to your child’s learning-success in themonths and years to come. It contains activities tohelp you learn more about how to use theAssessment information.

ACTIVITY1:KNOWWHEREYOUWANTTOGO

The process of raising a child to become an eager,

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self-directed student is given purpose and directionwhen you take the time to determine what learningbehaviors you would like to see in your child. In youropinion, what does a successful learner do? If youwere looking through a window into your child’sclassroom, what would you like to see him or herdoing? List these, then put a check mark by the thingsshe does in class already.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now take a few minutes to write down generalcharacteristics that you would like to see in your childas an adult.

_________________________________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The characteristics you chose reflect your goals foryour child.

What are you doing to promote the learning or lifegoals that you stated above?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With your goals identified you can check now andthen to see if your actions actually support them.When your actions are in alignment with what youwant to accomplish, there is little that can get in theway of progress in your chosen direction.

ACTIVITY2:TAKETHEAssessmentYOURSELF

I recommend that all of the adults who haveresponsibility for your child take the Assessment,

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Whetherweintendtoornot,weseeourchildrenthroughthefilterofourownlearningstyle.

including grandparents, child-care providers, andteachers. In the spirit of working together to develop apos-itive learning team, everyone can contribute byincreasing their understanding about learning style.

Whether we intend to or not,we see our children throughthe filter of our own learningstyle. For example, you mayhave been a whiz in math, andyou might think that yourchild’s low grades in mathshow that he isn’t “trying hardenough” or that he isn’t payingattention in class. You may beimpatient with his inability tomemorize math facts or because he’s asking thesame questions over and over again. On theAssessment your skill in math shows up as Math-Logic Reasoning Talent. Your child’s skill is not in thisarea. Your differences are obvious, and they are anintegral part of each of you. Some of the differencehas to do with your experience, of course. However, agreat deal of the difference has to do with yourindividual talents. With the Assessment information,you are able to move on to problem solving aboutwhat can be done to give your child the foundation heneeds in math—staying focused on a solution ratherthan worrying or feeling frustrated.

Similarly, you might not

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Mostofusdoourbestworkwhenattemptingtoimproveourownperformance,notwhentryingtosurpasstheperformanceofothers.Yet,inclassroomswehaveestablishedthedynamicwhereineachchildwishestoseehisclassmatesfail.—RichardD.Lavoie

understand why your childwants to spend so much timein her room studying. Until youtake the Assessment andcompare scores with yourchild, you might think that thisis a problem. Perhaps you areworried, perhaps her brotherand sister have begun to teaseher about it. Maybe she isbeginning to feel guilty. YourOnline Profile might show ascore of 45 in theRelating/Inspiring Disposition.Your need for interaction islikely to be the filter throughwhich you are seeing yourchild. Let’s say your childscored –3 in theRelating/Inspiring Disposition.Obviously you and yourdaughter aren’t likely to wantthe same amount of

socializing. You are opposites in your desire to be withothers. This is an opportunity to see your child withoutthe filter of your bias and to move on to solution-focused problem solving as soon as possible. Chapter12 will show you how to do this.

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ACTIVITY3:GRAPHTALENTANDDISPOSITIONRESULTS

This is an activity for those who chose the OnlineProfiles. Graphing the scores for talents anddispositions is another way to get information that ismore “visual.” The graphs are easy to read, andchildren as young as eight and nine years old enjoysharing their observations. (See downloadableappendix.)

GraphingDispositions

Find the Disposition scores on the Results page of theProfile. Transfer the scores to the Disposition Graph.Do this for each member of the family, using a differentcolored pencil for each person.

GraphingTalents

Find the Talent scores on the Results page of theProfile. Graph the scores on the Talents Graph. Dothis for each member of the family, using a differentcolored pencil for each person.

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ACTIVITY4:THEFAMILYMEETING

ShareAssessmentResults

Family meetings are a great way to share all kinds ofinformation, make plans, problem solve, etc. With theAssessment results in hand you can set anappointment to look at them together.

Put everyone’s Assessment forms (and graphs ifyou used them) on the table. Everyone can browsethe results and share what they notice. You can deriveinformation in many valuable ways. Here are somesuggestions:

LookforVeryHighHighs

People with very high scores in specific talents ordispositions can take the lead in helping others learnto do what they do so well naturally. These peoplesometimes feel frustrated that others in the family don’tunderstand them. They often have very highstandards for the things that they do so well and canbe critical of others who are less developed in those

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areas. Discuss ways to acknowledge each other andto share each person’s strengths. Share your interestand delight in each person’s gifts and abilities as wellas your willingness to encourage their growth in theseareas.

LookforVeryLowLows

A low score is an indicator that a specific talent ordisposition is not an aptitude for that person. Lows canalso be a sign of lack of exposure and opportunity. Forexample, a child who has no exposure to music andno opportunity to learn about it, is less likely to be ableto check off any of the skills on the Music Talentassessment.

Sometimes people score very low in a talent ordisposition because they have given up trying orcompeting with someone who is more skilled in thatarea. For example, if one member of the family isespecially gifted with a talent for humor and has aPerforming Disposition, other members of the familymay feel that they can’t compete in that arena, so theydon’t even try. People with a Producing Disposition areoften involved in this kind of bind. They want to shareresponsibilities with others; however, their highstandards make participation difficult for othermembers of the family who feel that they aren’t doingthings the right way.

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Treatyourchildasyouwouldtreatthepersonyouwouldlikehimtobecome,

Explore possibilities for “trying out” activities inareas with low scores. Ask your children if there areareas that they would like to improve in. Accept the“no” responses as well as the “yes” ones.

LookforClusters—PlacesWhereEveryoneIsHighorLow

Clusters are a group of similar scores. They areinteresting because they usually are not unanimousfor all members of the family. For example, one personwith a Producing Disposition is a stark contrast to theother members of the family who are not Producing.Or three out of four people might have Interactive-Nature Talent, and the fourth person does not. (If youused the Online Prfoile you can compare scores.) Thiscan be valuable information when you are planningthe annual family camping trip and the child low in theInteractive-Nature Talent is kicking and screamingalready.

Think of how valuable thisknowledge can be! Now thatyou understand the reason foryour child’s reaction, you cansit down together, offerunderstanding for his point ofview, and brainstorm ideas for

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andhewillbecomethatperson.—Dr.HaimGinott

making the camping trip lesstraumatic. Your child is likely tocome up with his own solutionsbecause you haveacknowledged his feelings andneeds.

LookforGapsorHolesintheClusters

Holes in the “family profile” have a story to tell, too. Forexample, if no one in a family has a ProducingDisposition, you may have more than your share ofchaos and disorder at your house, or everyone maybe sharing the practicalities of daily life equally. In the“real world,” the former is more often true. Here isanother example: Parents I worked with recently weresurprised to find out that their child scored 0 in Math-Logic Talent. Furthermore, all five family memberswere low on this talent. This is a hole. No one is highin the talent. This hole in the family profile means thatprobably no one in the family is suited for taking thelead in helping the child with math homework. In thiscase, outside help of some kind would be a goodchoice.

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LookforaPersonWhoHastheSameScoreinAllTalentsorDispositions

Once in a while someone, usually an adult, scores inthe middle range for most of the talents and thedispositions. Sometimes a person is drawn to alldisposition possibilities and her scores are all aboutthe same. Her line on a graph is nearly straight. Thisrarely occurs; however, when it does, it is worth notingand talking about. This person’s characteristics might,indeed, be distributed evenly across the dispositions.In other cases, this could be the scores of someonewho hasn’t thought very much about herself anddoesn’t really know her own preferences.

InterpretforLearning-Success

When it is obvious which members of the family haveparticular dispositions and/or talents, it might beclearer who would be the best person to help Janicewith her math homework and who would be besthelping her with literature. That is, a parent who scoreshigh in Math-Logic Talent is the best choice for helpingwith math homework, and a parent high in Word-Language Reasoning Talent is most naturally suited tohelp with literature. In either case, the willingness to

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work with the child’s disposition needs is as importantas having a talent for the subject. If there is no onewho can work with your child’s learning style at home,it is better not to try to help. Encourage your child toask the teacher for help or get a tutor or friend who canwork with him.

ACTIVITY5:INDIVIDUALMEETINGS

The family meeting is great for the overall picture.However, it’s important to also have an individualmeeting with each child. This is a good time to talkabout strengths and determine how to develop them. Itis also a good time to look at weaknesses anddetermine how to overcome them.

The graphs give you valuable information that canhelp you understand why you might be frustrated orineffective in interacting with your child when it comesto homework or learning performance in general.When you separate your expectations, emotions, andpreferences from your child’s by using theAssessment information, it takes the pressure off ofboth of you; no one is seen as a “problem.” TheAssessment scores say, “This is the way it is. You are

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Whenyouseparateyourexpectations,emotions,andpreferencesfromyourchild’sbyusingtheProfileinformation,ittakesthepressureoffofbothofyou;nooneisseenasa“problem.”

different from each other.”From this point on, you have choices about what

you want to do with the information on your child’sAssessment. One choice is to make sure that yourdaily expectations are appropriate for the goals youhave for your child.

For example, in the goalsyou listed in Activity 1, let’s saythat you determined that youwould like to see your childparticipate more in classdiscussion, join some clubs,and be more social. TheAssessment shows that he islow in the Relating/InspiringDisposition and the Interactive-Others Talent. Now you havesome information to use inaddition to your own thoughts,worries, hopes, andexpectations. It isn’tnecessarily that your child isrude, a hermit, or on the roadto a life of isolation; it could

simply be that by nature he is not likely to seek outinteraction with others. Now you can talk to your childabout the importance of developing social skills andmake a plan together for how to do that if he is willingto participate. In this way, you are respecting your

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child’s style, getting his input, and moving forward byseeking solutions. You are modeling the solution-focused approach discussed in the next chapter.

UseStrengthstoOvercomeWeaknesses

Using a child’s strengths to overcome weaknesses isan important component of the Learning Style Model.Young people are willing to participate in skilldevelopment when individualized and appropriatemethods, materials, and activities are used. Theybegin to feel competent because they see that theycan improve. Many kids don’t improve because theyare not being taught through their learning style. Usingthe same methods that didn’t work in the first placegives them the impression that they can’t succeed.Some really don’t get it the way it is being taught, andthey won’t get it no matter how severe the punishmentor how wonderful the reward.

Chapter 8 talks about the progress that can bemade in reading when the child’s appropriate learningmodality is used to reach reading goals. This is anexample of how skill can be developed by usingappropriate methods, materials, and activities. Skillcan be improved in any area. The Assessment helpsyou and your child identify what you want to change.

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Insteadofworryingornagging,youcanturnlearningweaknessesintolearninggoals.

Instead of worrying or nagging, you can turn learningweaknesses into learning goals. Once learning goalsare established, strategies that draw upon a child’sstrengths can be developed to achieve them. Step bystep, the progression goes like this:

1. Identify generalweaknesses or areas forgrowth (refer to this section onthe Plan form).

2. Turn weaknesses andareas for growth into specificlearning goals, such aslearning the ‘3’ times table,complete homeworkassignments, learn fivespelling words, etc.

3. Select Learning-Style appropriate methods,materials, and activities.

Look at Ann’s Learning Style Portrait in thedownloadable appendix. An identified goal for Ann isto improve math skills. By using her Spatial and BodyCoordination Talents, her interest in movement, andher Performing Disposition, strategies can be put inplace: math games, videos, and dancing, and wholebody activities all work through Ann’s learning style tosupport reaching the identified math goal. (A blankportrait is provided in the downloadable appendix.)

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ACTIVITY6:REASSESSING

Some people like to have their children retake theAssessments every two or three years. It has beeninteresting to see the results of these reassessments.Generally, talents, modalities, and dispositions staythe same. Interests and environment are mostchangeable. Primary and secondary dispositionssometimes switch places. Usually this occurs whenthe gap between the two scores was small in the firstplace.

Once in a while, if there has been a dramatic eventin a person’s life, the learning style scores, especiallyfor disposition, shift in a significant way. (See Chapter5 for more information on this.)

ANOTHERSTEPYOUCANTAKE

You may or may not want to talk to your child’s teacherabout the Assessment outcomes. If you decide to doso, having specific learning goals and strategies inmind can make it much easier to talk to a teacherbecause you are not only pointing to a concern butalso offering appropriate suggestions. One thing is for

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sure, being prepared is your best bet, so considertaking copies of your child’s Learning StyleAssessment and the Learning Style Portrait to theteacher. Chapter 14 gives more suggestions for howto make your case to a teacher in a way that is mostlikely to be heard.

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C

Part2

CoachforSuccess

hapters 12 to 15 lead you through the process ofbecoming your child’s learning-success coach.

Chapter 12 discusses interaction techniques thatmake the application of Learning Style informationmore effective. Chapter 13 deals with concerns thatmany parents have about possible “learningproblems,” and Chapter 14 gives suggestions to helpyou share Learning Style information with your child’s

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teachers. Finally, Chapter 15 suggests ways oflooking at education that can help your child grow upto be a self-directed, eager learner for the rest of herlife.

Now on to Part 3!n Read Chapters 12–15n Do the Exercisesn Fill out the Portraits

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N

12

StayF.I.T.T.

ow that you’ve finished Part II of this book, you’reready to begin using the long-term learning-

success coaching techniques that I myself havelearned from families that I’ve worked with. Fourinteraction essentials help you keep F.I.T.T. as youcontinue to nurture the eager, self-directed learner inyour child. Athletic coaches assist in accomplishingpersonal best, in taking a person to their next level ofaccomplishment. Your role as a learning coach ismuch the same, advancing one step at a time as yourchild is ready to take it.

The four Stay F.I.T.T. techniques are:n Focus on solutions,n Identify goals,n Track successes,n Take the pressure off.

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Kidswhoareraisedwithsolution-focusedproblemsolvingin-steadofconsequencesorpunishmentdeveloptheabilitytokeepgoinginthefaceofsetbacks.

F—FocusonSolutions

Solution-focused kids are much more likely to feelcapable in a learning situation, while blame-focusedkids are often afraid and withdrawn or resistant and/orrebellious. Solution-focus keeps attention on how aproblem can be handled in the present. Blame-focusbrings up the past and tries to find out who or whatcaused the problem and what “should be done to” theperson who caused the problem.

