Hi Friends,
I publish a monthly newsletter for my Usborne Business. I just moved it to a new service and thought I'd share the first issue here. It has a new format, too, including "Ask The Book Lady" and "Guest Author". If you have a question for me, and I use it in a newsletter, you will receive a free book! I'll also send you a free book if I use your article in the newsletter, so please send them. I'd love to have you all join my list to receive the newsletter every month. If any of the links aren't clickable, feel free to email me for a copy that works :o)
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Creating a Dynamic Learning Environment in Your Home
by
Lori Babineaux (The Book Lady)
A dynamic learning environment is one that will incorporate all of the learning styles, visual, auditory and kinesthetic (and in babies, olfactory and taste). Each child favors one or more of these styles, and so to help them thrive in their educational experiences, all three learning styles can be represented in the home to maximize the learning experience. So how do you incorporate all of the learning styles in your home?
Babies are born using all or most of their senses to learn about their world. They look, listen, touch and even taste and smell their environment and anything they can get into their hands (and mouth). Babies and toddlers especially, need to stimulate as many of their sense as possible in order to learn. It is important that you talk to them as often as possible throughout the day. Read to them and talk about the pictures in the book. Tell them what you are doing as you do it. Read interactive books to them, ones that ask for them to participate and respond to you as you read. Play music for them, books on tape and books with sound buttons and on a limited basis, interactive videos. You will be helping to build their vocabulary at the same time you help them develop their auditory learning abilities.
Babies and toddlers need to touch the things they are playing with in order to learn about their world. Books with textured patches are always well loved with babies and small children. Recall the joy on the faces of a child the first time they saw, touched and heard the story in a texture filled book. Children thrive with this type of book in their home. They will probably want to put it into their mouth as well as touch it. For a "chewable" book, you might want to investigate cloth books and vinyl bath books. These will allow your little one to explore with their sense of taste and smell without "eating" the book.
Some children are visually stimulated. The learn by seeing and remember best, those things they have seen. These children learn best by reading, playing educational games and video games, watching educational videos and looking at educational websites.
There are many Usborne Books that are ideal for Visual Learners as they are lavishly illustrated and include bite sized bits of information situated next to the illustrations (and often right on the illustration) , thus encouraging a visual connection between the words and the pictures.
Where most books illustrate by having the reader refer to a table on another page causing the reader to have to flip back and forth while reading, Usborne encourage comprehension and cohesion for the reader. In addition, many of our books are internet linked, including age appropriate websites to further bring to life the amazing photographs and exciting text of the wonderful Usborne Books.
Kinesthetic learners, those who learn by touching or doing things, need to actually see how its done in order to learn and understand. They need books with projects and experiments built into them. They need cutaway pictures so that they can "see inside". They need puzzles to solve and things to build. They learn best by using their hands. Usborne has a product called Learning Wrap Ups that appeal especially to kinesthetic learners. These wrap ups allow them to practice their math facts by wrapping a string around a key, thus making the inactive (math drills), active (wrapping the string).
Auditory learners thrive on hearing things. They can memorize a list after hearing it only once or twice. They can repeat back to you everything you’ve said verbatim (“but Mom, you promised I could ________ “). My oldest son is an auditory learner. When he was less than 2 years old, I began to wonder if he might not be a lawyer when he’s an adult. He could remember everything ever said to him and make a case based on what he remembered (by his non-auditory mom, had long forgotten). So, how do you create an audio rich environment? Read aloud from books, newspapers, really anything your child finds interesting. Get them books on tape. They will love to hear their favorites stories and may exhaust you with their insatiable appetite for the spoken word (mine sure does!!). In addition, because some auditory learners are late bloomers as readers, having a book on tape will allow them to hear the story and follow along with the book, thus increasing their association between the spoken word and written word. Remember, though, to be gentle with your auditory learner. They will learn to read and enjoy reading if you gently encourage them to read on their own while you continue to supply them with many opportunities to hear read-alouds.
Creating a dynamic learning environment can be a rewarding experience both for you and your child. Watch for more articles on this and other topics related to education and children coming soon.
See complementary books by clicking this link.
Lori Babineaux is a Catholic wife and homeschooling mom who is also an Usborne Books Educational Supervisor and owner of www.TheBookLadyOnli ne.com .
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Fun Stuff:
A kinesthetic outdoor activity that is fun and educational is to crush a few pieces of colored chalk in each of 5 different colors and mix it with a little water to form a “paint”. Using paint brushes, have your child paint 2 stick men (or any other easy picture like a sword or flower) on the driveway or sidewalk in each color, leaving lots of space between colors. Once he’s done, count by twos. He can then add one of each color and count by 3’s. He can continue adding and counting for as long as this activity is still fun. And remember, bigger kids enjoy these fun activities, too.
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Ask The Booklady:
Please send your questions to askthebooklady@yahoo.com. When your question is used, you will receive a FREE BOOK!
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Guest Author:
You could be published here! Send your articles to thebookladyonline@yahoo.com. When your article is published, you will receive a FREE BOOK!
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Internet Special:
A Kinesthetic learner’s dream! Several Kid Kits (books with corresponding activities) are 40-50% off on my website! In addition, so are Jigsaw puzzles and a bath book! Take advantage of this special now through June 11th and when you order through The Book Lady Newsletter e-show, you will receive a special gift from me in the mail!
Want more than 50% off? Host an e-show and share these specials with your friends and you could earn some books FREE!! Click here to get started today!
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