This. These thoughts. This is why I teach the way I do. This is why we choose to school our children the way we do. We want to develop leaders, not followers. Our goal is to teach our children to love learning, to become lifetime learners. What they care about is what we care about, and they know it. These are invaluable concepts for parents to understand if they are going to homeschool successfully for the long term.
Children are to be trusted…their love and curiosity is to be trusted. Their silliness and charisma is to be trusted. They learn so much more through daily interactions with those who care about them than they do from taking tests, studying something they couldn’t care less about for hours on end, or from competing for grades. Is there value to be found in some of those things? Yes. Is that the only place to find value in education? Emphatically no. In fact, those things have far less value than we have been led to believe. In some cases, we have been tricked into thinking that those are the only indicators of value. It’s not all about the tests or the grades. It’s all about the true learning that is connected to the heart. 
Do you have an introvert? Think about incorporating journaling into your school schedule each day. Maybe you have an extroverted child? You can incorporate times where he or she gets to speak to the family and teach something (Teaching is a great way to learn and solidify concepts, by the way!). Do you have a nature lover? Consider doing some of your school day on the patio, or even at the park. How about a little poet? Encourage creative writing in every subject as a way to help them connect with the facts and weave them into their writing!
I love to use many different ways of teaching. That way, my kids get a chance to learn in their preferred method, and they also get a chance to practice learning in ways that are more challenging. There is one exception. I always teach math in the way that’s easiest for each child to understand…this alleviates much frustration on everyone’s part.
For those wondering, there are three main types of learners: Auditory, Visual, and Kinesthetic. If you are not sure which one your child is, take a peek at this little diagnostic quiz to help guide you. And yes, it is possible for someone to learn in multiple ways. I will publish a more in-depth piece on just this topic in the future.
Teacher TIP: Discover your child’s favorite learning style. It will help you to plan lessons that are more productive and enjoyable for all.
Capture your children’s heart, and you have found the key to teaching them. It might look so different than you expected it to. It might not look like “school” at all to you. But you will know it is working. You will see your child’s face. You will experience the spark in their eye. Trust them. They will tell you how to teach them…listen. And in everything, look for the joy. The joy of learning, the joy of growing, the joy of teaching, the joy of parenting.