Whole-Brain-adept parents, whose child prefers Sequential learning - Quadrant ‘B”, are facile in setting up a learning culture at home that is structured, organized, detailed and well planned.  They help their child use charts to set up detailed timelines for completing projects.  These timelines include: 1) all of the steps needed to complete a project, 2) where and how the information will be gathered, 3) what they are going to do with the  information (write a report, draw a picture, make a PowerPoint presentation etc.) and 4) defines the date when each step of the project is to be completed.

Not only do Whole-Brain-adept parents teach their child organizational and planning strategies, they also employ teaching strategies that use lists effectively. An example of this might be having their child list all of the character traits of a famous historical person they are studying. Children who prefer sequentially presented learning favour repetitive learning strategies. Whole-Brain-adept parents recognize this preference and provide opportunities for going through flashcards over and over or writing spelling or vocabulary words several times.

Children, whose thinking style is Interpersonal – Quadrant “C”, are typically physical in relationships. They are comfortable and enjoy hugging and being touched. They gather much information about the world through all of their senses. They are empathic and are able to connect emotionally with others.  They have a natural sense of spirituality.

Whole-Brain-adept parents have keyed into these attributes of their child and provide learning opportunities at home that are focused on their child’s thinking strengths.  They often use talking and sharing strategies, rather than rote repetition strategies when helping with homework assignments.  Targeting their child’s need to make learning personally meaningful leads Whole-Brain-adept parents to facilitate, via discussion and sharing, what the factual information their child is learning means to them personally or the world. For instance- learning about the environment and talking about how being environmentally conscious feels and their responsibility to help make the world healthy etc.

Whole-Brain-adept parents have astutely learned their child thrives when working in groups and utilize this strategy by helping their child set up learning or study groups.  The study groups are organized around the learning topics and homework assignments for a week or month, depending on how their child’s school organizes the curriculum. The strategies used for learning during the study groups focuses on not only their child’s preferred approach but takes into account the other children as well.

Children who prefer to learn about their world Holistically fall into Quadrant “D”.  They are visual learners and can look at the world and learning holistically.  They intuit answers to questions or problems.  What they don’t understand through intuition they make meaningful with creative problem solving.  They are able to construct meaning by developing concepts or models, theories, hypothesis.  

Whole-Brain-adept parents help their child define the “big picture” they see.  Even though a child can see the big picture”, it is only useful if they are also able to talk about or convey what they see in ways others will understand.  Whole-Brain-adept parents find many ways to ask their child “what if” questions as this technique is stimulating and motivating to them.  Brainstorming is an excellent tool Whole-Brain-adept parents use to bring out the natural problem-solver in their child.

Whole-Brain-adept parents have found “a Key” to teaching their child. Note the use of the singular –“a Key”, Whole-Brain-adept parents know learning is complex and if the model of thinking styles is not working for their child they will look for other “keys” like:

• Multiple Intelligence
• Positive Psychology
• Cognitive Science and/or
• Neuroscience