Bring Faith to Life
By Cynthia Ulrich Tobias, M.Ed.
posted 11/01/2001
 1 of 4
Our "identical" twin boys were only 6 the Easter they each made a special card for me. Robert, the compliant, easy-to-please son, had drawn a beautiful picture of the cross with a Bible and lily and the words: "To Mommy—Christ is Risen. Happy Easter!" Michael, our wonderful, strong-willed son, presented a card that was plain on the outside. But inside there was a colorful character and the words: "Happy Easter from Jabba the Hut." These two boys are the same age with the same parents growing up in the same household, and yet they are so different in their outlooks and perspectives, you'd never know they shared the same genes. If twins can be so different, it's crystal clear that no two children in any family are alike.
As parents, we have been given the sobering charge of shepherding and guiding each of our children down the right path. But while the destination is the same for each child, the path is not. Because each of our children think differently, they also learn differently. Thankfully, we can trust that God, who designed our children as unique individuals in the first place, will give us the insight to discover our children's natural learning styles.
Learning styles are the inborn traits and preferences that affect the way we perceive our environment, take in and process information, and decide what's important. These preferences impact everything-the way we learn to read, to drive a car, to speak a new language. It's not surprising, then, that learning styles come into play in your child's spiritual development. Teaching techniques that work wonderfully for one child might do very little for another. One child might thrive on reading through a children's Bible with you, while another would rather sing through a rousing version of "Father Abraham." In other words, your child's spiritual development is affected not only by what she learns, but by the way she learns it.
Although there is a great deal of research behind the concept of learning styles, it doesn't take an advanced degree in education to identify and understand the learning styles of your children, no matter how old they are. With a little time, effort, and observation, you'll be able to determine how your child learns best and use that understanding to deepen your child's love for God.
Auditory
Your child chatters almost constantly. She often repeats what you say like an echo, and she gets in trouble for talking out of turn during school. Highly auditory children seem to learn best by hearing—but not necessarily by hearing someone else. They need to hear themselves talk. But that need to hear information out loud means she may be the first to memorize her Bible verses, list the 12 disciples, and name all the books in the Old and New Testament. Why? When she says these things out loud, or even sings them, she's listening to the rhythm and sound of the words. When asked to remember information, she'll think of the sounds and tell you all she knows.
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