The new school year rings the bell of learning this week for the new school year.

As teachers, we never get tired of the smell of new crayons, the clicking sound of brand new notebooks, the colorful handles of different-size scissors, glue bottles, etc., which signal a new year has begun. Each child is a promise.

In observing children at the beginning of the school year, questions come up like, “How can I motivate this child to learn in my classroom?”  As a parent you may be asking, what can I do to help my child to desire to learn, be happy, and be hungry for lifelong learning.

Remember: each one of us is different and we have unique learning styles. What is my child’s learning style? As teachers and parents, how can we help our children to be able to learn and do their best? From years of teaching and in learning from many different resources, it is very important for teachers and parents to do their homework in helping our children learn.

This depends on the child’s age, physical considerations, as well as learning styles. Teachers are able to observe and accommodate this. As parents we need to do this at home in doing homework. Work out a schedule that best fits your child’s needs.

I know some students learn best in certain spots of my classroom. Observing, assessing  where a child can focus and not be distracted is a “good rule of thumb.” At home consider the following in doing homework:

—Lighting

—Temperature of the study area

—Appropriate work area like a desk

—Good nutrition through meals and snacks

—Auditory means: Repeating information aloud like in learning reading, math facts, or spelling words, etc.

—Visual means: Seeing concepts in order to learn. Pictures, flannelboards, charts, demonstrations and hands-on learning support the visual learner. Learners using visuals-actually see concepts in order to learn.

—Kinesthetic learners are active in their learning with finger plays, motions, and active learning games. When children are kinesthetic learners they are very active in their learning.

 Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears every other week in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.