Kids who are raised withsolution-focused problemsolving instead ofconsequences or punishmentdevelop the ability to keepgoing in the face of setbacks.Athletes are well trained atsolution-focused problemsolving. Every roadblock to thebasket, the goal, or the finishline is faced positively andenergetically to keepmomentum going toward thegoal. The belief is always thatthe roadblock is surmountable.

When parents see theirkids’ school problems as surmountable—that therecan be a positive way to work with them—they can

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Studentsshouldbeencouragedtoconcentrateontasksthatshowwhattheycandoinsteadofwhattheycan’tdo.—RichardD.Lavoie

stop negative patterns of interaction and teach theirkids how to find win–win outcomes. They also putrelationships with their kids on a footing that makesworking with learning style not only more effective, butmore fun.

AParent–ChildInterchange

Let’s look at an example. If your child isn’t turning inhomework, a blame-focused approach would be tolabel the misbehavior, discover what your child didinstead of doing homework, make threats, anddetermine some kind of consequence for themisbehavior.

The interchange might go likethis: “You are being soirresponsible. What are youdoing during the time you sayyou’re doing homework? Youare never going to amount toanything if you don’t learn howto play by the rules. I’m takingaway your telephone privilegesuntil you take care of thisproblem.”

A solution-focusedapproach starts with thesituation at hand, does not

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Asolution-focusedapproachstartswiththesituationathand,doesnotlabelorthreaten,andinvitesthechildtobepartofthe

label or threaten, and invites the child to be part of thesolution. The interaction might go like this: “When Iheard that you weren’t turning in your homework, I feltdisappointed. You must be a little anxious yourselfabout getting behind in your work. What do you thinkcould be done about the situation?” Your tone, facialexpression, and posture are important; avoid sarcasmand indig-nation. If you are truly asking for participationin the problem-solving process, regardless of how oldthe child is, she will have useful ideas about how to dothings differently. Sometimes the ideas can be quitesilly and far-fetched. Accept those, too. If you collectfour or five ideas from a child, add a couple of yourown, and maintain the friendly tone throughout, youand your child are likely to come up with somethingthat will work for each of you. A solution determined inthis way has a longer lasting effect than a punishmentdoes.

Children who scored highon the Assessment in theRelating Disposition or theInteractive-Others Talent willprobably enjoy solution-focused problem solving themost. This kind of workingtogether meets their needs forinteraction, for talking thingsover, and for being part of ateam. Producing children will

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solution.probably enjoy this process,also, especially if you makelists of different solutions andcheck them off as you eliminate them. Young peoplewith a Performing Disposition will enjoy problemsolving if they can “ham up” their side, if it doesn’t taketoo long, and if it can be fun. If your child has a HumorTalent, joking around is essential. Kids with PerformingDisposition or a Humor Talent need to beacknowledged for their cleverness. Thinking/Creatingand Inventing Disposition kids as well as kids withSpatial Talent are likely to want to draw or scribbleduring the problem-solving process. The Think/Createand Invent kids might even want time to think thingsover and make final decisions at another meeting.

Finding solutions together is an effective way toshare responsibility for the outcomes of difficultsituations. Don’t be tricked into thinking that you mustbe in charge and know all of the answers for how to dothings right. Don’t be tricked into thinking that it is yourjob to find out who is wrong and who should bepunished. As you work together with your child to findsolutions, you will be pleasantly surprised at thechanges that occur!

ATeacher–ClassExample

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To give you an idea of how this approach works in aclassroom, consider a situation where some studentsare too noisy and the teacher has called a meeting todetermine consequences. Students might suggest thefollowing for those who are noisy:

Blame-focused consequences:1. Write names on the board.2. Make them stay after school.3. Take away time from recess.4. Take away recess privileges for a day.5. Sit outside the classroom door.Solution-focused ideas might be:1. Have a buddy tap them on the shoulder to

remind them to be quiet.2. Students take turns as “noise monitors” and

remind them to be quiet.3. The teacher could ring a bell when it gets too

noisy.4. The teacher could turn off the light when it gets

too noisy.Unlike blame-focused consequences, solutions

offered by kids are solutions they are willing to try andto support. When you practice solution-focus, yourkids learn how to problem-solve from you. Theirconfidence will grow as they realize that they can learnfrom mistakes and affect outcomes.1

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Withoutgoalsoftheirown,kidsareoftenpassiveparticipantsinthegoalsthatotherpeoplehaveforthem.

I—IdentifyGoals

Kids who have goals and can imagine a positive futurefor themselves are more eager learners than youngpeople who are discouraged and don’t seepossibilities for themselves in the short or long term.Kids with goals have a reason of their own for all of thehard, daily work required in school. Kids with goalsmake a commitment to develop themselves. Goals arehopeful, forward looking, and convey the message tooneself that “I have someplace worthwhile to go.”Without short-term and long-term goals, a child can beadrift. Goal setting opens up a world of choices,commitment, preferences, values, hope, andwillingness to meet requirements.

Without goals of their own,kids are often passiveparticipants in the goals thatother people have for them.Other people’s goals andexpectations can feel to kidslike demands, and it is anatural tendency to resistdemands.2

If they don’t have their owngoals, kids have to rely on ourjudgment for twelve years about school’s purpose andrelevance, and that’s a very long time. If we received a

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report card for our achievements in explaining therelevance of schooling, the grade should probably bea “D.” The technique for passing on the importance ofschool studies is usually a long lecture followed bythreats or horror stories of what will happen if a youngperson fails to study hard enough. To some, the wholepresentation sounds more like a demand than anopportunity; they dig in their heels in resistance.Motivating by threats and fear seems to work in theshort term. However, this is an illusion. Resentmentbuilds in the child, and you end up finding out weeks,months, or years later that what you thought was ashort-term solution definitely didn’t work for the long-term. There’s got to be a better way!

Setting aside twelve years for a young person tostudy is supposed to be an opportunity. How can youas a parent return to that original intention and makethe school years an opportunity? Learning to help yourchild set goals can be helpful.

AnIndirectRoutetoLifeDirection

I remember my son’s junior year of high school whenhe was thinking seriously about the profession hewould pursue after graduation. He pored over thedirectory of U.S. colleges and universities for hours.Guided by his interests, talents, and imagination, heselected about twenty-five colleges to write to for

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information. In addition, he wrote to the MerchantMarines and the U.S. Coast Guard. Almost daily hewas hatching new plans for yet another excitingcareer. Led by his imagination, he started withsociety’s highest ranking professions. Law headed thelist for a while. Then he began to think of his interest insailing, which he had done every summer in PugetSound, and the Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, andoceanography headed the list. Next he began toconsider his obvious talent and love for drawing,design, and three-dimensional imaging andconstruction. (This kid designed with Legos until hewas seventeen years old and could write manuals forconstructing anything you could name.)Enthusiastically he shared each new scenario, and wetalked over the pros and cons together.

Gradually, by his own processes and after monthsof research, with pounds of college catalogs stackednext to his bed, he decided that architecture was whathe wanted to study. Choosing a school was the nextstep. He knew he wanted the challenge of living on theEast Coast; that limited the field some. Eventually hechose six schools, some East Coast, some WestCoast for back-up. Then began the visits to schoolsand the interviews. He went to Chicago, Rhode Island,New York, and Los Angeles. Everywhere is far awaywhen you live in the most northwestern corner of theUnited States, as we did then. My husband and I hadvery little input into this process. Primarily we were

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there to act as sounding boards and to give supportfor his plans. He made all the contacts, arrangements,and visits while he was a senior in high school. Hekept up with his classes and continued to set one goalafter another for himself, motivated by a long-term goalthat was getting clearer and clearer to him with eachstep. I witnessed my son grow in confidence with eachchallenge he met, with each short-term goal hereached. He had a great deal of practice setting goalsand making choices all through junior high and highschool, and the value of this was obvious as wewatched him take hold of his future with suchenthusiasm and confidence.

Real-WorldMotivators

Goals provide a strong motivation for doing what isneeded, on a daily basis, to reach those goals.Finishing high school is an example of “doing what isneeded.” If finishing high school is linked to goals forthe future that involve your child’s talents andinterests, and things that your child loves to do, thenyour child has a reason to complete her studies. Whena child has her own reasons or purposes for doingyears and years of hard work, the child becomes aself-motivated, eager learner. By teaching goal setting,you can help your child identify the reasons andpurposes she needs to try difficult things and to

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Byteachinggoal-setting,youcanhelpyourchildidentifythereasonsandpurposessheneedstotrydifficultthingsandtopersevere.

persevere.Goal setting has two distinct

parts: 1) the outcome desiredand 2) the means for reachingthe outcome. To talk aboutgoals to kids withoutconsideration for how thegoals can be reached leavesthe outcomes dangling inmidair with no steps leading upto them. We want our kids tobe thinking about outcomes aswell as the everyday stepsthey need to take to reachthem.

Goals are concrete outcomes that a person wantsto achieve. With young kids it is extremely important torealize and be patient with the fact that their goals willchange. If you can accept this fact early on, you willhave more fun and less frustration listening to yourchild talk about his ideas for his future.

Even for older kids, long-term goals are going tochange many times. Don’t worry about this. Many ofyour child’s goals for himself are related to age andstages of development. What matters is that kids areable to create some kind of picture of themselves asadults doing specific, constructive things. As a youngperson gets to know himself better by taking theLearning Style Assessment, by pursuing interests,

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AsayoungpersongetstoknowhimselfbetterbytakingtheLearningStyleProfile,bypursuingInterests,andby

and by identifying role models, he will show a patternof preferred activities. These activities eventually beginto resonate with livelihood possibilities and lastinggoals. You must, however, trust the somewhat indirectprocess that many kids go through to sort out whatthey want to do, as my son’s story about finding acollege illustrated.

Goal-SettingExerciseI

An effective way to talk about goals is to have yourchild make a scrapbook of people she admires. Shecan use photos of relatives and friends. She can drawpictures. She can cut pictures from magazines andnewspapers. As part of this activity, have her write, oryou can write for her, what it is that she admires aboutthese people. Talk about the principles that thesepeople live by as well as the principles that you live by.

Somewhere in the book,encourage your child to setaside a page to draw or writeabout herself as an adult, whatcareer she would like topursue, where she thinks shemight like to live, etc. If a youngperson is showing a stronginterest in a certain career, acertain place she wants to visit,

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identifyingrolemodels,hewillshowapatternofpreferredactivities.

or subject she wants to study,work together on a scrapbookfor that, too. Help your childgather as much information aspossible on the people andsubjects that interest her. Readlibrary books together. Getinformation from the Internet.

Find special picture books about a favorite subject.Take field trips. All of this provides special learningabout something that is appealing to her at the time.This is when she is most receptive to learning.

Save some pages in the scrapbook for collectingideas about how your child can reach his long-termgoals. Take ideas from the lives of people he admires.Did these people go to college, take a job after highschool graduation, study abroad, or start their ownbusinesses? All of these ideas show your child therange of possibilities for reaching his goals.

When long-term goals are established, you canstart talking about the short-term academic, social, andpersonal skills that support these long-term goals.When your child has long-term goals in mind, he hastaken a major step toward becoming an eager, self-directed learner.

Goal-SettingExerciseII

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From junior high school on it can be helpful to makean annual school-year plan. You can also make a planto complete high school. When I discovered theimportance of doing this goal-setting activity for myson, we started with a six-year plan. It is amazing tothink back on how focused that plan kept us. My sonhas mentioned several times how important it was tohim. Put the plan on paper. Include short-term goalssuch as trips you are planning to take; classes to betaken in school; classes to be taken in pursuit ofinterests, talents, and involvement issues; and otheractivities. Enter possible dates for reaching goals orcompleting projects on a calendar. Don’t forget toinclude plans for celebrations of accomplishments.

RecruitforYourChild’sTeam

You can assist the goal-setting process by expandingthe education team for your child. Your child canchoose anyone he likes to be on his team to help himget through school—people he could call on forhomework help, or for advice about a problem or aninterest he wants to pursue, or who would take him onfield trips at various times. These are people whowould celebrate education milestones with you andyour child. Such people can be helpful in many ways.You don’t have to do it all yourself, and these friends,relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances are usually

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Enterpossibledatesforreachinggoalsorcompletingprojectsonacalendar.Don’tforgettoincludeplansforcelebrationsofaccomplishments.

delighted to be asked to share their knowledge, skills,time, and wisdom.

SparkDreams

When my son was studyingarchitecture he was fascinatedby the work of a world-renowned architect. Myhusband and I told him tomake the arrangements andwe would pay his way to gosee this architect in NewMexico. A one-hourappointment was set up at thearchitect’s office, which turnedinto a two-hour meeting and atour of his wonderful home thathad been the spark for ourson’s interest in the first place.

We can’t afford not to encourage these kinds of vitalconnections for our children—connections that sparkdreams and goals.

Maybe your child has some new goals to add tothose on the Plan form that she filled out earlier. Listthem below. Notice that in addition to determininglong-term goals she is asked to think of short-termsteps to take to reach these goals. The secret of goal

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setting is to break the big goal into a series of small,doable steps.

Long-Term Goals Short-Term Goals to Support Long-Term Ones

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

You might want to transfer some of these long-termgoals to the Plan form.

T—TRACKSUCCESSESNOTFAILURES

Is it simply human nature to remember the pain of ourfailures more than the sweetness of our successes?You would think so, we do it so automatically.Conditioning, however, plays a major role in what weselect to emphasize about ourselves.The conditioning to notice our

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Assoonasteachersstartsendinghomepaperswithsmilingorfrowningfaces,stars,andredmarksonthem,theemphasisoftenturnsto“trackingfailures.”

failures starts young. Beforechildren enter school, adultsseem to be much better aboutkeeping track of their children’ssuccesses rather than theirfailures. Preschool andkindergarten can also be quitesupportive experiences forsome children. However, assoon as teachers start sendinghome papers with smiling orfrowning faces, stars, and redmarks on them, the emphasisoften turns to “trackingfailures.”

