How to Tailor Your Homeschool to Your Child’s Learning Style

22 July 2025

So, you’ve jumped on the homeschool wagon. Welcome to the wild rollercoaster of spilled snacks, impromptu science experiments, and questions like, “But why do I need to know fractions?” (Spoiler: measuring cookie dough portions). One of the magical perks of homeschooling is the ability to customize your child’s education. That means you’re not just the teacher now — you’re the curriculum ninja, the educational DJ mixing the perfect playlist of learning, and the Sherlock Holmes of your child’s brain.

But here comes the million-dollar question: how do you tailor your homeschool to your child’s learning style without losing your mind?

Let’s break that down, shall we?

What the Heck Is a Learning Style?

Before we go all-in with color-coded planners and flashcards from infinity, let’s define what we’re really talking about. A learning style is basically the way a person processes and retains information best. Think of it like your child’s learning love language.

Most people fall into one of a few main categories, although many kids are a mix (because life loves to keep us guessing):

- Visual Learners: They need to see it to believe it.
- Auditory Learners: They hear it, they remember it.
- Kinesthetic Learners: They gotta move it, move it.
- Reading/Writing Learners: They live for books, journals, and writing essays like it’s their job.

Now let’s deep-dive into each type and how to homeschool like a boss — or at least like a highly caffeinated parent who googled “how to teach long division at 2 a.m.”

1. Teaching the Visual Learner: The Picasso of Your Homeschool

Visual learners love diagrams, colors, and anything they can see. These kids are the ones drawing comic strips of the water cycle or color-coding their math notes for fun.

How to Teach Them

- Get Graphical: Charts, mind maps, timelines — if it's pretty and has a visual flow, they're in heaven.
- Use Videos and Slideshows: YouTube (supervised of course) is your new BFF. Educational animations? Gold.
- Color-Coding: Organize subjects by color. History is blue. Math is red. Just don’t give them neutrals — they live for the rainbow.
- Interactive Notebooks: Let them draw, paste, and create flipbooks to stick info into their long-term memory.

Real Talk Example

When my visual learner struggled with multiplication, we built a LEGO multiplication chart. Boom — instant understanding! Math and playtime? Yes, please.

2. Auditory Learners: Give Me All the Sound!

These kids love music, rhymes, conversations, and storytelling. If your kiddo is the type to belt out state capitals to a Taylor Swift beat… you’ve got an auditory learner.

How to Teach Them

- Read Alouds: Don’t just hand them a book. Read it out loud or use audiobooks.
- Songs and Mnemonics: Make up goofy rhymes or songs. “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” exists for a reason.
- Discussion-Based Learning: Instead of worksheets, talk it out. Ask questions, have them explain the info back to you.
- Podcasts and Educational Songs: There’s a podcast for everything, from grammar rules to the French Revolution.

Real Talk Example

My daughter learned all her math facts by singing them to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” When she got to algebra, we just changed the genre to pop.

3. Kinesthetic Learners: The Movers and Shakers

These are your wiggle worms. If your child has trouble sitting still, doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention — it just means they learn best through movement, touch, and hands-on exploration.

How to Teach Them

- Hands-On Activities: Count jellybeans instead of doing worksheets. Build volcanoes. Cook to teach fractions.
- Movement-Based Learning: Spell words by jumping on letters taped to the floor. Practice math with hopscotch problems. Get silly!
- Frequent Breaks: Don’t expect them to sit still for hours. Let them run, stretch, or dance between lessons.
- Play Games: Board games, card games, scavenger hunts — turn everything into play.

Real Talk Example

Our kinesthetic son learned geometry by building shapes with Play-Doh and marshmallows. Messy? Yes. Effective? Heck yes.

4. Reading/Writing Learners: The Scribblers and Bookworms

These are the kiddos who would willingly write a five-paragraph essay on why chocolate is the superior candy. They love reading, journaling, and writing down what they learn.

How to Teach Them

- Written Instructions: These learners prefer a step-by-step list or textbook explanation.
- Journaling: Give them a subject-specific journal — science experiments, thoughts on history, math notes, even dreams!
- Book-Based Curriculum: Ignore the flashy videos. Give them books and watch them happily dive in.
- Research Projects: Let them pick a topic and write about it. Create small research papers or presentations (with lots of written slides, of course).

Real Talk Example

My reading/writing learner created a “history newspaper” complete with headlines, articles, and “classified ads” about ancient Rome. Pulitzer-worthy stuff.

So What If Your Kid Is a Mash-Up?

Ah, yes. The learning style cocktail. Most kids don’t fit neatly into one box, because kids aren’t robots — they’re more like burrito bowls of potential with a little of everything mixed in.

Here’s what to do:

- Observe and Experiment: Try different methods. What gets them excited? What makes them groan?
- Blend Techniques: Mix visual with movement or audio with writing. Don’t get stuck in one lane.
- Let Them Lead: Ask them how they want to learn something. You might be amazed by their creativity.
- Flexibility is Key: Don’t stick with something just because it “should” work. Tailor it like a custom-made pair of jeans — snug in all the right places.

Homeschooling Hacks for Different Styles

No matter the learning vibe, here are a few tips that work across the board:

1. Create a Flexible Routine

Structure matters, but so does adaptability. If your morning math turns into “let’s build a fort and learn physics,” go with it.

2. Make It Fun (Even If It’s a Bit Weird)

Lean into your child’s quirks. Does your kid remember everything if it’s sung like a Broadway musical? Start rehearsals.

3. Encourage Curiosity Over Perfection

You’re building thinkers, not test-takers. Praise effort, creativity, and improvement more than completed worksheets.

4. Include Them in the Planning

Let them help choose books, projects, or topics. When they help steer, they’re more invested in the ride.

5. Don’t Panic When It Doesn’t Work

Every homeschool day is an experiment. Sometimes, things flop harder than a pancake with no syrup. That’s okay. Tomorrow is a new day — with snacks.

Cool Resources by Learning Style

Here’s your cheat sheet — because you’re a busy legend and don’t have time to read through 10,000 Pinterest boards.

| Learning Style | Top Tools and Resources |
|--------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| Visual | Khan Academy, Mind Map Apps, Art Supplies |
| Auditory | Audible, Storynory, Memorization Songs |
| Kinesthetic | KiwiCo Kits, Sensory Bins, Active Math Games |
| Reading/Writing | Epic Books, Writing Prompts, Research Journals |

Final Thoughts: Trust Your Gut (And Your Kid)

Look, there’s no one-size-fits-all homeschool plan. And that’s the beauty of it. You get to create a learning environment that's as unique as your child — weird obsessions, wiggles, and all.

So whether your kid is reading Shakespeare in the bathtub, jumping on a trampoline while spelling vocabulary words, or drawing a 10-page comic strip about the Civil War — just know this:

You’re doing great, seriously.

Tailoring homeschool isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection. It’s about watching your kid click with something and thinking, “Yes. This is why we do it.”

Now go forth and homeschool like the awesome, quirky, slightly-over-caffeinated parent you are.