Variable and exponent and formula have been a part of your vocabulary for so long that it’s hard to understand why it’s hard for your student to understand…

Once upon a time, I was a homeschooled kid who was right there my parents.  During the day my mother would teach History, English, Geography and Science and at night my Father would set up the white board and attempt to teach us Algebra.

Nothing sunk in.  On the first problem, I would learn that x was equal to 6, but the very next problem, x would be equal to 14.

“Huh?”

After a weeks of frustration and growing tension between me and my father, there was a break through…

My father made a small adjustment in the way he taught and…

Suddenly, math was easy.

Just for the record…

• I didn’t become any smarter
• We didn’t switch curriculum
• We spent the same amount of time teaching and doing practice problems

This little trick can quickly and easily wake up the “Math Whiz” in your child

Actually, it’s better than that.  Once you master this technique, you can help your child become a “whiz” in every subject.

The technique is called “Point of Reference.”

Think about how we learn.  Learning is really just creating a relationship in our minds between something we understand and something we don’t.  Once you understand how “x” (something you don’t know) is like “y” (something you understand) then you’ve learned it.

There’s not mystery left.  X is like Y and you’re not sure how you could have missed that before.

If you want great examples of how it has been used, all you have to do is pull out your bible.

When Jesus was gathering his disciples, how did he communicate exactly what it was that they would be doing?

He didn’t walk up to Simon and Andrew on their fishing boats and say, “Come with me and I’ll make you disciples.”  They didn’t know what a disciple was.  It was outside of their experience.

If you know your scripture, you’ll remember that he said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men…”  And they left their nets and followed him.

They didn’t have to think about what he could have meant because he spoke to them in their own language using experiences that they could instantly refer to.

During his time on earth, almost every lesson that Jesus taught, whether it was to a crowd or just for his disciples, Jesus used a point of reference that they could relate to.

So how can you use point of reference when you’re teaching your kids math?

Well, you know your kids best.  What subjects do they relate to?  What kinds of activities can they spend hours at without noticing the time?

Think, how does this math problem relate to his or her favorite game or sport?

Think hard enough and you’ll find something.

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1. Auditory.  For this type of student, listening to an explanation goes the furthest towards creating comprehension.
2. Visual.  Those who learn by observing.  Sometimes, just seeing it done once or twice will make it “click” for this type of Homeschool math student.
3. Kinesthetic.  This type of student needs to touch and practice in order to learn.

We can look to the Bible to see examples how this is done.

All of the great profits and teachers, both Old Testament and New, taught to all three types of learners.

First they spoke to large crowds for those who only needed to hear the logic of their teachings.  But there were those that needed more.

That’s where the miracles came into play.  Miracles taught to those who learned by sight and feel.  Think of the impression it made to see Moses part the Red Seas.

Think of the lessons learned by the crowd of 5000 who ate from the same 5 loaves and two fish…

Everyone learned first hand and in three different ways.  They saw, they heard, they felt.

And they left happier, wiser, and I believe every one of them would say they enjoyed the experience.

But how does this apply to Homeschool math?

Simple!

Homeschool math teachers can incorporate all three very easily into their lessons and can gauge which are the most effective with their child.  Which type of learner does your child appear to be?

All homeschool math curriculum comes with some type of explanation.  Read the text out loud to your child and tell them to stop you when you say something they don’t understand.

When they stop you, try explaining the problem in a different way.

You’ll be able to see it in their eyes when it “clicks.”  If you find that it clicks fairly often this way, your child is probably an auditory learner.

If it doesn’t seem to click, try demonstrating a practice problem for them on the white board (or just a piece of paper).  Explain each step and the reason for it carefully. If it clicks this way most often, they’re probably a visual learner.

And if that doesn’t work sit with your child as he does a practice problem.  Walk them step by step through the solution but have him or her do all the writing.  If you see it “click” most often using this technique, your child is probably a kinesthetic learner.

When you find out what kind of learner your child is, you’ll find that Homeschool math isn’t so frustrating any more because you’ll know exactly which type of instruction to try first when your kids are having difficulty.