Have you ever noticed how spontaneously wemark the wrong answers wrong rather than markcorrect responses right? It’s just as easy to make acapital “C” next to a correct answer as it is to put acheck mark by a wrong answer. What if a papercovered with red marks was looked forward tobecause it was a record of all that had been done rightinstead of all that had been done wrong? Scores areusually written at the top of a page as –3 or –7. Whynot a ratio such as: 17/20 or 20/20? Why not +17 or+13? Did you know that some teachers have a slide-rule-like device called an “EZ Grader” thatautomatically gives percentage scores based on thenumber of errors made? Why do all papers need to be

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Iwonderwhathappenswhenachildhearsarecitationofhisfailuresdayafterday,yearafteryear?

scored anyway? Why not just comments andsuggestions once in a while?

For better or worse, it is the“three wrong” that sticks inone’s memory after the mathtest is returned, not the“seventeen right.” I wonderwhat happens when a childhears a recitation of his failuresday after day, year after year?Do you have a strong negativeinternal voice that is critical ofyourself and others? Wheredid that voice come from? It is the result of our ownupbringings that tracked our failures rather than oursuccesses. By the time we are eighteen years old, it isestimated that we have heard 180,000 statementsreinforcing our limitations.

What if instead a child hears her successes recitedday after day, year after year? “Wouldn’t that make achild conceited, a spoiled brat, a tyrant?” you might beasking. On the contrary, that child grows up to beconfident and goal oriented. Perhaps you’ve heardAlbert Einstein’s saying that it takes eleven positives toovercome one negative. To balance out the 180,000negatives referred to above, it would take 1,980,000positives. If you err on the side of recognizingsuccesses, you are in no danger of falling into thiskind of debt.

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Bythetimeweareeighteenyearsold,itisestimatedthatwehaveheard180,000statementsreinforcingourlimitations.

Fortunately, we have time to turn the situationaround for children growing up now. When your childbegins to have more learning-success as a result ofyour implementing the strategies in this book,emphasize even the smallest gains. “Wow! Look atthat; your handwriting is so evenly spaced on thisassignment.” “You got eight right on your spelling test,two more than last week!” Stay descriptive, stayspecific, stay accurate, and you will see confidencebuild. Your children will be more willing to try difficultthings, to persevere longer, to share the results of theirefforts, and, eventually, to challenge themselves withlearning goals of their own.

Even if your child is havinga positive school experience, itis important to track successesrather than failures. Manystudents do well in schoolbecause they are afraid theywill “get in trouble” if they don’t.Their parents are trackingfailures also. These kids stewand fret and work late on theirhomework every night. Asadults these people say, “I gotgood grades, but I don’tremember a thing.” Success

tracking helps these conscientious learners takepleasure in their accomplishments rather than fear

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Evenifyourchildishavingapositiveschoolexperience,itisimportanttotracksuccessesratherthanfailures.

failure.Be patient! The steps in the direction of better

scores, more participation in classroom activities, ormore enthusiasm for studies can be small. If you areconsistent in acknowledging any progress towardlearning-success, you will gradually see greateraccomplishments.

My husband and I came torealize while raising our sonthat, as my husband put in apoem, “real change oftenhappens at the corner of theeye and often in steps toosmall to measure.”3 So be onthe alert for small successesand acknowledge them!

T—TAKETHEPRESSUREOFF

Kids under too much pressure are not able to focus ontheir studies because they are preoccupied with fearsof failure. Two easy ways you can take pressure off ofyour child are: 1) give permission for your child to “notdo” something that is extremely difficult, and 2)encourage your child to evaluate his own progress

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rather than rely on grades.

GiveYourPermissionto“NotDo”WhenAppropriate

If a child is having trouble with penmanship or spellingor reading, and it has been a problem for a long time,you can work wonders with the situation by giving yourchild permission to “not do” the troublesome activityand to focus on developing other skills. With repeatedreminding about her inadequacies, a child becomesdefensive and focuses on protecting herself. Childrenare painfully aware of many of their own inadequacies.They don’t need our continual reminding of what theseare. In many cases they don’t need our help to remedythem either. By letting go of your expectations for yourchild, you give her breathing room, and she can startto focus on her own approach to the problem.

Sometimes a child has been hurried along in anarea when he needed to develop better foundationskills. This often happens in reading. If a child’sModality is Visual-Picture and he has been given anAuditory or a Visual-Print approach to reading, it maytake him longer to develop the foundation concepts.To be rushed when the foundation isn’t in place cancause insecurity. Sometimes the feelings ofinadequacy cause the child to shut down to the

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Apersonwhoengagesinopportunitythinkingfocusesonconstructivewaysofdealingwithchallengingsituations.Apersonwhoengagesinobstaclethinkingfocusesonreasonstogiveup.

learning process entirely. If we can remove thepressure at home rather than make more pressure,the child gets enough relaxation from schoolrequirements to find a renewed energy for getting backon track.

Within days or weeks oftaking the pressure off bywithdrawing your expectationsor giving permission to “notdo,” a child usually starts totake responsibility fordeveloping the weak area inhis own way. His approach tothe problem might be verydifferent from yours. Trust whatyour child wants to do. Hismotivation to try is coming fromthe fact that he is beingallowed to come up with hisown solutions.

In the above example, eventhough school continues tohave the expectation that yourchild will read, you can lighten

his distress over the situation by using books-on-tapeat home, reading to your child, and not expecting himto read to you for a while. At times we have to say,“What you are doing is ‘good enough.’” In distressingsituations, “C’s” or sometimes “D’s” can be “good

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Attimeswehavetosay,“Whatyouaredoingis‘goodenough.’”

enough” grades. In some cases, especially when it isa very weak subject for your child, what is important isthat your child is participating.

Many of the students that I work with have difficultywith the physical act of writing. Taking notes andwriting reports are a source of muscular pain andperformance anxiety. To take the pressure off forthese students, you can suggest to your child’steacher that your child tape-record some reports ratherthan write all of them. Your child can also use the taperecorder to tape lecture material rather than takenotes. For older students who can type, a laptopcomputer might help the note-taking problem.

The above are a few examples of when “not doing”could be appropriate. Many other areas respond tothis approach, and you will begin to notice them quiteeasily as you work more with your child’s learningstyle.

Remember, if the schoolswere following the LearningStyle Model of Education, yourchild would not beexperiencing this distress.Because schools generally donot follow the Learning StyleModel, you need to takematters into your own handsand provide learning style support and teaching athome as well as advocating for your child’s learning

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style at school when appropriate.

EncourageSelf-Evaluation

Tests and grades are only one form of evaluation,although this is the primary form used by schools. Formany students, grades are a discouraging form ofevaluation. Once again you have an opportunity togive your child another view of herself. TheAssessment is a helpful tool to identify your child’sstrong and weak areas. Whether a subject is astrength or a weakness, learning to evaluate oneself isfar more beneficial in the long run than trusting gradesas the only form of evaluation we ever experience.

Over the years I have found that children who self-evaluate are harder on themselves than teachers orparents are. They are very aware of their learningprocesses, and, when asked, they can talk quiteaccurately about their efforts and progress. They knowhow hard they have been trying. They know the kindsof frustrations they have faced. They know when theyhave been goofing-off. My experience is that they arequite willing to talk about all of it when they are askedand when they are assured that they won’t get intotrouble for what they say.

If you have developed a listening relationship withyour child, you can sit down with her and hear her ownassessment of exam scores and report cards. From

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Theterm“coach”hasbeenchosentodescribeyourrole.Youmightbemorecomfortablewithadvocate,guide,bridge-builder,orevenlearningmentor.

her evaluation you will learn much more than a reportcard or a grade will ever tell you. You can ask herabout what she knows now that she didn’t knowbefore or what new skills and vocabulary she has as aresult of studying a subject. You can find out about herexpectations for a class and whether or not they weremet. You can ask her if she would recommend thecourse to someone else. If so, why? If not, why not?You can ask her about whether or not she thinks shewill have a use for the information in the future. Youcan ask her about the effort she put into her work andwhat she might do differently next time. This type offollow-up gives you and your child far more valuableinformation about your child’s thoughts, learningprocesses, and expectations than grades ever will.

At home, you have noreason to compare your childwith anyone else, and thisdoes a great deal to relieve thepressure on students who arestruggling. For students whodo well in school already, self-evaluation and personal besttakes the focus off ofcompeting and puts it onthemselves. Many excellentstudents have never stoppedto think about what they wouldlike to get from a course. No

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matter how young your child is,self-evaluation can be used with very good results.

SUMMARY

I hope that you will use these supportive strategies tokeep your child more fully involved in his learningprocess. I’ve no doubt that as you make progress inlearning these interacting skills, they will translate intomore confidence in your child, and you will benefit bystaying F.I.T.T. for the many challenges that await you.Remember that change can be slow at first. It is yourcommitment to continue to work with your child’slearning style and the learning style interactionphilosophy that will make the difference.

The term “coach” has been chosen to describeyour role. You might be more comfortable withadvocate, guide, bridge-builder, or even learningmentor. All of these roles put the emphasis onassisting, supporting, and nurturing. Children need asmuch of these things in their lives as they can get.

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13

WhatAboutLearningDisabilities?

f you’ve read the first twelve chapters in this book,you are now probably thinking one of two things:1. My child doesn’t have a learning disability—I can

skip this chapter.2. I still don’t see how this book can help me and

my child—my child has a learning disability.If you are in the first group, I hope that you will not

skip this chapter, because you can gain valuableinsight from it.

If you are in the second group, your child has eitherbeen diagnosed as having a “learning disability” oryou suspect a “learning disability.” In my work with kids

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who have been diagnosed “learning disabled,” I haveseen families make great gains in understanding anddealing with their children’s learning needs. They oftencome to me anxious and discouraged. Gradually,through a learning style approach, they begin to relaxand see that their child’s unique style is that child’s gift.One mom described it this way:

My son was in fifth grade, at what the school told me wasa first-grade reading and writing level. The teacherconstantly complained that my son was disruptive, loud,and “like a spring ready to be sprung.” I was having noproblems with him at home, except when he had to read orwrite.

The Learning Style Profile was administered andthis mom began applying the results at home.

Less than a year later, my son was reading airplane modelinstructions . . . In the following school year, he wasreading aircraft flight manuals and repair books. Now, fouryears later, he can read anything . . . Best of all, he nolonger thinks of himself as “dumb” and a “troublemaker.”He knows he’s smart, can do anything he wants to do, andno longer sees himself or his learning style as theproblem.

I struggled with how to write this chapter so that Icould give the parents of “learning disabled” childrenpeace of mind about this topic. How can I unravel whatseems to be a complex and frightening subject andbring you to a simple insight that will make a positive

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difference for you and your child and, literally, changeyour lives?

Before we begin discussing “learning disabilities,”let’s take a look at the series of events which generallyoccurs when a child begins school . . .

TheTraditionalSchoolModel

The National Education Goals Panel, an independentexecutive branch agency of the federal government,has published a document entitled National EducationGoals: Building A Nation of Learners .1 This documentpresents eight goals for our nation’s schools, to bereached by the year 2000. The first goal is: All childrenwill start school ready to learn. And this is preciselywhere the trouble starts!

PreparedtoLearn

Traditionally, “prepared to learn” has meant that thechild arrives at school ready and eager to:

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n sit in a desk and work alone quietly for longperiods of time

n follow the teacher’s sequential directionsn focus and listen to a lesson about phonics or

adding numbers even when there is the ongoing noiseof construction outside

n do worksheets instead of playing with toysn be quiet for long periods of timen listen to the verbal lesson and be prepared to

answer the teacher’s questionsn raise a hand for permission to speak and then

stick to the topic being discussedn organize and plan work time efficientlyn print and color neatlyn learn to read, write, and do math

The child who comes to school prepared to do theabove is then labeled motivated, smart, eager to learn,and, most probably, above average, maybe evengifted. Now let’s look at some different children. Thesechildren arrive at school ready and eager to:

n play at recessn draw or fingerpaintn tell imaginative storiesn entertain the teacher and other studentsn experiment with the musical instruments in classn tap on the desk with a pencil or any object, in the

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Testingmayhelp...ifitaimstouncoverspecificproblemsandstrengthsratherthantorankstudentsaslife’swinnersandlosers.—ArthurPowell

absence of musical instrumentsn move around the room, exploring and discovering

hidden “treasures”n play, act and/or singn ask a lot of questionsn share their toys and play in classn make forts out of the furniture

Teachers become concerned about these studentsbecause they do not behave or perform according toschool expectations. Many of these children arelabeled slow, unmotivated, immature, distractible,disruptive, or lazy. If problems persist, someoneusually suggests testing to find out if there is a learningdisability.

TestingandLabeling—HelporHindrance?

What is the purpose of testing?What would you, the parent,like testing to do? Would youlike to know your child’sstrengths and weaknesses,

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how your child learns best, andhow to use this information to help develop the weakareas? Would you like to find out where your child’sreal talents lie, so that you can encourage and guidehim in the best direction? Or would you like to knowpercentile rankings and IQ scores and the learninglabel that fits your child?

In reality, the typical school assessment providesthe latter, and comes up with one of two conclusions:

1. There is nothing wrong with this perfectly“normal” or “average” or “bright” child—motivation orinterest must be lacking. This is the parents’ problem.

2. This child has a learning disability—a specialprogram must be developed. This is the school’sproblem.

Either way the child loses. The first diagnosisimplies laziness, stubbornness, rebelliousness, lack ofeffort. The second diagnosis implies deficiency. Let’slook at how this affects a real child.

Jan is a twelve-year-old student. She is artistic andcreative, physically active, and a great swimmer andrunner. She holds appropriate conversations, lovesanimals, and is alert, friendly and enthusiastic. She isat “grade level” in math, but, she is a terrible speller,her writing skills are poor, and she doesn’t like to read.

Notice that the but discounts all the previousstatements about Jan. Her positive qualities and skillsdon’t seem to count; all that is noticed are the one or

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It’stimetoconfrontthereallybigquestion:Dolearningdisabilitiesexist?Orisitalljustamatteroflearningstyle?

two areas that are deficient.Jan is tested in order to find out if she has a

learning disability or if she is simply lazy or lacking ineffort.

Either way, it will probablybe concluded that Jan isspending too much timeswimming or drawing and notenough practicing writing andmemorizing spelling words. Itwill probably be recommendedthat swimming team or artclasses be dropped until shebrings her grades up inEnglish.

