by Shell Martin

Created on: December 08, 2008

Time. Time is the enemy of the public school teacher but the friend of the homeschooling parent/teacher. With homeschooling there is no standardized test to teach to, in order to have funding remain in place. This is where homeschoolers gain back so much time each day. What to do with that time? The answer is to make the educational process as good as possible. The easiest way to do this is to teach subject matter with various instructional methods taking into account the learning style of the student. One style that is lacking in the public school is hands-on. This is due to the time constraints. On the other hand, this is where the homeschooling parent/teacher can offer a better learning experience because there is time. There are many benefits of increased hands on learning.

One benefit of hands on learning is students use muscle memory. Muscle memory is where the brain associates a movement with information. This principle is what helps actors remember their lines and where to move on the stage.

Hands on learning can provide a better learning environment for students who favor a kinetic learning style. Some people are movers and by moving a part of their body, they are able to process information better than by trying to hold still. This type of learner does not typically do well in the normal classroom where students are expected to sit still and not be a distraction. In the homeschool environment a student can do what comes naturally, and that is moving, without distracting anyone.

Hands on learning can allow students to make the connection between the textbook or lecture to the real world application. For example, by having a student double a cooking recipe the student can see how the ability to add fractions has a real world application.

A hands on learning approach is more like the" real world". In most cases, a job has "on the job" training. This is simply a "hands on" way of learning how to do the job. A ninety-day probation period can be looked at as hands on learning.

A homeschool parent/teacher could choose to make every day full of hands on activities. Often a homeschooling parent will only use this approach when teaching. Some parent/teachers with no formal teacher training have stumbled on this theory through trial and error. Still others have chosen this because it makes sense and makes learning much more fun. Regardless of how the parent/teacher decided to homeschool with a hands on learning approach, the underlying ability to do so is because of time and the students reap the benefits.

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