Maybe you don’t want your kids sucked in to the corrupting influence of the public school culture.  Maybe you’re worried about the quality of education in the public school system.  Maybe you want to spend more time with your kids and not see them raised by strangers.

It may be a combination of all of the above.  No matter what your reason is, I applaud you.  And I want to encourage you because education is and important and difficult task.

There’s another aspect, which you may or may not have thought of that makes your decision to Homeschool that much better.

Think about the goals of the public school system.  Not their stated goals, that’s irrelevant.  Think about the kind of training that kids are really getting.

In the real, adult world, what kind of environment is the most like a classroom setting?  Well first, there’s the actual classroom.  Graduates of the public school system are best prepared and most comfortable pursuing a career in education.

That’s what they were surrounded by for 12 years with adults that they only see functioning in that setting.

I’m not criticizing the teaching profession, but I am pointing out that public education best prepares students for a life in public education.

What is the most similar setting after that?

Data entry.  That’s not a joke.  Public school students sit at a desk, hour after hour, scribbling down what other people tell them to.  The most similar real world job that matches that description is data entry.

This accounts for a large portion of the work force.  Mindless jobs with menial responsibility.

But Homeschool students are different. There’s a natural flexibility with homeschooling.  Because students are more accountable and entrusted with more responsibility, they enter the adult world much better prepared for jobs that reflect that environment.

Those jobs include upper management, law, entrepreneurs, and company executives and presidents.

When entering the “real world,” there’s no doubt that Homeschool students are much more prepared.

Homeschool math is a struggle for at least half of teaching households.  But does it have to be that way?

The truth is that all kids can enjoy math.  Learning is fun.  It may sound sill to your kids now, but have them think about this.  Do they enjoy video games?  Of course they do… but why do they enjoy them?  Because it’s a challenge.  Everyone enjoys overcoming a challenge.  How do I get to that next level?  How can I beat this bad guy or get through this maze?

Well, obviously you have to learn how to do it. The learning is fun.  Math can be the same way.  When your kids start to get it, when it starts to click they get the same exhilarating feeling of beating a level.  Then it’s on to the next challenge.

But as parent, it’s your job to help them learn the best way possible.  And to do that, you have to determine what kind of learner they are.

There are three kinds of learners, and this is especially true for Homeschool math:

1. Auditory.  For this type of student, listening to an explanation goes the furthest towards creating comprehension.
2. Visual.  Those who learn by observing.  Sometimes, just seeing it done once or twice will make it “click” for this type of Homeschool math student.
3. Kinesthetic.  This type of student needs to touch and practice in order to learn.

We can look to the Bible to see examples how this is done.

All of the great profits and teachers, both Old Testament and New, taught to all three types of learners.

First they spoke to large crowds for those who only needed to hear the logic of their teachings.  But there were those that needed more.

That’s where the miracles came into play.  Miracles taught to those who learned by sight and feel.  Think of the impression it made to see Moses part the Red Seas.

Think of the lessons learned by the crowd of 5000 who ate from the same 5 loaves and two fish…

Everyone learned first hand and in three different ways.  They saw, they heard, they felt.

And they left happier, wiser, and I believe every one of them would say they enjoyed the experience.

But How Does This Apply to Homeschool Math?

Homeschool math teachers can incorporate all three very easily into their lessons and can gauge which are the most effective with their child.  Which type of learner does your child appear to be?

All homeschool math curriculum comes with some type of explanation.  Read the text out loud to your child and tell them to stop you when you say something they don’t understand.

When they stop you, try explaining the problem in a different way.

You’ll be able to see it in their eyes when it “clicks.”  If you find that it clicks fairly often this way, your child is probably an auditory learner.

If it doesn’t seem to click, try demonstrating a practice problem for them on the white board (or just a piece of paper).  Explain each step and the reason for it carefully. If it clicks this way most often, they’re probably a visual learner.

And if that doesn’t work sit with your child as he does a practice problem.  Walk them step by step through the solution but have him or her do all the writing.  If you see it “click” most often using this technique, your child is probably a kinesthetic learner.

When you find out what kind of learner your child is, you’ll find that Homeschool math isn’t so frustrating any more because you’ll know exactly which type of instruction to try first when your kids are having difficulty.