In this episode, I speak with Mariaemma Willis about how to do stress free homeschooling and learning both in school and at home by focusing on a student's strengths and honoring learning differences.

Take the Self Portrait© Power Traits Assessment

For $5 off each assessment, click here for parent assessment, and here for the student assessment.

More about Mariaemma Wills:

Mariaemma Willis is co-author of the book Discover Your Child’s Learning Style and the Self-Portrait™ online strengths assessment. She has a Master’s degree in Education, and California Life Teaching Credentials for Regular and Special Education. For more than twenty-five years she has been teaching, conducting workshops and seminars, and consulting with parents and teachers. She is co-founder of the LearningSuccess™ Institute where parents and teachers learn how to focus on strengths and to coach every child for Learning and Life Success!

Conversation Highlights

1:10 Mariaemma explains how she she realized when she was 10 years old that she wasn't the smartest kid in the class but getting better grades than many kids who didn't learn the way school is designed.

3:34: How she realized that most kids don't have learning disabilities, they just learn differently.

4:55: Traditional education programs focus on what is wrong with you and what you can't do, then try to "fix" you. There is nothing wrong with you. What are your strengths? What can you do? That is all that matters.

6:20: We take our strengths and gifts for granted.

8:26: Only 1-2% of people learn the way school is designed to teach. The majority of people are hand-on and picture learners.

13:38: Adult learning is viewed differently than teaching children and this is a big mistake.

20:20: How understanding learning dispositions changes everything.

27:47: In one school, every student scored highest in curious and imaginative and every teacher scored highest in organized and supportive. This shows a common mismatch between students and teachers.

34:34: If school was reversed and it taught how most students learn, the ones succeeding now would struggle.

35:47: It is tragic that so many innovative, entrepreneurial students come out of school feeling stupid.

40:54: If you don't squelch children's strengths, they will shine through. We intuitively recognize these inborn gifts - they show up at an early age, but go by the wayside in school.

46:00: It's okay to reproduce school at home if that is the way that your child learns, and most kids don't learn that way.

47:05: Learning safety (mental safety) is the most important element in creating a learning environment. The more enjoyable an activity is, the more you learn. Humans learn best when they feel safe.

48:20: It doesn't make sense that we take point off for making mistakes. Mistakes are how your learn, they should be encouraged. The best learning happens when there is permission to try things out and make mistakes.

49:40: The value of playing games, especially for learners with a spontaneous disposition.

51:43: Another fantastic tip on how to make learning fun and meaningful. Let the kids design quizzes.

Where to find Mariaemma Willis

Connect with Mariaemma at School At Home Made Easier.

Books:

Discover Your Child’s Learning Style – paperback or Kindle

eBook: What to Do When They Don’t Get It: Simple Techniques That Work Like Magic

eBook: Learning Doesn’t Have to Hurt: The Magic of Relationship in Teaching & Learning

Self-Portrait™ Power Traits Assessment: For $5 off each assessment, click here for parent assessment, and here for the student assessment.

Resources Mentioned

The Game Curriculum - games organized by subject and grade level.