What do you say to your child when she tells you…   

“I’m not smart.  I’m not the same as the other kids.  How come I don’t get good grades like they do? I’m not smart like they are.”

I met with a group of parents to share information about learning styles and ways to help our visual learning children do better in the classroom. A mother seated in the front row had raised her hand and asked that question about her 9 year old daughter.  That question touched upon the emotional side of learning that so many young visual learners experience.  We had a great discussion afterwards with several parents sharing their observations and asking questions.  I enjoy these talks and being able to share the important role that learning styles play in a child’s academic and overall development and success.

It was obvious this mom’s heart was very heavy with emotion and that she wanted to find the best way to guide her child.  To better understand the situation, I asked a few specific questions and she told us a bit more about her daughter.

“My daughter is so bright. She is so creative, so alive.  I love the way her mind works. However, she is having trouble  academically/learning  at school. How do I help her?”

First, validate your child: It is important as parents that we understand our kids and that we are their number one supporters; their champions. They see themselves first through the reflection in our eyes.  As parents, we have an amazing opportunity to teach our children to believe in themselves and have confidence in who they are and what they can achieve.

Second, tell her who she is: Talk to her about being a visual learner.  In my book, Being Visual, I share how to discover if your child is a visual learner and how to understand this learning style.  Keeping it simple, strive to help your child understand the way she learns. Understanding can help lessen the tendency to compare.

Third, celebrate her creativity and  implement tools and techniques to help her develop other areas: There are very specific techniques you can use at home to help your visual child understand math concepts, organize their thoughts for writing, learn to manage time better, and so much more. As they develop a better understanding of themselves, they will achieve stronger approaches to learning that will result in greater academic success.

What is your child’s learning style? There are three basic learning styles; visual, tactile, and auditory.  Take the test and get immediate results: Is your child a visual learner? 

Bette Fetter Founder and CEO of Young Rembrandts and Author of Being Visual [email protected] Follow Bette on Twitter