Those of you who are familiar with our learning styles work know that we believe learning disabilities are basically non-existent. Everyone has different learning styles but schools are set up for just one! That's a set-up for failure, or at least mediocrity ("you're just average") for the majority of students.

 

Most often the students who are labeled with a learning disability have the same styles as people like Einstein and other well-known inventors, scientists, musicians, artists, actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs.

 

In many cases, college can get in the way of success for these students. In other cases, they find that college can be very different from high school and they take off. Again, the most important thing is to show these students evidence of their intelligence, their talents, and their skills, so that they will be confident about their abilities and make choices that are right for them.

 

We hope that these thoughts we've shared with you in this series of articles give you a different perspective about college and encourage you to leave the decision about whether to go or not to go up to your children, while providing a "safe" and open forum for discussion, answering their questions, and guiding them to research their options.

 

copyright 2010 by Willis & Hodson, Reflective Educational Perspectives LLC

Check out this video - it's terrific!

An Open Letter to Educators

Financial success in the work world is not correlated to good grades and/or graduating from particular colleges. Countless students graduate from college not having a clue what they will do next, or ending up with a job that is not even remotely related to their interests and/or talents and, often, one that they greatly dislike. On the other hand, the wealthiest in our country did not graduate from college and many didn't even finish high school.

We are not saying, forget college. What we are saying is the people who are the most successful are those who know what they are good at, believe in themselves, are motivated by their talents and what they are passionate about--and go from there. If college is for them, they'll go, and if it's not, it's not. Going to college is not in itself the key to success.

copyright 2010 Willis & Hodson, Reflective Educational Perspectives LLC

 

Do you know your Power Traits? Find out what they are! This webinar covers your Dispositions, Modalities, Interests, Talents, and Best Environment, and tells you how to use your Power Traits to go for what you want!

Watch the recorded webinar:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/252004417

Learning Styles for Home Schoolers interview

Recently, Heidi Johnson, creator of homeschool-how-to.com interviewed Mariaemma and the interview was recorded. Thanks, Heidi!

Here's what she has to say about the interview:

Recently I was able to talk to Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis the co-founder of the Learning Success Institute and co-author of several books including: A Self-Portrait™ Learning Style System, Mid-Life Crisis Begins in Kindergarten, and Discover Your Child's Learning Style.

Here is an interview that I did with Mariaemma recently:

Learning Style Interview  It's only about 20 minutes long and very informative!

I have read Discover Your Child's Learning Style and have done the Learning Style Assessment with each of my four children. It was amazing what we learned about ourselves and each other by working through these assessments.

A Learning Style Assessment is different than just finding your learning style based on the auditory, visual, kinesthetic model. The assessments also address personality style, learning environment, modality and many other aspects of learning.

Learning styles can be adapted to almost any curriculum depending on the parent's willingness and ability to adapt it. Most textbook and school approaches do not fit with how most people learn.

Learning Styles for Home Schoolers interview

What about them? Some people are good at taking tests, some aren't. If your child isn't there are options. One is to take classes to learn test-taking skills. Another is to attend community college first. This option has a lot going for it: no entrance exam, ease into college, try things out while deciding on a major, etc., etc.

 

This is not "taking the easy way out" because you're "too lazy to go to a real college." Whatever helps a particular student be successful is right for that student.

 

Most community colleges are excellent and provide a wonderful education.

 

But what about getting the best jobs? Will opportunities be missed by taking this route? Stay tuned...

 

copyright 2010 by Willis & Hodson, Reflective Educational Perspectives LLC

If my children decide to go to college, will they be prepared?

 

We have found that children who are encouraged to pursue their talents and interests and to make their own decisions about careers and goals, will do what they need to do when they need to do it.

 

But will they get into the college of their choice, you ask?

 

Well, that depends. For example, those who are home schooling will find that there are some colleges that will not accept home schooled students. Our answer to that is, so what? There are thousands of colleges across the country! Chances are, if a college doesn't want you, for whatever reason, then you don't want to go there--it wouldn't be a good fit anyway!

