Learning Unlimited: Using Homework to Engage Your Child's Natural Style of Intelligence

Markova and Powell, educators whose last team effort was Your Child Is Smart (1997), are proponents of the teaching movement that uses visual, audio and kinesthetic presentations to educate. Proposing that each child has his or her own personal operating system (POS) to receive, integrate and express learning, the authors suggest ways by which related classroom tactics can be applied to homework. Though the prose describing the glory of learning occasionally turns purple, when Markova and Powell get down to business they come up with innovative options for frustrated parents. For instance, kids who seem better attuned to learning through kinesthetic methods may benefit from practicing spelling words using magnetic letters, or from using marbles to learn math facts. Auditory options include making up a rap song about the respiratory system or creating sound effects to go with a story. Visual learners might create a poster or color code assignments to enhance organizational skills. Multisensory pathways, using all three channels, are also explored. The authors provide questions to help parents determine each child's best way, place and time to complete their homework. This primer is brimming with fun, unusual and practical ideas likely to benefit parents, students and educators. (Aug.)