Book Reviews

Reviews of Discover Your Child's Learning Style

From Mark Victor Hansen, Co-creator, #1 New York Times best-selling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®
“Everyone has his/her own learning style. This book helps you master your learning style so you can grow, develop, release and manifest your, and your child’s, full potential.”

From David D’Arcangelo, author of Wealth Starts at Home
"Only about 5% of the population has the conviction that they are capable of going for their dreams. Encouraging talents and interests in childhood is the best way to draw out each person’s unique abilities...This (work) is the tool that can make the difference for your child."

From Jane Nelsen, Ed.D., co-author of Positive Discipline
"There is no greater gift you can give your children than to help them realize they don’t have a problem—that they are very special just as they are. Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson show parents and teachers how to do just that—to educate and encourage children with many differing learning styles. Children are worth that effort."

From Jody McVittie, M.D., family physician & parent educator
"As parents we know that sometimes school or even a particular teacher is a better fit for some children than others. Often children (and adults too!) take the poor fit as a negative message about who they are and that makes a difficult environment even more of a challenge. This (work) celebrates the fact that we are all unique and can contribute and learn in our own ways, and offers very specific suggestions for learners who feel like they don’t fit. It is very encouraging!"

From Richard & Linda Eyre, authors of Teaching Your Children Values
"Our work with parents and children all over the world (as well as with our own kids) convinces us that each child has his own unique set of intellectual and emotional gifts, and thus learns and develops in his own unique way. Parents who understand the principles in this book (Discover Your Child’s Learning Style) will be better parents!"

From Clayton C. Barbeau, M.A., MFCT, therapist, author of How to Raise Parents
"I believe that every parent and every teacher will find this (work) an invaluable tool in the greatest task confronting us: educating our children."

From Michael & Mary Leppert, authors of The Homeschooling Almanac & publishers of The Link, a homeschool newspaper
"This book (Discover Your Child’s Learning Style) is a necessity for homeschoolers. It goes much deeper than other learning style philosophies and offers field-proven insight and knowledge resulting from the authors’ work with hundreds of real families. The material in this book changed our family’s life!"

From Nancy Chaconas, M.A., educator, author of HELP-Esteem
"A powerful tool for increasing your child’s self-esteem. At last, there is a simple solution for every child to become a winner."

From Patricia Flanigan, California State Library Literacy Task Force
"An excellent tool for discovering how a student learns best. Teaching children according to how they learn ensures optimum education for all; it’s an approach that could help make remedial literacy programs obsolete!"

Fascinating Insights from Sherry Simpson, Ojai, California
This book is very well written. The exercises are easy to follow and provide fascinating insights. My two favorite quotes from the book are: "Grades and percentiles are conveniences that maintain a system" and "Wall pushing is counter productive no matter how hard, how creatively, or how often you push." The part of the book that will be most helpful with my 16-year-old is that he really does need the television on in order to study effectively, and he would do even better on tests if he had some background noise. He told me when the tension gets too high with absolute silence, he drops his pencil to break the tension. For my 13-year-old I learned that if he reads instructions out loud, he will be better able to understand them. This will save both of us lots of frustration from now on.

Finally... a book that says it the way it should be! from Valerie Kahle, Fallbrook, California
I am so thrilled that someone finally showed us how to teach our kids in a way that actually means they'll learn something other that how to pass a test. Until now only a professional could tell you what learning style was best for your child. Now you can do it yourself and tailor your school day to fit your own needs. This is an absolute must for homeschooling parents but parents of children in traditional schools will benefit as well. Did I mention that the book is reader friendly too? It's definitely one of the easiest "how to" books I've ever read. A must for any parent's library!

From Deborah Critzer, PositiveParenting.com
Discover Your Child's Learning Style is the most helpful information I have found both as a parent and a professional. I immediately understood how each of my children is best able to learn and used the ideas in the book to create the best learning environment to support each of them. It has relieved so much of my stress with homework and helped my children excel in school that I always share this information with the parents in my parenting classes. Every parent of school age children should read this book!

From Mary Pride, author of The Big Book of Home Learning, publisher of "Practical Homeschooling Magazine," home-school.com
Discover Your Child's Learning Style is a book you need. Period. It has more potential to improve your child's education - and your family relationships - than any other book I have ever read, with the sole exception of the Bible.

The authors of this book have developed a "Learning Styles Model" of education that helps you discern your child's:

  • Talents
  • Interests
  • Preferred learning environment
  • Thinking Style. Is your child a Performer, Producer, Thinker/Creator,
Inventor, or Relater/Inspirer? Each type is motivated differently and learns differently!
  • Modalities. They go so far beyond the traditional visual/auditory/kinesthetic-tactile trio. The visual learner, for example, may be a Print Learner or a Picture Learner... and this makes a huge difference. Turns out there are two kinds of Auditory Learners, and four kinds of Kinesthetic-Tactile Learners!

The book includes handy self-tests. Use these to find out just how each child in your family loves to learn... and what teaching approaches help or hinder his learning style. What a huge difference this will make in your homeschool... and in your family relationships!

After 50 years of combined teaching experience, the authors of this easy-to-read book have come to believe that the current school system, and most especially its preoccupation with limiting children's options by labeling them, is dead wrong. The way they decimate the "National Standards" and the whole Special Ed system is alone worth the price of the book.

As befits those who preach the value of learning styles, Discover Your Child's Learning Style is designed to appeal to just about everyone. Their solutions work.

From Montessori Resources, American Montessori Consulting
Copyright 2002

Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson have masterfully compiled a treasure trove of information for any parent or educator looking to maximize learning in all children. The book is more than a guide; it's an in depth manual designed to help the educator assess the learning style of each student. Everything needed to best determine the child's learning style is included.

Montessori teachers are trained to respect each child's unique approach to learning. This book may provide some invaluable insight for the Montessori educator who has felt frustrated at times by her inability to reach some students.

The book is ideal for the parent who is undecided about the homeschooling process as well. Because the authors have taken the time to thoroughly
describe the ways in which children learn, each parent will begin to discover what type of learner her child is and can then plan to provide an environment which will meet the child's needs.