If you were Jan, which labelwould you rather have? Wouldyou rather be deficient anddisabled or lazy and unmotivated? All of these labelsare negative. Not one offers encouragement or sparksenthusiasm. Not one tells what kind of program wouldbe helpful. Not one gives a direction for Jan and hertalents.

What does labeling accomplish then? Aren’t somelearning disorders serious? What about dyslexia andADD? It’s time to confront the really big question: Dolearning disabilities exist? Or is it all just a matter oflearning style?

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Allchildrenarriveatschool

THELEARNINGSTYLEMODEL

Earlier we discussed the National Education Goal,which states that all children will start school preparedto learn. Unfortunately, because schools generally setthings up so that only one type of learner can berecognized as “prepared to learn,” this goal is basicallyimpossible to meet. It can only be met if programs areprovided that respect what different learners areprepared to learn. Because the school traditionallydecides what is supposed to be learned when, thosekids who have natural abilities in these areas becomethe “gifted” ones and those who don’t become the“learning disabled.” Those who are unable to earneither of these distinctions are doomed to be“average,” “below average,” or “slow,” as discussed inChapter 2.

When the Learning Style Model of Education isapplied, it is easy to see that all children arrive atschool prepared to learn. It’s just that they arrive eagerand ready to learn different things in different ways,based on their own unique “hardwiring.” With theLearning Style Model there is no need for testing andlabeling; determining learning style is what’s important.

sMyTalentBetter

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preparedtolearn.It’sjustthattheyarriveeagerandreadytolearndifferentthingsindifferentways,basedontheirownunique“hardwiring.”

ThanYourTalent?

When I was in school, I wasgood at reading, writing, andmath. I was very organized, didall of my work, and receivedmostly A’s on my report cards.Today, I can’t work the VCR,and computers give me allkinds of trouble. I also getturned around very easily andlose my sense of direction if I

don’t have a map to refer to. I don’t swim well, I can’tdraw, and I have a terrible time figuring out blueprintsand diagrams. Of course, all of these deficiencieswere present when I was in school, but no one wouldhave ever thought to label me with one of the “LD”(learning disabled) terms because I fit the descriptionof the “good student.”

Why is it that no one said, “It’s true she’s great atreading and writing and studying for tests, but she’ssuch a poor swimmer, and she can’t follow aschematic diagram, and I don’t think she’ll everunderstand how electricity works. And, oh, dear, herdrawing skills! My goodness, we really need to get hertested so she can get help!”

Earlier, when we were discussing Jan, I mentionedthat only the weak areas are noticed, even when achild obviously has many strengths. As you can see,

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this is not entirely true; our schools generally are onlyconcerned when certain skills are weak—reading,writing, and math, mostly.

As adults, we are in awe of the great artist ormusician, the person who can fix anything electrical orelectronic, the talented mechanic, the creativelandscaper, the gifted architect. But what did we do tothese people when they were in school? Because,you see, these are the Visual–Tactile–Kinesthetic,Performing–Inventing–Creating people who needed tomove and do and watch videos and experiment andinvent and tap the desk and walk around the room andtake things apart. Why did we tell them to stopdoodling and quit daydreaming and stop fiddling, if thatis what helps them to produce their best work?

Why isn’t our educational system just as concernedwhen mechanical skills are weak? Or artistic andcreative abilities? Or athletic skills? Or social skills?Why aren’t we testing, diagnosing, and setting upprograms to increase competence in these areas?Because these abilities, and many others, areconsidered to be talents, and we don’t expecteveryone to be proficient in all of them. In contrast, wedon’t consider reading, writing, and math to be talents,and we expect everyone to be proficient in them.

We apply labels to people who have difficulty withreading, writing, or math. We panic and worry andusually force “exercises” upon students, even thoughthis has never worked, as is obvious by the number of

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Iknow,personally,ifIamstuckcrossingthedesert,itdoesn’tbothermethatmytravelingcompanioncan’tspellcarburetoraslongashecanfixit.

adults who are “poor” readers, spellers, and writers orwho can’t balance a checkbook or figure out mileage.

Yet, as adults, we reallydon’t care if the mechanic candiagram sentences—we wanthim to fix the car; when wehear a wonderful singer, wedon’t wonder how well hewrites; and when we need anartist to design our brochures,it would never occur to us togive him a written exam. Iknow, personally, if I am stuckcrossing the desert, it doesn’tbother me that my travelingcompanion can’t spellcarburetor as long as he canfix it. And the fact that I canspell carburetor doesn’t help me at all!

Am I saying that reading and writing are notimportant and that some people don’t need to learn toread and write? Absolutely not! I am saying that thisbusiness of learning disabilities needs to be put intoperspective. The bottom line, what this whole book isabout, is still the same: Each student is unique, havingdifferent strengths and weaknesses and differentlearning styles. Learning styles aren’t garments thatkids can put on and take off. Their learning styles arewho they are.

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Eachstudentisunique,havingdifferentstrengthsandweaknessesanddifferentlearningstyles.Learningstylesaren’tgarmentsthatkidscanputonandtakeoff.Theirlearningstylesarewhotheyare.

Perhaps kids are labeledbecause it is easier to attachthe blame to a “learningproblem” than to search for theteaching method, the setting,and the materials that fit eachchild. Many “learningproblems” are actually createdbecause an individual child’sunique learning timetable is nottaken into account. Who saidthey should all learn thealphabet in preschool, startreading in kindergarten andfirst grade, do fractions in third,and so on? What’s wrong withlearning to play the piano infirst grade, build a computer in

second, draw faces in third? Who is to say whetherone talent is superior to another talent or one way oflearning is better than another? Jean Piaget, himself,cautioned about teaching reading or other academicskills too early, before concept development has takenplace. He warned that formal detailed instruction giventoo soon can interfere with normal learningdevelopment.

As I’ve already discussed throughout this book,some kids need more time, some kids need a differentprogram, and all kids need to be respected for their

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unique gifts. It’s been said of Einstein that if he hadlistened to his teachers, he may not have become oneof the greatest scientists of the twentieth century.

AssessingAbilitiesRatherThanDisabilities

When a child is having trouble in school, the followingsequence of events usually occurs:

1. A “learning problem” is identified through testing.2. A program is set up to “fix” the student.3. The student’s potential is seen as limited.4. Excuses are made for the student’s behavior

and/or lack of accomplishments.It is very interesting to me when the last event

occurs. For example, a parent will say, “I can’t expecthim to behave in public, he has ADD.” Or a teacher willthink, “She probably won’t accomplish much inEnglish, she has such a limited vocabulary.” Yet thesesame people often resist the idea of working withlearning styles, because we shouldn’t be “catering” tostudents—they have to follow “the program” likeeveryone else.

In contrast, what is accomplished when learningstyles are assessed?

1. All aspects of learning style are identified,

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”Fair”doesnotmeanthateverychildgetsthesametreatment,butthateverychildgetswhatheorsheneeds.—RichardD.Lavoie

including talents and interests.2. A program is set up to work with those learning

style needs.3. The student’s potential is seen as unlimited.4. Excuses are replaced with problem solving and

collaboration.5. Strengths are used to help overcome weak

areas.In other words, students are

seen as capable rather thandisabled. Their Talents andInterests are celebrated andencouraged. TheirDispositions, Modality, andEnvironment needs are takeninto account. Appropriatematerials and techniques arechosen to help them increaseskills in weak areas. They areallowed to shine in areas ofstrength and are never madeto feel deficient. Students are helped to discover theriches, potentials, and dreams inside each one ofthem. As a result, their skills in weak areas improvemuch faster and rise to higher levels, because theyfeel secure and competent instead of anxious andembarrassed, and are viewed by others as “smart”rather than “dysfunctional.”

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Theirskillsinweakareasimprovemuchfasterandrisetohigherlevels,becausetheyfeelsecureandcompetentinsteadofanxiousandembarrassed,andareviewedbyothersas“smart”ratherthan“dysfunctional.”

SOWHATDOWEDOABOUTDYSLEXIAANDADD?

I know that you’re still worried,especially if your child hasbeen diagnosed dyslexic orADD. Aren’t learning problemsof this sort serious? Everybodyknows we need to interveneearly so that we can correct theproblems and prevent furtherdeterioration.

Remember, we are nottalking about cancer here.Sometimes, these labels areused as if they are diseases:Mary has dyslexia. Jim hasADD. We are talking aboutunique individuals who haveincredible talents and gifts.

If we continue to labelstudents because their brainsdo not operate the way oureducational system wants

them to, we will continue to spread the idea that

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millions of brains are not as good as other brains, andperpetuate lifetime patterns of low self-worth, whichaffect future learning, career opportunities, andrelationships.

The School Model of Education expects allstudents of the same age to learn the same things inthe same way at the same rate. The Learning StyleModel of Education expects differences in individualstudents: It is presumed that children learn throughdifferent methods at different times and at differentrates. Let’s take a look at some of the more familiarlabels that are given to children to explain their“learning problems.”

LearningDisability

According to the official general definition, “learningdisability” means a disorder involving spoken or writtenlanguage, which may show up as problems withreading, writing, math, speaking, or thinking. Thedefinition excludes children whose difficulties are dueprimarily to physical handicaps, mental retardation,emotional disturbance, or cultural or economicdisadvantage. A “learning-disabled” child is one whohas “average” to “above average” intelligence but isnot “performing up to his potential” in the basics ofreading, writing, and math.2

Basically, this definition is

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Ifwecontinuetolabelstudentsbecausetheirbrainsdonotoperatethewayoureducationalsystemwantsthemto,wewillcontinuetospreadtheideathatmillionsofbrainsarenotasgoodasotherbrains...

talking about the “regular” kidwho seems smart in so manyways, yet has so muchdifficulty at school. Often,behavior problems alsodevelop because the child hastrouble completingassignments, doing homework,following directions, or stayingon task. Perhaps she is caughtdaydreaming, or talking toanother child, or making apaper airplane, or drawingwhen she was sup-posed todo a worksheet. Maybe she iseven becoming disruptive,inappropriate, angry,depressed, aggressive,negative, quarrelsome, timid, or discouraged.

The Learning Style Model asks: What are thischild’s strengths? What are his interests? What makeshim shine? What can we do to give him a greatlearning experience?

In the 1980s, Thomas Armstrong quit his job as alearning-disabilities specialist because he no longerbelieved in learning disabilities. He gives this advice:

It’s time for the schools, and parents as well, to startfocusing their attention on the inner capabilities of eachand every child . . . the schools persist in labeling

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hundreds of thousands of children with perfectly normalbrains as “minimally brain damaged” or “neurologicallyhandicapped,” when in fact teachers simply have not founda way of teaching them on their own terms, according totheir own unique patterns of neurological functioning . . .The part of the brain that thrives on worksheets andteacher lectures probably takes up less than one percentof the total available for learning. More likely, these stalemethods of learn-ing are actually what educator LeslieHart refers to as “brain-antagonistic”—they shut downpotentials rather than open them up . . . It will end whenparents decide to toss aside all of these labels and beginthe task of understanding and nurturing their children’spersonal learning styles so that they can begin to learn intheir own way.3

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is generally considered to be a specific“learning disability” and has become a popular labelfor those who have difficulty with reading. It is also amedical term used to describe a brain condition.Actually, the term “dyslexia” has been causingconfusion for many years. In the 1970s the ReadingReform Foundation compiled a list of quotes regardingthis subject: From A Report from the NationalAcademy of Education, “There is little agreementabout this term even among professionals.”4 From acollege text, “Dyslexia . . . [a] term [that] implies

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specific brain defect . . . is misused by educators toindicate any reading difficulty . . . it is a specificmedical definition that teachers should avoid.”5 FromJerry Pournelle, Ph.D., “[Dyslexia] is merely a worddescribing an obvious condition: the sufferer hastrouble reading . . . The Michigan Reading Clinic hasexamined some 30,000 cases of ‘dyslexia’ and foundprecisely two children who could never learn to read.”6

And from Dr. Melvin Howards, “I have yet to meet whatis described as the classic dyslexic. My experimentswith thousands of children have never brought me tothe conclusion that dyslexia explained anything orclarified anything or offered any corrective program.”7

More recently, Thomas Armstrong wrote, “Children getsaddled with diagnostic terms such as dyslexia . . .and the like, making it sound as if they suffer from veryrare and exotic diseases. Yet the word dyslexia is justLatin bafflegab, or jargon, for ‘trouble with words.’”8

Definition

The word “dyslexia” literally means trouble withlanguage. It usually refers to difficulties with learning toread and write. “Reversing” is the most familiar“symptom.” People who are labeled dyslexic seem tohave trouble recognizing words by sight, blendingletter sounds, remembering the “rules,” and keeping

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Iaskedthemtodoonethingforme:Pleasedon’tlabelkids.Becauseweareall“gifted,”“average,”and“slow,”dependingonthetaskathand.—HarryW.Forgan

the letters in words in the right order. Frequently, theyalso have difficulty with the mechanics of writing(punctuation, sentence structure, spelling) and withorganizing thoughts on paper. This is how thetraditional School Model views them.

The Learning Style model asks: What is this child’sstrongest modality? What is the best approach for herdisposition? How can we incorporate her talents andinterests? Will it make a difference if aspects of theenvironment are changed?

Most people who arelabeled dyslexic are PictureLearners. As discussed inChapter 8, Picture Learnersare often mistakenly treated asPrint Learners. I am convincedthat this misconception is thecause of the majority ofreading problems among ourstudents. It’s true that the otheraspects of learning style mustalso be taken into account foreach student; however,modality is such a powerfulcomponent of the learning-to-read process, that changingthis one aspect alone couldmake a huge difference for countless students.

According to Thomas Armstrong,

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These [children] often tend to be highly imaginativechildren with strong spatial intelligence. Because theyregard letters as pictures they can’t read them assymbols. As a result, they end up with the label dyslexic.What they need is an educational approach that will helpthem make the transition from image to symbol in a naturalway.9

The creators of the Wilson Reading Program, theAVKO Spelling Program, and the Lindamood-Bellprograms and materials understand the VisualModality needs of these students. The Wilson andLindamood programs also include a Tactile-Kinesthetic component, since many Picture Learnersare strong in the Tactile-Kinesthetic Modality as well.As mentioned in Chapter 8, the books The Gift ofDyslexia and Thinking in Pictures are greatresources which thoroughly explain the characteristicsof the Picture Learner. (See downloadable appendixfor more information on these books and programs.)

