Tips and tricks to help visual learners capitalize on their strengths

In theory, visual learners should thrive on the Common Core standards. These standards emphasize skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking–areas that are typically strengths of visual learners–and place less emphasis on rote memorization and straightforward calculations. Yet while visual learners often ace  these “right-brain,” Common Core-like tasks, they tend to have difficulties with the more linear aspects of school, such as memorizing information, spelling words, and making lists. Despite the shifting trend in teaching, these “left-brain” tasks continue to be integral components of school instruction. Help your visual learner excel in school with the ideas detailed below:

Teach Visualization Techniques

When visual‎ learners read, they tend to process and remember information better when they can “see” or visualize it. ‎To teach this visualization skill, have your child read a basic sentence out loud, such as “Three boys sat at the campfire.” Ask him to try to form a picture of this sentence in his mind, then ask prompting question to help him elaborate upons his image, such as: Who? What? Where? What color(s)? How many? How big/small?‎ You can also ask your own elaboration questions, such as, in this case, where he thinks the boys were and how they knew each other. You can ask him to describe the colors and sounds in his image, what the boys were doing at the campfire (Roasting marshmallows? Telling ghost stories?), and perhaps ask him to describe physical descriptions of each boy. The more vivid an image he can create in his mind, the more likely he will be to remember the information. Later, try this same exercise with full paragraphs and stories.

Highlight Information

To further help your child process information, encourage her to use color-coded highlighting techniques when reading both expository and narrative texts. For example, for expository text, teach her to highlight the topic (one, two, or three words describing the passage) in blue, the main idea (what the author is saying about the passage) in green, and the important details (important information describing the main idea) in yellow. She should read the passage first, then go back and highlight the key information. For narrative text, create a color-coded key before she reads, which correlates story elements to specific colors, then have her highlight new characters in, say, orange, new places in yellow, and plot events in pink. This organized, color-coded highlighting system will help her to learn and retain information that she reads.

Color Code Belongings

To help your visual learner better organize‎ his belongings, help him create a color-coded system for his school materials. For instance, he might choose green for science and use a green folder, green notebook, and green index tab in his binder, all for science. He can even use green flash cards for studying science. Likewise, he may choose blue for math, yellow for English, and so on.‎ The key is consistency.

‎Learn Vocab!

As students read, they inevitably come across vocabulary words they may not know. ‎Rather than skipping over or guessing at these unknown words, try this visual-based flash card strategy. To start, have him write the word on the front of the card and the definition (in his own words) on the back. Under the definition on the back side, he should draw a picture to help him remember the meaning.  For example, if the word is pinnacle, he can write the word on the front and the definition on the back, and then perhaps draw a picture of a mountain with a pin sticking out of it at the top. Alternatively, he can look for photos in magazines that represent the word, like benevolent (he finds a picture of someone acting sympathetic and friendly) or collaborate (he finds a picture of two people working together).

Visual Note-taking

Teach your child to create visual diagrams for both independent and in-class note-taking. To do so, for independent note-taking, first have him identify the topic of the passage he will be reading about (i.e., Word War I). Have him draw a circle in the middle of a sheet of paper and write “World War I” inside the circle. Next, have him identify the important details describing the topic and write them in his own words inside circles that branch out from the topic. Then he can create sub-branches, or circles that branch out of the important detail circles, containing information that supports the important details. He should continue creating this type of visual “tree” until he has finished reading the passage or textbook section. He can then color code the topic bubble in the middle using one colored highlighter, the important details using a second colored highlighter, and the supporting details using a third color. He can use this same type of visual note-taking diagram for taking in-class notes.

Visual learners often bear many strengths–they are typically creative, artistic, and perceptive. Yet, in school, lessons are not always catered to visual learners. Teach your child these strategies and encourage her to use them consistently; she will soon become a confident and successful student.

The post Help Your Visual Learner Succeed In School appeared first on EBL Coaching.

When most parents were in grade school, excelling in math meant calculating the right answers. They were taught tricks for memorizing multiplication facts, dividing fractions, and remembering the order of operations for solving equations, often feeling a pang of excitement when they figured out a correct answer.  Yet with the Common Core standards, which most states have now adopted, coming up with the correct answer is no longer the primary goal of teaching math. Instead, understanding the principles behind each problem and developing critical thinking skills have become key instructional goals. ‎Yet for many children (and their parents), this “new” way of teaching math is overly complex, confusing, and downright frustrating. Students who once took pride in their math abilities now feel utterly discouraged. So what can you do to help your child?

Old Way vs. New Way

Let’s start by looking at the “old” verses “new” way of teaching math.

Imagine your child needs to solve the addition problem 8+9. When parents were young, they likely knew the answer simply from “drill and kill” – or memorizing the addition facts. Yet with Common Core standards, one way students might be asked to solve this problem is using doubles. They’d need to identify the closest double (8+8) and move upwards from there. 8+8=16, plus 1 equals 17. They might also look at a ten frame and see that 8 darkened circles on the frame plus 2 more circles gives us 10 circles (one complete ten frame), plus 7 more on another ten frame gives us 17 total circles.

Now let’s move to the problem 325-27. In the “old” days we learned a basic algorithm for solving subtraction problems with regrouping, starting on the right side, borrowing from the tens, and so on. Yet with Common Core standards, this problem might be solved with the “counting up” mathod – essentially “counting up” from the smaller number to the larger number using 10’s and 100’s. For example, we’d start with 27. We’d add 3 to get to the nearest 10 and therefore circle the 3. Then we’d add 70 to get to the nearest 100 and circle 70. Next, we’d add 200 more to get to 300 (and circle 200). Finally, we’d add (and circle) 25 to reach the larger number (325). Then we’d add together all of the numbers we circled to come up with the answer. Sounds complicated, right? It is, to many.

Yet the reality is that math instruction is not reverting back to the “old” way anytime soon. The days of memorizing equations and plugging in numbers are behind us, and the wave of understanding and applying math concepts is here to stay, at least for the near term.

So what’s a parent to do?

1. Get to know the math curriculum your child’s school is using. Look for parent resources online‎. Ask the principal of your child’s school to set up parent workshops so you can learn more about the curriculum. Embrace the change and do what you can to understand this way of teaching.

2. Try not to teach your child “your” way to solve a problem when his teacher is emphasizing a different way. This will only confuse him even more!

3. Since many parents themselves struggle with this new style of math, use it as an opportunity to teach your child to advocate for herself. If she is struggling with a concept, encourage h‎er to ask her teacher for clarification rather than reeling in frustration. She can learn how to solve the problem the “Common Core” way and then even become your teacher, teaching you this new way of coming up with an answer.

4.  Let your child know that this approach is confusing for you too and that it’s okay! In life we all struggle with different problems and we can find a way to figure out how to get through them. Share the success of moving from an utterly confused to an utterly satisifed state by finally understanding this new way of approaching a problem.

5. Many parents feel strong disdain towards Common Core-style math. They feel that “their” way (the old way) is is simpler, clearer, and downright better. Don’t share these thoughts with your child. The “new” math is the “new” reality. You can share your views privately with your child’s teacher or principal but avoid sharing them with your child, or you will likely create deeper frustration.

There are many benefits to Common Core-style math. Learning to think critically, estimate, and understand math are all valuable skills that will help your child excel in the long run. Think of the “old” style you learned for solving math problems as simply different. Embrace this new style  and encourage your child to find pleasure and success in making it over this high but surmountable mountain.

The post How Can Parents Help Kids Improve Their Math Skills? appeared first on EBL Coaching.