 

The best thing is to seek out the college that best fits the particular student. We need to teach our children to find what works best for them, instead of agonizing over what they "should" be doing, and trying to fit the mold of what "everyone" else is doing.

copyright 2010 by Willis & Hodson, Reflective Educational Perspectives, LLC

In the United States we have a completely unexamined, knee-jerk belief that college is the most desirable path for all young people after high school graduation. In actual fact, this is not true. A recent article in the Los Angles Times points out although six out of ten high school students get into a college and attend college, more than 50% of them drop out. Only two out of every ten high school students completes college!

 

Of the students who don't go to college or drop out, there are some who don't have the skills to maintain the necessary grades to successfully complete their course work. However, we have seen that many students go to college because they think they are "supposed to", and when they don't have their own reasons for going, they don't have an anchor to hold them in place when the inevitable storms of daily student life hit.

 

It seems to us that your job as a parent is to help your children know what their strengths, talents, interests, and goals are--to help them find out what contribution is uniquely theirs to make. If, in the pursuit of their own interests, goals, and the development of their gifts they decide to go to college, they will have their own reasons for being there and will be among the two out of ten high school students who weather the academic storms and graduate from college.

 

Maybe your children, as many we have known, will want to take another route, such as developing their mechanical reasoning skills and pursuing auto mechanics. Or, perhaps you have a child who loves to invent and wants to become a chef. Some of our students have gone on to successful, fulfilling careers in cosmetology, body work, photography, and dance. Still others have started businesses of their own training horses, grooming dogs, teaching yoga, selling real estate, creating websites.

 

By believing in your children's unique gifts and encouraging them to pursue them, you make sure that whatever your children do after high school will have meaning to them, that they will be passionate about it and will stick with it when it gets difficult, and they will have a 99.9% chance of success. Isn't that a great deal better than having less than a 50% chance of succeeding in college?

copyright 2010 by Willis & Hodson, Reflective Educational Perspectives, LLC

This is one of the Dispositions that often gets in trouble for talking too much (and if combined with Performing Disposition could be seen as noisy, rowdy, pushy...).

 

What is the genius of the Relating/Inspiring person? This student is sensitive to others' feelings and often has a knack for showing empathy and for "taking care of" others. This student is tuned in to fairness and does best in situations that promote warm atmospheres and emotional support.

 

These students thrive on working with others in cooperation and harmony. Their sense of team working or "class spirit" is high. They often become involved in causes--from helping the homeless to saving the environment.

 

These students are often very interested in subjects that have to do with people. For example, history comes alive for them if they can learn it through stories or biographies. Science can become more interesting if they can learn about the inventors and scientists. In general, these students learn best when involved in activities that allow them to discuss, talk things out, and work on projects together.

 

When planning a school program for the Relating/Inspiring student, you can integrate the learning style needs with the various subjects. Try books, videos, or books-on-tape that offer stories about people related to a particular subject. For reports or projects, the student could act out a character, tell a story, become involved in community service, do interviews, work on a group project, and have discussions. If the student is in a traditional school setting, you can help at homework time by being available if the student needs to discuss or talk something out. Studying together with one or two other people can be helpful for this student.

copyright 2009 Reflective Educational Perspectives

What makes a "great" coach? Why do certain coaches stand out? Whether we are talking about an exercise coach, a sports coach, or a business coach, a "great" coach brings out the best in a person. A great coach knows how to work with someone to give just the right amount of challenge, along with compassion and understanding, as well as customizing a program to meet the unique needs of the individual.

And that's what makes a teacher a great coach! Students need teachers and parents who will customize for their unique needs, offer options, possibilities, challenge, and help the student discover his/her strengths and weaknesses. A teacher who is a learning coach brings out the star in every student...acknowledging learning style and creating interest, motivation, and success!

copyright 2009 by Willis & Hodson, Reflective Educational Perspectives LLC