Reversals

What about reversals? Nothing seems to cause morepanic in parents and teachers than to see a childreverse a letter! I was reading at four years of age andhave never reversed a letter or word in my life. But Ican never remember which is the backward and whichis the forward slash for computer DOS commands,

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and I reverse them inconsistently. My friend can dowhole strings of DOS commands perfectly, but is aterrible speller and inconsistently reverses letters andletter sequences. Are we both dyslexic? Or do wesimply have talents in different areas?

A common misconception is that people who are“dyslexic” see letters backwards. When a childreverses a letter, such as a “b” or “d,” it is not becauseshe sees it backwards; it is because she cannotremember the abstract letter-sound label thatdistinguishes one from the other, just like I can’tremember which label goes with which slash. Again,most likely, this child is a Picture Learner—with theappropriate memory strategy for her learning style shecould easily eliminate reversals. (With the appropriatestrategy for my learning style, I could easily stopreversing the slashes, but then I wouldn’t be able to dodemonstrations of my lack of ability at workshops!)

ADDandHyperactivity

ADD and hyperactivity are often considered “learningdisabilities” but they, too, are more properly describedas medical conditions.

ADD stands for attention deficit disorder. This termgenerally means that a child is not able to focusattention on the task at hand. The child is toodistractible and every little noise or movement diverts

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his attention away from his work. He can also be“distracted” by his own ideas! Often, this child iscaught staring into space, or doodling, or fiddling withsomething.

“Hyperactive” is that magic label that first allowedus to put thousands of children on drugs (although,when ADD came along later, another reason wasadded). It, of course, refers to the inability to remainseated, quiet, and still. Like the ADD child, thehyperactive child seems unable to stay focused, payattention, and complete assignments; but instead ofdaydreaming this child is busy fidgeting, moving aboutthe room, or disrupting the class in various ways.Some children have the distinction of being ADHD—attention deficit combined with hyperactivity.

Even though ADD and ADHD are technicallymedical terms, and the conditions are supposed to bediagnosed by a doctor (they appear as psychiatricdiagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ofthe American Psychiatric Association), these labelshave become part of our everyday language. Themost interesting description of ADD I have ever readappeared in an ad for an organization that works withchildren. It reads, in part,

It [ADD] is often present at birth, but may not be diagnoseduntil the elementary years because the symptoms gounnoticed at home . . . But when sustained attention isrequired for boring, repetitive tasks in distracting settingslike classrooms, the symptoms become easier to see.

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Sustained cartoon watching or video-game playing doesn’tcount. The behavioral symptoms are seen with boring,repetitive tasks in distracting settings.10

It then goes on to describe the testing that is availableand the treatment options, including medication.

I often think, Don’t the people who read this ad seeanything strange about it? In the first place, why wouldI want my child to spend most of the day in a placewhere she is required to do boring, repetitive tasks?And if that is what school is all about, why on earthwould I medicate a child to ensure that she does thoseboring, repetitive tasks? Sounds frighteningly likeBrave New World to me . . .

In contrast, the Learning Style model asks: Doesthis child need less noise or more noise? Lessmovement or more movement? Are the lights toobright or too dim? What are his disposition needs andhis modality strengths? Perhaps he needs a quietcorner. Perhaps he is bored and needs morechallenge. Perhaps we need to let him lead with histalents and interests. Perhaps he needs to move tolearn.

We are more tolerant of adults who exhibit“attention deficits.” For example, when a parent in aworkshop asks a question about something that I’vejust covered because he didn’t “hear” it, do weimmediately think, Oh, he must have ADD? Whatabout when you get distracted and can’t do yourcheckbook because your kids are making noise? Or a

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Alltoooftenkidsarelabeledbecausesomeoneisconfusinganeedforadifferentteachingmethodwitha“learningproblem.”—MariaemmaPelullo-Willis

teacher at a meeting says, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get whatyou said”? Don’t we encourage taking breaks at theworkplace, stretching at our desks at the office, gettingup and moving around during a long seminar?

As adults, we makeexcuses: I can’t concentratebecause I have a headache, orthe radio is too loud, or I’mworried about the roof leaking,or I’m so excited about my newhome. I need to get up andmove because my back hurts.. . . I didn’t get enough sleeplast night. . . . it’s healthy totake stretch breaks. . . .

But kids are not allowed tohave excuses or reasons,even when they are doingsomething really important intheir heads, like inventing the

next space-ship, or imagining the next award-winningspecial-effects movie. I suspect that the Wrightbrothers, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein could beamong those who would have been labeled ADD. Andlet’s not forget Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.As for hyperactivity—what better models than ourbeloved Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer! Priscilla Vail, inher book Learning Styles, sums it up perfectly:

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A second grade boy who decides to study dust particlesbecause he is bored by the lesson must not be labeledADHD simply because his teacher likes children whomaintain eye contact. Nor should normally active childrenbe medicated because fate landed them under the controlof Ms. Sitstillandlissen.11

Actually, if the term “ADD” is meant to describe themedical diagnosis of scattered thinking and extremedistractibility, it does not describe most of the childrenwho have been given the label. The usual “ADD” childis not unfocused; on the contrary, she is very, veryfocused. She is focused on ideas, inventions, andpossibilities that her imagination is constantly creating,some of which are triggered by the lesson orassignment that she is no longer paying attention to!

In terms of dispositions, it is the Thinking/Creatingand Inventing children who are most often labeledADD, and the Performing children who are most oftenlabeled hyperactive. The children in the first group aremost at risk for depression and withdrawal, becausethey will retreat to their inner worlds in order to avoidthe pain of being misunderstood and labeled asdysfunctional. When their unique abilities and skills arerecognized and encouraged, these people often arethe ones who become great artists, inventors, andcreative thinkers. The children in the second group arethe most at risk for dropping out of school or gettinginto trouble, because of their needs for movement andaction. When their energies are channeled, these

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people often become entrepreneurs, adventurers, andrisk-takers.

In his book, The Myth of the ADD Child, ThomasArmstrong says,

Children who were once seen as “bundles of energy,”“daydreamers,” or “fireballs,” are now considered“hyperactive,” “distractible” and “impulsive”: the threeclassic warning signs of attention deficit disorder. Kidswho in times past might have needed to “blow off a littlesteam” or “kick up a little dust” now have their medicationdosages carefully measured out and monitored to controldysfunctional behavior . . . I wonder whether there aren’thundreds of thousands of kids out there who may be donea disservice by having their uniqueness reduced to adisorder and by having their creative spirit controlled by adrug.12

Perhaps a shift in thinking would help us give newmeaning to the terms we have been discussing. Inmost instances, people who have been labeled “LD”are learning deceived—that is, they have grown upbelieving that they are deficient and their own naturalabilities are not worth much. In my opinion, ADD moreaptly refers to Attention to Dreams and Discoveries,and ADHD describes Alert to Daydreams andHumorous Diversions—in other words, the Performing,Inventing, and Thinking/Creating Dispositions! And,lastly, I will admit that there is some truth to ADDstanding for attention deficit disorder—there is a

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Inmostinstances,peoplewhohavebeenlabeled“LD”arelearn-ingdeceived...

definite deficit in the kind of attention that our younglearners receive; therefore the disorder is with thoseschools who are labeling our children!

OTHERISSUES

It is important to distinguish between what arecommonly called “learning disabilities” and certainphysical and biological conditions that can affectlearning and behavior. When a true disorder existswhich impairs a child’s learning abilities, this must bediagnosed and treated correctly, not labeled a“learning disability.” Just as much of an injustice isdone to a child when a real disorder goesundiagnosed, as when a nonexistent condition islabeled as one.

Some physical impairmentsare obvious, such as vision orhearing difficulties. Thoselisted here are not so familiar tothe general population; beingaware of them could make abig difference for your child, ifyou suspect that somethingother than Learning Style mightbe involved in his learning

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difficulties.

ScotopicSensitivity

Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS) is an issuerelated to light. Some children are extremely sensitiveto light and brightness in any form and exhibitsymptoms ranging from headache and nausea toreading difficulties and perceptual distortions that canaffect coordination and energy levels. Black print onglaring white paper can be especially troublesome. Inthe 1980s Helen Irlen discovered that colored overlaysgreatly alleviated these symptoms. She eventuallydeveloped a system for testing and prescribingcolored lenses, which has completely changed thelives of countless children and adults. Many peoplewith reading difficulties, including those diagnosed asdyslexic or ADD, have been found to have scotopicsensitivity, which when corrected, eliminated thereading problems. You can get more informationregarding SSS by contacting the Irlen Institute at 800-55-Irlen, 5380 Village Rd, Long Beach, CA 90808, orreading Irlen’s book, Reading by the Colors.13

NeurologicalProblems

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IwilladmitthatthereissometruthtoADDstandingforattentiondeficitdisorder—thereisadefinitedeficitinthekindofattentionthatouryounglearnersreceive;thereforethedisorderiswiththoseschoolsthatarelabelingourchildren!

Some children have legitimate neurological problemsthat need to be diagnosed by a doctor. For thesechildren, the neurological basis for problem behaviorsor difficulties in the classroom may require specificmedical treatment including medication.Your pediatrician knows thesigns that indicate thepossibility of neurologicalproblems. While it is extremelyimportant to diagnosedysfunctions of a neurologicalnature, it is just as importantnot to label a childneurologically impaired, simplybecause the child is veryactive or because the childappears to daydream.Learning styles are notneurological impairments andshouldn’t be treated as such.

BiochemicalImbalances

Some children have allergies or chemical imbalancesthat affect their abilities to concentrate and thinkclearly. A child might be extra sensitive to certain

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foods or have imbalances of vitamins, minerals, andother nutrients. Allergies and chemical imbalances cancause erratic behavior, impulsivity, scattered thinking,depression, mood swings, and many other problems.A healthful diet free of sugars, processed foods, andchemical additives, which emphasizes whole grainsand fresh vegetables, is always best to supportoptimum brain functioning. (Check the books listed inthe downloadable appendix for more information onthis topic.)

FAMOUSFAILURES

If the school has already labeled your child, is therestill hope?

Yes! Begin implementing the ideas in this book.Talk to your child about Learning Style. Encourage hernatural talents and interests. Make her feel great!Read about people who became successful in spite ofobstacles and share the stories with your child. Bookssuch as Chicken Soup for the Soul and CelebritySetbacks have many such stories. Here are a few:

Les Brown was labeled educable mentally retardedwhen he was in school and he believed that he was. Ittook the words of a teacher to help him change hisimage of himself; he is now a gifted motivational

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Learningstylesarenotneurologicalimpairmentsandshouldn’tbetreatedassuch

speaker.Albert Einstein did not

speak until he was four yearsold. He had trouble learning toread. A teacher described himas “mentally slow, unsociable,and adrift forever in foolishdreams.” He was expelled andwas refused admittance to theZurich Polytechnic School.And, of course, we consider

him a genius.Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was too stupid

to learn anything.Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, flunked out

of college. He was described as both unable andunwilling to learn.

Described as the worst pupil in the school, thesculptor Rodin failed three times to secure admittanceto the school of art.

Isaac Newton did very poorly in grade school.Robin Williams was voted least likely to succeed in

high school.Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts cartoon

strip, failed all subjects in the eighth grade, andflunked algebra, Latin, English, and physics in highschool.

Jay Leno’s fifth grade teacher said, “If Jay spent asmuch time studying as he does trying to be a

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comedian, he’d be a big star.”14,15

A very special person graduated with honors fromRadcliffe College in 1904. It’s true, she wouldn’t fit theofficial learning disability definition because she hadphysical problems—she was deaf, blind, and mute—and, if she had been tested for IQ, she would havescored below average. Fortunately, her teacher wasnot involved in testing and labeling, in trying to figureout whether Helen Keller was LD or retarded. AnneSullivan simply did not give up until she discovered themethod that worked, beginning the process thatallowed Helen to develop as a highly gifted person.

Unable to use her sense of sight or hearing, Helen Kellerlearned first through touch. And the good news is thatmodern breakthroughs have now provided the tools for allof us to “switch on” to easier learning, even those whomay have been labeled “backward” or “slow.” Almost acentury after Keller’s graduation, her message to the worldis still clear: everyone is potentially gifted—in some way .. . This is not to deny that some people have learningdifficulties. But labeling them “learning disabled” must rankwith IQ tests as one of the great education tragedies of thecentury. The very act of labeling has added to the stress.Our research convinces us that any person can learn—inhis or her own way. And those ways are many andvaried.16

If any person could be labeled “disabled,” it wouldbe Helen Keller. Her story demonstrates what canhappen when a label is not allowed to limit a person’s

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potential or interfere with natural gifts and talents.

CAPABLEVERSUSDISABLED

The Learning Style Model of Education views studentsas creative, bright, and capable. The school programthat flows out of this model is one that

n matches methods and programs to students’learning styles

n provides curriculum flexibility to meet eachstudent’s needs

n displays patience and allows learning to takeplace at its own pace

n instead of comparing students, encourages themto work together and share talents

n truly values, appreciates, and acknowledgeseach student’s gifts

n helps students to learn about themselves,develop talents, and reach potentials

When this happens we will no longer need to offerexcuses for a child’s misbehavior or inability to“perform” or “get the job done.” All students will beencouraged to become problem-solvers and to usethe information about how they operate to take chargeof themselves and be accountable for their behaviors.

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Soifyourchildhasbeenlabeledbytheschoolsystem,getonyourchild’steam,dropthelabels,seethepossibilities,andcoachforsuccess!

They will learn to take responsibility for their actionsand to take a major role in decision making.

There is no reason for an “ADD” child to run wild inpublic, and no reason for any student to fail anysubject based on a “disability.” If Helen Keller couldaccomplish what she did, then certainly we can do ourchildren the favor of seeing them as capable,providing the right tools and techniques for them to“switch on,” and allowing them the dignity of becomingresponsible for their own learning and behaviors.

Until all schools are readyto follow this model, it is up tothe parents to work as closelyas they can with teachers, andto do as much as they can athome to help their childrenlearn. Parents will find manyteachers who welcome thisview of the child as capablerather than learning disabled,and who will gladly putLearning Style information touse in their classrooms.

