The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles: A Fresh and Demystifying Approach

This book is so full of ideas, you're bound to find solutions for your child's obstacles. I've barely scratched the surface and I feel like "where have you been all my life". The author was interviewed on Focus on the Family and she warned to not try to do everything at once in the book. I've found that to be true. Use it as a reference and if you're merely surviving homework with your child, you need to order this book. Trust me, it will open up a whole new world for you and your child.

I love this book. It's a very easy read that won't bog you down or confuse you! The author's writing style is upbeat, humorous and pleasant! She is encouraging and points teachers to excellent, helpful, simple yet very valuable teaching methods which are "outside the box" in order to reach non-traditional learners. She also addresses how the teacher's attitude can either adversely or positively affect the students view of him or herself, and gives simple pointers for how to help each child feel confident and succeed. This is my favorite of all the learning style books I own. Thank you.

I'm a homeschooling mom of 5 children ages 10 yrs- 2 yrs. I've been homeschooling for 5 yrs and have spent many hours researching and reading items online, at homeschool conferences, etc. Last summer I bought this book after listening to the author speak at a homeschool convention.No single homeschool resource has fired me up as much as this single book! I couldn't put it down. Carol Barnier has WONDERFUL and creative ideas for making our homeschool fun and exciting. These ideas aren't way out there--they are very practical and easy to implement. My kids and I have reaped the benefits of her creativity and ability to "think outside the box" throughout this school year and I am very grateful to have found such a wonderful resource to teach my "hands-on" learners.If you are looking to make your homeschool--or just your time with your kids--both fun and educational, you will want to take a look at this book!

I have had this book for over a year. Many books I buy that try and help me teach my challenging child (and I buy quite a few) are sooo looonnngg and i never get around to DOing anything. This book is chock full of GREAT ideas that you can do NOW! You don't really have to READ the book so much as open it and use it! I highly recommend Carol's  How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and on to Learning  book as well. Again, it is a book that lends itself to immediate ideas in teaching your active learner. FYI- I think this book is great for homeschoolers and those that go to brick and mortar schools! Great ideas for getting the home work done!

I am very glad that this book was recommended to me when I purchased another book. This is a great resource and tool that I'll continue to pull out while planning our homeschool. I love the author's approach to finding your child's learning style. Just because a test says they're visual doesn't mean that you should discount other learning methods because they're not under that label. She warns against labeling your child and I heartily agree. I've implemented several different ideas already and my kids have each responded positively. I will turn to this book again and again!

I ordered this book and expected to love it. I was very surprised when I didn't. It's not a book that you can quickly reference. It's a book you have to read in its entirety. This is a bit tricky for a mom like me. I had read the preview pages online before I ordered it, but I still thought there would be some appendixes with helpful lists in them. The author's perspective about learning styles is that you have to try a lot of different approaches and keep what works and throw out what doesn't. Trying A LOT of different approaches is the key part of that.The author feels very strongly that you must teach a child they way they are able to learn. And this is one place where I disagree with her. (pg. 25) She states that the goal isn't that a teacher is comfortable teaching, but that the child is comfortable. I understand what she was getting at. It's true that too many teachers only teach the way they learn and refuse to be flexible. But, I think that, actually, parents have to find a middle ground with their kids. A curriculum or teaching method has to work well for both parent and child. Sometimes a curriculum will work for one but not the other. Not good! It must work for both. It must make sense to both. If it doesn't make sense to the teacher, then the teacher will either a) procrastinate or b) not understand what he/she is teaching. If it doesn't make sense to the student, then learning isn't happening.As for having to try lots and lots of approaches, I fall more in the camp where a quick survey (oral or written) is a good place to start---a place to start, not the final answer. I don't have time to try and use multiple approaches with every child. I have three children learning simultaneously plus taking care of my home, pet, and extended family, plus church responsibilities.I also wish she would have mentioned, which I've never seen anywhere, that many curriculum are bent towards one learning style. So, consider which learning style and pick curriculums accordingly. Ms. Barnier's ideas are great, but many moms (like me) don't have the execution or planning time to implement a lot of these ideas when one's teaching multiple children. Picking an appropriate curriculum that works for both parent and child is a much more doable option to helping a child be successful in their learning, than planning modifications for every lesson. Supplementary approaches can help when you have time--and that's what this book contains.There is also another area I was surprised the author didn't address. I believe that there are learning styles, learning differences, and learning disabilities. Learning Styles have to do with preference, learning differences are learning styles to a greater degree--when a child struggles with learning in a particular modality, and learning disabilities occur when a child is unable to learn from a particular modality. I think this is important to note. The reason we talk about learning styles is because we want children to enjoy learning more and to more successfully master what they are learning. Understanding learning styles is usually talked about in the context of struggling students, but it is also helpful to address with students that are doing well. When all students advance in school, it will be helpful for them to know what tools help them study and understand information best. Even when they are taught in a certain way, they will go to the library or their dorm room and study in ways that work best for them.One last note... my husband pointed out to me that children need to be taught in their weaker learning styles in their stronger subjects--because they do need to learn how to process and learn from those methods as well if they intend on pursuing advanced education. His advice was to modify and adapt the teaching approach for subjects that a child really struggles with. I thought this was a good thing to consider.I know that my review goes against the grain. Instead of this book, I'd recommend Brain-Based Strategies to reach every learner. It's a much easier book to use and talks about learning styles in a much broader context of how children learn and process information.

Helped me to help my daughter learn better.

I would totally recommend this for homeschoolers and teachers. A tremendous value considering the amount of suggestions inside. Divided up by subject. Thanks to this book, I am actually excited to start a 2nd year of homeschool this fall w/my fidgety 6-yr old boy!

As a home educator to and 8 and 6 yr old I am always interested in books about learning. My 8 yr old has been struggling a bit and I've been looking for new ideas for ways to teach her as the usual methods havent been working. This book has give lots of 'out of the box' ideas for ways to offer ideas and concepts..some of them have had me thinking 'duh, of course, WHY didnt I think of that!" I now have lots of new ideas and am refreshingly inspired!

Such a great resource for parents