Bette Fetter Bette Fetter

Doing homework with visual kids can drive the best of us crazy, but it’s hugely important you come to homework time without emotion or frustration. And if you can’t, then you’re not the right person for homework helper.

Back-to-school season is upon us! Parents have done so much to get children ready for the new year, so what's next? In my early years as a parent, I felt that I had done a great job in preparing my kids for school; they were in bed on time, had a healthy breakfast, finished their homework, and I was involved at the school. There is always the fine balance between preparing our children and being the notorious "helicopter parent". During my oldest daughter's second grade parent-teacher conference, Mrs. Johnson gave me a bit of a course correction and reminded me to "pay more attention". She nicely reminded me that school systems are big with many challenges to meet the needs of different kinds of students. In Episode 30, I share my story and encourage you with ways to prepare your children but to always pay close attention! As parents, it is our job to make certain that our children are getting their needs met, especially those visual learners who may not fit the mold of the left-brain learner. For notes and resources from Episode 30, please visit www.bettefetter.com.

Back-to-school time is upon us! There is much excitement in the air - new backpacks, new shoes, new teachers, new classmates! Parents are even excited about the return of school routines. Yet, there can be a bit of anxiety which accompanies the fun, especially for those visual learners who may have struggled in the past in certain subjects. It is important as parents to recognize the very real anxiety without being overprotective. In Podcast #29 - School Anxiety, I share some techniques for how we can manage the anxiety, help our kids to cope and enjoy a successful school year! For notes and resources from Episode 29, visit www.bettefetter.com.

I share great feedback from a parent about her second grade visual learner and especially her struggles with math. I have great ideas for how to help with math for your visual learner. Your school really has a lot of resources available but if the school is lacking those resources, there are also outside sources for tutoring in all sorts of academic areas. I share what to look for in these tutoring centers.

First and second grade is the time that most children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. But many of the same characteristics of visual learners are the same traits that point to an attention deficit. If you are in this situation, be open to all the possibilities for helping them be more successful in the classroom.

From an overstimulating classroom environment to questionable discipline practices, first grade was a challenging experience for a visual learner. The expectations of high test scores and achievement just didn’t allow for differences in learning styles.