So if your child has beenlabeled by the school system,

get on your child’s team, drop the labels, see thepossibilities, and coach for success!

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N

14

HowtoTalktoYourChild’sTeacher

ext to you, your child’s teacher is the mostinfluential person in your child’s life. It is possible

to partner with a teacher—to be on the same team—for the important job of educating your child. Partneringcan be your opportunity to share what you havediscovered about your child and the Learning StyleModel of Education.

Your child’s teacher might already be familiar withlearn-ing styles, multiple intelligences, modality, andother terms having to do with individualizingcurriculum, since these terms are talked about a greatdeal in education circles. She might have attendedworkshops on these topics and even imple-mentedone or two ideas. She might be convinced thatworking with each child’s Learning Style is the best

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way to teach. Yet she might also believe that it isn’tpossible to put into practice what is presented atworkshops—there’s a big difference between the realclassroom and the workshop setting. Your child’steacher might feel overwhelmed and not know how toapply learning style principles to an entire classroomof students. Even in the new, smaller classrooms,we’re still talking about twenty kids!

According to a poll taken by the Association forSupervision and Curriculum Development, whenasked what they need, teachers said:

1. practical, hands-on ideas for their classrooms2. management strategies for diverse students3. teaching behaviors that promote positive

learning environments1

Since the Learning Style Model of Educationaddresses and provides solutions for these issues,your child’s teacher might welcome the informationyou have to share because it has application beyondyour child’s individual needs.

HOWATEACHERPERCEIVESOBSTACLES

The more you are able to address a teacher’s

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Teachersareamazingpeople!Wearefacedwithsituationsthatwouldthrowmostpeopleintoatailspin!Haveyoueverimaginedwhatitwouldbeliketoplaceahigh-salariedpolitician,doctororlawyerinfrontofaclassof25firstgraders?Mypredictionisthatthemajorityofthemwouldrunforthedoorafter

classroom concerns and needs, the better yourchances are of partnering and having your ideastaken seriously. It’s not easy for a teacher to rethinkthe way he’s been conducting his classroom for manyyears.

Even when he knows in hisheart that it’s the right thing todo, there are manyadministrative, financial,environment-related, andemotional obstacles to makingchanges that incorporatelearning styles.

Administration

When a teacher wants to makea change in the classroom,administration is likely to beconcerned that some parentswon’t understand or supportchanges in policy.Administration will also want tobe assured that a shift in policywill at least maintainstandardized test scores if notimprove them. Teachers areunder great stress because

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thefirstthirtyminutes!—EstherWright

Teachersareoftenunderattackfornotusingmoreindividualizedinstructioneventhoughtheyarerequiredtoworkwithlargegroupsofyoungpeople.

standardized test results areoften interpreted byadministration as a reflection oftheir teaching abilities.Principals tell them to do

whatever needs to be done to improve test scores. Inother words, they are not apt to get many rewards fortaking a learning styles approach to teaching unless itguarantees immediately improved test scores.

ClassSize,LearningEnvironment,andFinances

Teachers on the whole want todo what is best for each child.They realize that they arelimited in their ability to give thepersonal attention that theywould like to give becausethey are responsible for toomany young people at onetime. Teachers are often underattack for not using moreindividualized instruction eventhough they are required towork with large groups ofyoung people. It takes

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specialized training, aspecialized environment, and the support of parentsand administrators to “individualize” a classroom.Financial and environment-related considerationscome into play when a teacher wants to increase thenumber of hands-on materials for some learners andprovide different furnishings for the classroom—bookshelves for the new materials, new desks for newkinds of seating arrangements, and so on.

FearofChange

Last, but far from least, are the emotionalconsiderations. When I was a classroom teacher Iremember coming to an impasse with some of mystudents. I had invented many techniques to work withkids who had different learning styles; however, I stillwasn’t reaching certain kinds of learners. I rememberwhen I realized that I needed to find help—that Ineeded to go beyond my usual ways of organizingand conducting a classroom. I felt afraid andvulnerable. I didn’t want to see my shortcomings, letalone take charge and do something about them. Thethought of it was overwhelming to me. It was a gradualprocess from realizing that I needed to make achange, to finding the courage to do it, to taking stepstoward making new contacts with people who couldhelp me.

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To partner with a teacher for change in theclassroom means understanding the obstacles tochange that a teacher has to overcome. A little bit ofempathy for their situation goes a very long way, andis the best strategy for eventually getting your child’slearning style needs met.

SOMETIPSFORTALKINGTOYOURCHILD’STEACHER

If you decide to talk with your child’s teacher, the timeyou put into laying a foundation will be worth it. Reviewthe guidelines below carefully if you want a goodchance of having your voice heard.

CultivateYourRelationshipFirst

If you already have a good relationship with yourchild’s teacher, it will be much easier to talk to her thanit would be otherwise. Whether you have a goodrelationship or not, think about the teacher’s learningstyle. What might her interests, talents, anddispositions be? What is she apt to value? Sheorganizes her classroom the way she does for specific

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Whatchildrenneedasmuchascomputersorbooksis

reasons. What might they be? When you can see theteacher’s point of view and talk with her about it, youare more likely to be heard. If you think about yourchild’s teacher in this way, you can make a goodrelationship even better, or you can make a positiverelationship where you didn’t have one before.

BePrepared

To help you organize your thoughts and present themin a succinct way, a blank version of the LearningStyle Portrait used to explain Greg’s and Ann’s storiesin Chapter 10 is included in the downloadableappendix. (Be sure to make lots of copies of the blank;you’ll need them.)

n Refer to the Assessment results to fill in theDispositions, Talents, Interests, Modality, andEnvironment information.

n With your child, decide on a few goals.n Refer to the Plan Form to fill in Strategies.

Maybe the most valuable thingthat you need to know aboutteachers is that time isprecious—they never haveenough of it. The time you takein advance to get important

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relationshipswithcaringadults.—JamesComer,AssociateDean,YaleUniversitySchoolofMedicineandDirectorofSchoolDevelopmentProgram

Maybethemostvaluablethingthatyouneedtoknowaboutteachersisthattimeisprecious

information, goals, andstrategies on paper will savethe teacher hours of rackinghis brain to come up with ideasappropriate for your child. Atthe same time, you’ll bedemonstrating that you arewilling to contribute to apartnering relationship. Youand your child can fill out theLearning Style Portrait togetherin preparation for a meetingwith the teacher. When yourchild’s teacher sees howcarefully thought out your

ideas are, he is likely to be much more open tolistening.

GoSlowly

It may take two or threemeetings to say all of what youhave to say. The first time youget together you might find outhow much the teacher knowsabout learning styles. Perhapsyou could tell her that you arereading a book about learning

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—theyneverhaveenoughofit.

styles and wonder if she wouldbe willing to talk with you aboutit at some point. During aninformal talk you candetermine what her attitude isabout learning styles. It might not be until the thirdmeeting that you talk about your child specifically.Looking for quick results can be seen as a threat andis likely to undermine your efforts to be heard.

TakeYourChildtotheMeeting

Kids need to be involved in the processes thatconcern them whenever possible. When discussingyour child’s learning style needs with a teacher it isimportant that your child attend the meeting also. Yourchild can learn a valuable lesson about how to ask forwhat she needs while you provide support. Be sure tonotify the teacher in advance that your child will beattending the meeting.

TalkAboutOneConcernataTime

Before your meeting, brainstorm a list of learning goalsand prioritize them. Make many copies of the LearningStyle Portrait referred to above and fill out one Portrait

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for each learning goal that you and your child identify—working from the top down on the prioritized list. Ateacher approached with a barrage of requests islikely to feel overwhelmed and unreceptive. Start byfilling out one or two Portraits that identify specificareas for growth and goals.

ACTUALRESULTSOFUSINGLEARNINGSTYLESINCLASSROOMS

Some teachers need to feel assured that the LearningStyle Model actually works. Some excellentpublications you could refer your teacher to includeHow to Implement and Supervise a Learning StyleProgram by Rita Dunn, How to Change to aNongraded School by Madeline Hunter, LearningStyles by Priscilla Vail, and Circles of Learning byDavid Johnson, Roger Johnson, and Edythe Holubec.

Perhaps some stories about how the LearningStyle Model has worked for parents and educationprofessionals would help as background if you need toprovide more assurance to your child’s teacher.

In the words of Francine Burns, a sixth-gradeteacher at Holy Cross School in California:

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“Last semester, I was taking an art course and decided toapply some of the learning style techniques to teach acourse to my students. I applied the techniques tofacilitate their comprehension of the artists and theirhistories. I was amazed at what a good job they did withthe project that I assigned. I decided that their work wasso good that I wanted my 6th graders to present it to mycollege class, so I submitted their presentations as myfinal! What took me by surprise was that one of my peersasked me if I was teaching a gifted class! I looked at mystudents and with a smile I said, ‘It’s not a gifted class perse, but, yes, they are pretty special!’ Since using thelearning style techniques in my classroom, I have seen mystudents grow and learn in wonderful ways. I know that theLearning Style Model works!

A fifth-grade teacher in a private elementary schoolin Ojai, California, gives the Learning Profile to her newstudents every year. She reports that it is the bestactivity she has ever done. She even has the parentsof her students take the Profile so that they can learnhow to work more effectively with their child at home.

The principal of a parochial school has commentedseveral times, “I keep telling my teachers that usinglearning style methods works every time.” And the viceprincipal mentioned earlier says, “First, the gradeshave got to go! Then we have to start teaching in theways kids learn best.”

In her book How to Implement and Supervise aLearning Style Program, Learning Style pioneer Rita

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Theclassroom,likeafineorchestraofinstrumentswithvarioussoundsandtextures,awaitsthegreatmaestrotobringoutthebestofeachinstrument—whiledirectingthelovelyharmoniesand

Dunn tells about the wonderful successes amongeducators across the country when they implementedher learning style programs:

Sherrye Dotson, Director of Secondary Instruction,Jacksonville, Texas, explains, “Our summer learning styleprogram offered only eighteen days of instruction, butmany students accomplished goals that they hadn’tmastered through years of traditional education.”Duane Alm, a principal in Aberdeen, South Dakota, says,“In every classroom, the achievement gains of the childrenusing learning styles have convinced teachers to becomeadvocates.”

Penny Todd Claudis, CurriculumSupervisor, Shreveport, Louisiana,provides assurance for some of themore controversial aspects of theLearning Style Model for Educationwhen she says, “In the beginningparents express concern about kidslearning on the floor and snackingwhile studying. Once theyunderstand the program, they helpredesign the room, make tactilematerials, and ask to have theirother children tested for learningstyles.”2

Finally, here’s a report fromone of my clients, the parent ofan eighth grader:

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melodieswecalllearning.—EstherWright

My thirteen-year-old son’s gradeswere slipping. We received hisprogress report and wereastonished as well asdisappointed to see his first D.Social studies had numerousdates and events to memorize. I knew his continuedreading and re-reading about these events wouldn’t beenough to help him “try” to remember.

This child was brought in for a Learning Styleassessment and taught a technique that fit his learningstyle. His mother reported:

Within two and a half weeks of learning this valuabletechnique, my son brought his grade up to a C– and is onhis way to bringing it up to a B before too long. Best of all,he feels proud, confident, and excited about learning again.Thank you for your insight, compassion, and valuabletraining.

Three weeks later this mom called to report that herson had received A’s on his last two social studiestests.

Learning style success stories could fill an entirebook. I hope that your confidence (and your child’steacher’s) in using the learning style method to createlearning-success is increasing as you read about realpeople using learning style assessments andtechniques.

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WHATIFATEACHERCAN’TMAKEANYCHANGES?

If your child’s teacher is unable to apply the LearningStyle Model, you might have planted some seedsanyway. You never know what will sprout in a fewweeks or months. In any case, your child knows thatthe two of you tried to make a difference at school.What you have learned can still be implemented athome. Sometimes the fact that someone is workingwith your child and acknowledging her is all that ittakes for the child to feel encouraged because sheknows that somebody really is on her team. After all,unless a child feels encouraged, she isn’t going to bewilling to take any steps to becoming an eager, self-directed learner.

If you prepare yourself for the meeting with yourchild’s teacher, if you keep the obstacles to classroomchange in mind, and if you are willing to go one step ata time (while staying true to your child’s Learning Styleneeds), you and your child are most likely to be heard.

Regardless of how it actually turns out with theteacher, I hope that if you had to choose between aconfident, self-directed, eager child and a child whogets “good” grades, you would choose the formerknowing that these wonderful attributes are the mostimportant ingredients for success in life. I hope that

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regardless of how your meeting turns out with theteacher, you will continue to acknowledge andcelebrate your child’s talents, interests, and skills nowthat you have the knowledge and the means todevelop a confident, self-directed, eager learner.

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R

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EducatingfortheRealWorld

ecall that in the Introduction you were asked tokeep two questions in mind: What is a successful

learner? and How can I help my child become asuccessful learner?

Have you become clearer about the answers tothese questions? Do you have educational goals foryour child and, if so, are they compatible with hisunique gifts and what he loves to do? That is, are theyin line with his learning style—his talents, interests,dispositions? Most importantly, can they besummarized as one basic goal—giving your child thefoundation, tools, and confidence to develop his ownset of educational goals, which will lead to a fulfillingfuture?

What about the schools? What are their goals for

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our children? Is it likely that schools will be looking atmethods for teaching that are compatible with theneeds of different learners? Can you, the parent,partner with your child’s school to help her develop herinterests and talents, encouraging her toward a richand successful future?

The answers to these questions have to do withhow we define success, how we define education,and what we want for our young people in the realworld.

SUCCESSANDEDUCATIONINTHEREALWORLD

What makes a person successful in the real world?Does success in school, as measured by grades,determine success in life? This is an interestingquestion. As discussed in Chapter 3, schools try toconvey the message that unless students “shape up”and do well, they won’t get anywhere in life. Yet somevery successful people dropped out of high school,and some very unsuccessful people did well in schooland even have doctoral degrees.

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Achievingsuccesshasmoretodowithself-knowledge,positivethinking,goals,andconfidenceinone’sabilities,thanwithgrades.

WhatIsSuccess?

Back to our questions aboutsuccess in life. Is successmeasured by money, career,happiness? Many books havebeen written on this subject.The common theme thatseems to surface over andover is this: Although eachperson has to define whatsuccess means for himself,generally success seems toinvolve having a passion,loving what you do, using yourunique talents and interests togive back to the world, andhaving a life purpose. Furthermore, achieving successhas more to do with self-knowledge, positive thinking,goals, and confidence in one’s abilities, than withgrades.

An educational system that measures learning withtesting and grades, discounts individual abilities andneeds, and compares students with one another, hasa powerful influence over the confidence levels ofadults who learned as children that they just weren’tvery “smart.” Many adults don’t recognize the talentsthat are hidden within them, or don’t realize what theycould achieve if they set their minds to it and learned

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Eachsecondweliveisanewanduniquemomentoftheuniverse,amomentthatwillneverbeagain...Andwhatdoweteachourchildren?Weteachthemthattwoandtwomakefour,andthatParisisthecapitalofFrance.Whenwillwealsoteachthemwhattheyare?Weshouldsaytoeachofthem:Doyouknowwhatyouare?Youareamarvel.Youareunique.Inalltheyearsthat

some strategies for success.Bookstore shelves are filled

with books that advise adultsto forget what they were told inschool and go for their dreams.The way to do this, the authorssay, is to rediscover one’snatural talents and interests,which are the clues to one’sdirection and life purpose. Weare told to forget the mediocregrades we got in school, whichled us to believe that weweren’t good enough to go forwhat we want, or even thegood grades, which mighthave steered us away frompaying attention to what wereally love.

I recently met a successfulattorney who was veryunhappy. With the help of acareer counselor, this womanrealized that what she reallywanted was to own a smallrestaurant. Her people-orientedpersonality, talents, andinterests were pulling her inthat direction. She changed

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havepassed,therehasneverbeenanotherchildlikeyou.Yourlegs,yourarms,yourcleverfingers,thewayyoumove.YoumaybecomeaShakespeare,aMichelangelo,aBeethoven.Youhavethecapacityforanything.—PabloCasals

careers and loves her new life.Is this what we call midlifecrisis? I call it midlifecelebration when someonefinally finds what she is trulymeant to do with her life!

Adults seeking life directionand guidance are finding it inbooks such as Do What YouLove—The Money Will Follow,I Could Do Anything If I OnlyKnew What It Was, What ColorIs Your Parachute?, How ToFind Your Mission in Life ,Straight A’s Never MadeAnybody Rich, and SevenStrategies to Wealth andHappiness. Seminars andworkshops are retrainingadults at the workplace in

principles of self-awareness for increased efficiency,goal setting, and positive thinking, because these arethe real skills needed to thrive in the real world.

The point is, companies and individuals are payinglots of money to learn about the kinds of learningtechniques and success strategies that are presentedin this book. If these principles are so valuable, whynot teach them to our children in the first place? Moststudents who graduate from high school have no idea

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Manyadultsdon’trecognizethetalentsthatarehiddenwithinthem,ordon’trealizewhattheycouldachieveiftheysettheirmindstoitandlearnedsomestrategiesforsuccess.

what their talents are, long ago forgot about theirinterests, and don’t know what they want to do withtheir lives. Many go on to college, hoping they will findsomething there. Others grab the first job they can getand begin the daily cycle of getting up, going to work,coming home, going to bed. For most students, theyears they spent in school (and the assignments theywere required to do), and what they end up doing inthe real world have no connection.

The Learning Style Modelof Education helps you startyour child off in the rightdirection from the verybeginning. Your child can growup understanding how to makethe best use of his learningstyle—how to set goals andplan for the future, how tomove toward his life purpose.

Education:AreWeDrawingOutorPilingUpon?

In Latin, the word “educate” means to draw out andthe word “instruct” means systematic piling upon. AsChris Brewer and Don Campbell so succinctly put it,

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Outsideof

“When we pile upon, we do not honor the creativeprocess . . . When we instruct, we merely provide factsand answers. Educating implies a drawing out, anactive participation in creating intelligence, and anawakening of inner thought processes.”1

WaysofPilingUpon

Since many schools rely solely on tests to determinethe success of students, mostly what happens inclassrooms is a lot of systematic “piling upon.”Memorizing hundreds of bits of information to take aquiz or test, then promptly forgetting everything assoon as the test is over in order to begin cramminginformation for the next test is “piling upon.” Almosteveryone who has gone through elementary schoolhas been assigned the task of memorizing the statesand capitals, the Declaration of Independence, andthe definitions of the parts of speech. How manypeople can still recite these as adults? A few can to besure but most of us can’t, don’t care, and furthermoredo not have a reason for using any of this informationin the real world.

Is there any value tomemorizing information thatmost students don’t really

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schoolwesimplyneverthinkofpeopleintermsofwheretheyfallonthenormalcurve.Indeed,weseemtobefarmorecomfortablewithpeople’scomplexityoutsideofthecontextoftheclassroom...Exceptwhenfacingtheirdriver’slicenseorcivilservicetests,whatadultseverthinkoftestscoresatall?—JamesAlanAstman

grasp but hold in their mindsjust long enough to pass atest? Is there a value tomemorizing history facts,science precepts, mathformulas, or excerpts fromlit-erature in the first place?Many people believe this isvaluable. E. D. Hirsch, in hisbook Cultural Literacy, writesabout his concern that ourchildren are growing up withoutcommitting to memory thosebits of information that are apart of our culture—the bits ofinformation that make a personwell-rounded andwell-educated. The questionis, is this common culturalfoundation best achievedthrough memorizing isolatedpieces of information in orderto pass tests?

I believe there is merit to thebroad, liberal arts educationthat aims to give a commonfoundation to all of our citizens.In theory, we are exposing all the nation’s children tothe same basic information, so that everyone has a

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foundation for 1) treating each other humanely—withcompassion and a spirit of collaboration; and 2)pursuing “unlimited” opportunity in the real world—tochoose occupations and to be successful adults. Isn’tthat the American dream? The intention is good butwhat are the actual results?

EducationforAll?

In reality, our school system is strangling opportunityfor millions, because this common foundation andliberal arts education is not available to all. It is notavailable to all because the information is notpresented in a way that all children can absorb. Thosewho don’t are banished to the ranks of slow, average,or learning disabled. The message is conveyed tothem early on that they won’t do well in life (recall theawards ceremony in Chapter 2). Those who arelabeled above average, smart, or gifted don’tnecessarily fare any better. These children learn toplay the game, to memorize for good grades; but whatdo they really know that will be useful in the realworld? Perhaps some are learning to “win” at theexpense of others and even their own integrity. Sincethe school system thrives on accentuating differences,ranking, and doling out privileges and punishments,

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we are kept in constant competition with one another—not a setting that fosters compassion andcollaboration, at school or in life.

Somewhere along the line the system wenthaywire, launching a frenzied, unexamined attempt totransfer information bits, and high test scores becamethe standard goal. More and more information is piledupon students with little regard for their learning needsand at the expense of developing their natural giftsand abilities. The assumption is that we are educatingfor the real world of “unlimited” opportunities; however,this goal is far from being reached for the majority ofour kids. For the young people who decide that thisgoal is unreachable, discouragement and evencynicism are common responses.

WhoIsLeftOut?

David D’Arcangelo, a financial and marketingconsultant, in-demand public speaker, author, andhost of the television talk show “Money Talk,” tells thestory of his school experience. He talks about notdoing well with rote learning. Yet his goal was to go tocollege even though he would be the first one in hisfamily to do so. When he took the college entranceexam he received a low score. He was especially

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disconcerted over questions like, If two trains leavefrom two destinations at the same time, traveling atsuch and such speeds, at what time will they meet?(you know the kind!). He couldn’t believe that his“fitness” for college was being determined on the basisof being able to answer such questions. He knew hewas smart but this test didn’t show it, and it was limitinghis opportunity. After several phone conversations,one college he applied to recognized his creativity,determination, and commitment. Not only was heaccepted, he also received a scholarship. He went onto become an all-American football player and athletichall of famer and to successfully graduate. Today, heowns several companies and is considered America’shome-based business expert.2 Somehow,D’Arcangelo was able to achieve all this in spite of themessages he received in school about his “inabilities.”Most people, unfortunately, accept the limitationsplaced on them during the school years and give up,not realizing how capable they really are.

SkillsVersusContent

According to Hirsch, children who are not acquiring theinformation that he considers essential, which he hascompiled in his books, “are being cheated, with the

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TheLearningStyleModelhelpsallchildrenlearn—

best of intentions, by, among other things, wrong-headed theories about the primary importance ofteaching skills rather than traditional content—theoriesthat have dominated instruction in American schools inthe past few decades.”3 But the fact is that content isnot a problem when children are given the tools theyneed to acquire it. Right now, schools are set up todeliver content only to those children who are skilled atrote learning. Those who learn in other ways are notbeing served. Once again, note Rita Dunn’sconclusion after years of working with Learning Styles—“Most children can master the same content, howthey master it is determined by their individual styles,”4

and David Elkind’s advice—“It’s not that we shouldn’thave expectations and standards, but we need torecognize that children don’t all learn in the same wayat the same rate.”5 Dunn further recommends, “Ratherthan eliminating testing, it seems sensible to requirethat teachers teach using learning styles and then givethe students opportunities to demonstrate how wellthey learn. We should strive to transform all of ourschools into learning style schools.”6

For the real world we needskills and content so why notprovide both? Rather thansimply piling on information,and giving the A’s and B’s tothose who have a facility for

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whatevercontentournationdecidesisimportant—bydrawingupontheinherentintelligenceofeachchild.

“memorizing for the test,” theLearning Style Model helps allchildren learn—whatevercontent our nation decides isimportant—by drawing uponthe inherent intelligence ofeach child.

Since most of our schoolsare not following the LearningStyle Model of Education atthis time, it is extremely

important that you, the parent, become knowledgeableabout learning styles, in order to ensure that your childis an eager, self-directed, successful learner, not onlyfor school but, more importantly, for real life.

THECONFIDENCETOSUCCEED

For real-world education to take place, learning mustoccur from the inside-out and not the outside-in, asdiscussed in Chapter 3. This means, among otherthings, that kids need to be allowed to practice andexperiment without fear of punishment for makingmistakes. It also means that they need people behindthem who will support, guide, and advocate for theirlearning processes.

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PracticeLeadstoLearning

A person learns the most when mistakes are viewedas lessons to learn from, rather than failures. ThomasEdison himself did over 9,999 experiments trying toinvent the lightbulb, with no luck. On the ten-thousandth try he got it right. When asked how hecould continue after experiencing so many failures, heassured the inquirer that he had not experienced asingle failure; he had merely learned all of the waysthat didn’t work, bringing him closer to the solution.

In the real world, we create opportunities forourselves when we believe that certain outcomes arepossible. The real world depends on learning frommistakes as the source of motivation to take the nextstep. If our schools are to educate for the real world,they must give kids the opportunity to be testedwithout fear of mistakes, learn from these tests, and begiven the opportunity to be retested. What’s the pointof giving a weekly test, marking the grade, and movingon? How is one supposed to learn from this system?

What if kids could take tests without anxiety? Weare completely devoted to practice when it comes tosports, music, and dance—why not for academics? Ifno grades were attached to daily quizzes and weeklytests, students could practice and learn, and theycould go back over the material they missed to find outwhat they don’t understand, or what they still need tomemorize. Learning to memorize is actually a very

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useful tool that one can take into adulthood. If wetaught each child to memorize by using her LearningStyle, she would not only learn the content, she wouldalso be learning the skill of memorizing. In this case,memorizing would no longer be an exercise in futility—a short-term objective to get a grade—but would betransformed into a valuable technique to be usedthroughout one’s life (see techniques and materialsdiscussed in Chapters 5 through 10).

Using testing to teach rather than label helps allkids to learn content while they are also learning abouthow they learn. Instead of grading the tests, a childcould be assigned a grade based on his effort andfinal outcome, after learning the material. With thissystem, a common foundation based on a liberal artseducation does become possible for all children. Inaddition, each child’s natural intelligence is valued andencouraged and each child experiences success.Experiencing many successes leads to confidence—which spills over into real life and sets the stage forexperiencing accomplishments as adults.

Mentoring

Books and tapes such as The Power of PositiveThinking, The Greatest Salesman in the World, TheAladdin Factor, and It’s Possible make it clear that

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self-knowledge, confidence, determination, andstrategies for positive thinking are the ingredients forsuccess. Athletes seem to know this principle to agreater degree than the rest of us. Star athletes, thosewho break records for wins, are also the ones whobreak records for losses—in other words, the onlyreason they’re winners is because they’re willing tolose, too! Bonnie St. John Deane, Silver Medal winnerfor skiing in the 1984 Disabled Olympics, (who, by theway, has one leg), has said that when winners falldown they get back up, and Gold Medal winners getup faster! Michael Jordan has missed more than 9,000shots in his career and has lost almost 300 games. Hehas failed over and over and over again, and that iswhy he succeeds.

What gives people the confidence to believe intheir own abilities and potentials and to keep going?One of the key ingredients is being surrounded bymentors and coaches who believe in them. Les Brownwas able to eventually break out of the “educablementally retarded” category, because in high school ateacher commented that he should never let otherpeople’s perceptions of him create his reality. This wasthe beginning of a new belief in himself, about who hewas and what he could do.

We’ve forgotten the value of mentoring in thiscountry. Some high schools and colleges arerethinking the idea of apprenticeships and programsthat allow students to interact with community

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Whatisdesiredisthattheteacherceasebeingalecturer,satisfiedwithtransmittingready-madesolutions—hisroleshouldratherbethatofamentorstimulatinginitiativeandresearch.

businesses to either explore careers or begin theirreal-world experience in their chosen careers. TheLearning Style Model encourages parents to seek outmentoring relationships that nurture and draw out theirchildren’s natural talents and interests.

The process of buildingconfidence andself-direction begins inchildhood. When children’slearning needs are respected,and when parents andteachers take the time to helpchildren learn aboutthemselves and how they learnbest, kids feel valued. WhenModality and Disposition aretaken into account for lessonsand assignments, and whenTalents and Interests areencouraged, kids feelcompetent. When studentsevaluate themselves, setgoals, and trackaccomplishments, they learn

about determination and positive thinking. When kidshave people on their team (see Chapter 12) whocheer them on and coach for learning-success, theyfeel supported. Kids who know their strengths andhow to work with their weaknesses, who feel

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competent and successful, become successfullearners for a lifetime.

EDUCATINGFORTHEFUTURE

Most parents would agree that we place a high valueon education because it has the power of profoundlyaffecting a child’s future in the real world. Preciselybecause we are educating our children for theirfutures, we need to continually question which aspectsof our present system of education contributepositively to their futures and which do not. Part of thisprocess involves deciding what is useful and what isuseless. Sometimes, because kids learn to play the“game,” success in school is a false or deceptivesuccess, which does not prepare a child for realsuccess in the real world. The parent’s job as alearning-success coach is to help the child stay ontrack and move in a forward direction toward her goalsand aspirations.

TheBottomLine

Now that you’ve come to the end of this book, you are

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ready to think about everything that goes into makinga successful learner. What is the bottom line? Whathappens when the “school world” and the real worldseem to conflict? Read Bob’s story below and then dothe final exercise.

Bob’sStory

Bob loves science, is a natural at exploring andinventing, and has a goal of becoming a physicist. Hisknowledge of science far exceeds that of hisclassmates. In most of his classes, including science,A’s are dependent on memorizing facts in order to gethigh test scores. Even when Bob uses techniques thatwork best for his Learning Style, he still has to put inseveral hours a night because of the quantity ofmaterial required to be memorized. This student hasthe opportunity to be mentored by a physicist who candraw out his natural scientific abilities. The physicistcan meet with Bob several days a week after school.Should Bob’s parents insist that he spend the timememorizing to get the high grade or is it all right to besatisfied with B’s or even C’s so that Bob can spendhis time doing real-life learning with his mentor? Whatwould you do if you were Bob’s parents?

There is no easy answer to this question, nor to the

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many issues that you and your child will faceregarding her education. Whatever the situation orproblem, use everything you’ve learned to help youand your child decide together. Recall what prompts achild to be an eager, self-directed learner. Think aboutthe C.A.R.E.S. principles. Review the informationabout Dispositions, Talents, Interests, Modality, andEnvironment. Go over the Plan form. Think about theprinciples for helping your child stay F.I.T.T. as alearner. Reread the sections in this chapter titled“Success in the Real World” and “The Confidence toSucceed.” Then answer the following questions:

What is a successful learner?What do I want for my child?

LearningStyles2000

In answering the question How important will LearningStyles be in the year 2000, Rita Dunn states:

Learning styles are likely to become a mandatedprerequisite for schooling within the next decade. It willonly take one class-action suit, led by one small group ofangry parent advocates, whose nontraditional childrenhave been demoralized by the imposition of traditionalschooling, to cause that change. And it will happen,because learning style is not something that affects other

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people’s children. In every family . . . learning styles aredramatically different from each other . . . In most families,one child does extremely well in traditional schooling andanother considers academics dull and uninteresting. Athird child may be extremely different from the first two . . .Style affects everyone. Whether or not we acknowledgethat we each learn differently, certain resources,approaches, and teachers are right for some—and verywrong for others.7

Whether or not schools are forced to beginteaching through Learning Styles as Rita Dunnpredicts, I encourage you, the parent, to take theinformation in this book and help your child become asuccessful learner by getting on your child’s team andcoaching for success.

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I

Epilogue:SomeLastThoughts

n an article in The Educational Therapist, aneducator quoted an elementary school principal:

“After 24 years of teaching, I can tell you that whenparents bring their kids in for the first day ofkindergarten, they’ll either say, ‘Oh, he’s sharp as apin,’ or, ‘This one’s a real devil, you’ll have your handsfull.’ Not one ever comes in saying, ‘My kid is justaverage.’ But oh, how fast we make them average.”1

We hope that this book has given you theknowledge and confidence to view learning,education, and your child in a different way. We hopeyou have been assured of your child’s natural abilities.We hope you believe that your child is truly gifted, thatall children are gifted, regardless of whether they havebeen labeled gifted or not.

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References

Introduction

1. Thomas Armstrong, Awakening Your Child’sNatural Genius, Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1991.

2. Armstrong, 1991.3. David Guterson, Family Matters: Why

Homeschooling Makes Sense, Harcourt BraceJovanovich, 1992.

4. Jean Cowden Moore, “Fair to Provide CollegeEducation,” The Star, Ventura, CA, April 14, 1999.

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Chapter1

1. Pedro Garcia, superintendent of Corona-NorcoUnified School District, “Helping Our Children to beSuccessful,” Independent, October 1998.

2. Alfie Kohn, Punished by Rewards, Houghton Mifflin,1993.

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Chapter2

1. Cynthia Warger and Marleen Pugach, “FormingPartnerships Around Curriculum,” EducationalLeadership, February 1996.

2. Ernest Hilgard and Richard Atkinson, Introduction toPsychology, Harcourt Brace and World, 1967.

3. Henry Klugh, Statistics: The Essentials ofResearch, John Wiley and Sons, 1970.

4. Rita Dunn, Jeffrey S. Beaudry, and Angela Klavas,“Survey of Research on Learning Styles,”Educational Leadership, March 1989.

5. Marge Scherer, “A Conversation with David Elkind,”Educational Leadership, April 1996.

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Chapter3

1. Alfie Kohn, Beyond Discipline, ASCD, 1996(quoting Arthur L. Costa, ASCD President).

2. Albert Bandura, Dorothea Ross, and Sheila A.Ross, “Transmission of Aggression ThroughImitation of Aggressive Models,” Journal ofAbnormal Social Psychology, 1961, 63, 575–582.

3. Marsha Sinetar, Do What You Love and the MoneyWill Follow, Dell Publishing, 1987.

4. Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, Bantam,1995.

5. Thomas Armstrong, Awakening Your Child’sNatural Genius, Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1991.

6. Armstrong, 1991.7. John Taylor Gatto, A Short, Angry History of Modern

Schooling: An Exorcism, self-published, 1998.8. Kohn, 1996.9. John F. Covaleskie, “Discipline and Morality:

Beyond Rules and Consequences,” EducationalForum, 1992, 56, 173–183.

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IntroductiontoPart2

1. Thomas Armstrong, In Their Own Way, Tarcher/St.Martin’s Press, 1987.

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Chapter5

1. Carol Ann Tomlinson and M. Layne Kalbfleisch,“Teach Me, Teach My Brain: A Call forDifferentiated Classrooms,” EducationalLeadership, November 1998.

2. Victoria Kindle-Hodson, Getting Beyond Me AgainstYou, Kindle Communication, 1993.

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Chapter6

1. Chris Brewer and Don G. Campbell, Rhythms ofLearning, Zephyr Press, 1991.

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Chapter7

1. Greg Harris, “Delight Directed Home Schooling,”Our Family’s Favorites, Christian Life Workshops,1992.

2. Linda Dobson, The Homeschooling Book ofAnswers, Prima, 1998.

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Chapter8

1. Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis, What to Do When TheyDon’t Get It: A Guide to Great TeachingTechniques, Reflective Educational Perspectives,1996.

2. Tony Buzan, The Mind Map Book, Penguin, 1993.3. Karen Bromley et al., Graphic Organizers,

Scholastic, 1995.4. Gordon Dryden and Jeannette Vos, Ed.D., The

Learning Revolution, Jalmar Press, 1994.5. Dryden and Vos, 1994.6. Peter Kline, The Everyday Genius, Great Ocean

Publishers, 1988.7. Linda S. Gottfredson, “The General Intelligence

Factor,” Scientific American, Winter 1998.

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Chapter9

1. Rita Dunn and Kenneth Dunn, Teaching StudentsThrough Their Individual Learning Styles, Reston,1978.

2. Rita Dunn, How to Implement and Supervise aLearning Style Program, Association forSupervision and Curriculum Development, 1996.

3. American School and University, “Top 10 DesignIdeas for Schools of the 21st Century,” PrimediaIntertec, January 1998.

4. Eric Jensen, How to Use Music in Teaching andTraining, Turning Point, 1995.

5. Eric Jensen, Optimal Learning Environment,Turning Point, 1994.

6. John Ott, Health and Light, Ariel Press, 1990.7. Jensen, 1994.8. Rita Dunn, Jeffrey S. Beaudry, and Angela Klavas,

“Survey of Research on Learning Styles,”Educational Leadership, March 1989.

9. Richard Simon, LA Times staff writer, “Do-NothingCongress Doesn’t Apply to State’s Delegation,” LATimes, July 18, 1999.

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Chapter10

1. Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis, Homeschooling the Childwith “Learning Problems,” Reflective EducationalPerspectives, 1993.

2. Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis, What to Do When TheyDon’t Get It: A Guide to Great TeachingTechniques, Reflective Educational Per-spectives,1996.

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Chapter12

1. Jane Nelsen, Positive Discipline in the Classroom,Prima Publishing, 1997.

2. Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D., NonviolentCommunication, Puddle Dancer Press, 1999.

3. Stanley J. Hodson, Beside Ourselves with Calm, inmanuscript, 1983.

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Chapter13

1. National Education Goals: Building a Nation ofLearners, National Education Goals Panel (federalagency), report, 1998.

2. Education for all Handicapped Children Act, PublicLaw 94-142, Part 200.1, 1975.

3. Thomas Armstrong, In Their Own Way, Jeremy P.Tarcher, 1987.

4. National Academy of Education, committee onReading, Toward a Literate Society, McGraw-Hill,1975.

5. Charles Child Walcutt, et. al., Teaching Reading,Macmillan, 1974.

6. Jerry Pournelle, Ph.D., Reading Reform FoundationNewsletter, Scottsdale, AZ, 1976

7. Dr. Melvin Howards, Director of NorthwesternUniversity’s Center for Educational Development,Reading Reform Foundation News-letter,Scottsdale, AZ, August, 1976.

8. Thomas Armstrong, In Their Own Way, Jeremy P.Tarcher, 1987.

9. Armstrong, 1987.10. LDA Newsletter, a paid advertisement written by

Children’s Ther-apy Center, Inc., January 1997.11. Priscilla Vail, Learning Styles, Modern Learning

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Press, 1992.12. Thomas Armstrong, The Myth of the A.D.D. Child,

Dutton, 1995.13. Helen Irlen, Reading by the Colors, Avery, 1991.14. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken

Soup for the Soul, Health Communication, 1993.15. Ed Lucaire, Celebrity Setbacks, New York

Prentice-Hall, 1993.16. Gordon Dryden and Jeannette Vos, Ed.D., The

Learning Revolution, Jalmar Press, 1994.

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Chapter14

1. Association for Supervision and CurriculumDevelopment, reported in a letter sent tosubscribers, March, 1999.

2. Rita Dunn, How to Implement and Supervise aLearning Style Program, ASCD Publications, 1996.

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Chapter15

1. Chris Brewer and Don Campbell, Rhythms ofLearning, Zephyr Press, 1991.

2. David D’Arcangelo, Wealth Starts at Home,McGraw-Hill, 1997.

3. E. D. Hirsch, Jr., A First Dictionary of CulturalLiteracy, Houghton Mifflin, 1991.

4. Rita Dunn, Jeffrey S. Beaudry, Angela Klavas,“Survey of Research on Learning Styles,”Educational Leadership, March 1989.

5. Marge Scherer, “A Conversation with David Elkind,”Educational Leadership, April 1996.

6. Rita Dunn, How to Implement and Supervise aLearning Style Program, Association forSupervision and Curriculum Development, 1996.

7. Michael F. Shaughnessy, “An Interview with RitaDunn About Learning Styles,” The Clearing House:A Journal of Educational Research, Controversyand Practices, Heldref Publications, Wash-ington,D.C., January 1998.

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Epilogue

1. James Alan Astman, Headmaster, OakwoodSchool, “No One Is Average,” The EducationalTherapist, February 1987, quoting from thecomments of an elementary school principal,delivered at a meeting on critical thinking atHarvard University (Schwob, 9/5/84, p. L15).

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AbouttheAuthors

Victoria

Victoria Kindle Hodson was born and grew up in thePacific Northwest. She attended Western WashingtonUniversity, the University of Washington, and AntiochUniversity and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Educationand a Master’s degree in Psychology. She has been aclassroom teacher in public, private, special educationand Montessori school settings—preschool through

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college.For 30 years Victoria has been combining her

research, experience, and insight in education andpsychology to develop curricula, tools, and programsthat support the development of the whole person—young people and adults. In addition to theLearningSuccess™ Institute she is co-founder and co-director of Kindle-Hart Communication and has co-authored three books with Sura Hart, including TheCompassionate Classroom; Respectful Parents,Respectful Kids and The No-Fault Classroom, and co-developed The No-Fault Zone Game.

Mariaemma

Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis was born and grew up inSouthern California. She attended California StateUniversity Northridge, where she majored inPsychology. She holds a Master’s degree inEducation, and California Life Teaching Credentials forRegular and Special Education. She has beendeveloping educational programs and conductingworkshops for parents and teachers for more than 25years.

Mariaemma was the director of a private school forchildren with ‘learning disabilities’ for eleven years,

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before going into private practice. She has alsoconducted training programs for literacy volunteersthroughout Southern California, taught learningsuccess strategies in correctional facilities, and hasdeveloped assessment and teaching procedures foradult students.Victoria and Mariaemma have worked with andspoken to thousands of children and parents as wellas homeschooling families and classroom teachers—assessing learning styles, diagnosing school‘problems’, designing customized curriculum plans,and teaching techniques and strategies that helpchildren learn.

Together, they founded LearningSuccess Instituteand authored Discover Your Child’s Learning Style ,Midlife Crisis Begins in Kindergarten, and A Self-Portrait Learning Style System.

They are currently working with charter schools,implementing school-wide initiatives to replace fear-based student management policies and practiceswith LearningSuccess and needs-based principlesand practices. They also offer in-person and phonecoaching for parents and teachers, and conducttrainings and workshops for therapists, schooladministrators, teachers, and parents worldwide.

Contact Information:

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LearningSuccess™ Institute,www.learningsuccessinstitute.com353 Sanjon Road, Ventura, CA 93001, 805-648-1739Victoria Kindle Hodson, M.A.(805) 653-0261victoria@learningsuccessinstitute.com

Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis, M.S.(805) 648-1739m@learningsuccessinstitute.com

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