3 Tips for Teaching Extroverts and Introverts

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). NIV

God created each child uniquely. Even in the same homeschool family, how each child learns best can vary greatly. Knowing if your child has an extrovert or introvert personality can help you better understand your child’s learning style and make your homeschool days a little brighter and smoother.

Identification
Swiss psychiatrist C.G. Jung proposed and developed the concept of extraverted and introverted personalities. An easy way to determine if your child has more extravert tendencies or introvert tendencies is how he or she recharges and gets energy. Some characteristics distinct to introverts and extroverts include:

Extrovert
• Gets energy from a group of people and does not require a large amount of alone time
• Is confident in unfamiliar social situations
• Has a tendency to make an instant decision before evaluating the situation

Introvert
• Requires time alone to recharge and refocus
• Is comfortable being alone and does not mind doing enjoyable activities unaccompanied
• Needs time to mull over a situation before making big or small decisions

Homeschool Application
Whether in a group or all alone, homeschoolers are constantly learning wherever they go. However, what works for one child does not always work for the other. Discover 3 tips on how to help your child with an introverted or extroverted personality learn best.

Extrovert
1. Make sure your child has enough social interaction needed in the day and week. Get involved in a homeschool support group and in activities he or she enjoys.

2. Give group activities or assignments where interaction with others is required. Respect your child’s independence and allow him or her to explore ideas in unconventional ways.

3. Help your learner work through a decision and rationally process it. Talk through an assignment with your child before he or she enthusiastically begins. Give an extroverted learner homeschool assignments where creativity and spontaneity are applicable.

Introvert
1. Be conscious of when your child has had too much social interaction, even with siblings and close friends. Alone time is necessary to recharge.

2. Don’t be afraid to give your child a homework assignment and let him or her go off alone to complete it. Does your child like to do a nature study outside all alone? Know that is how learning soaks in for him or her.

3. Allow your learner enough preparation time before giving a quiz or having him or her make a decision. Depending on the timeline, let your child process or observe a situation on his or her own. Later, ask about his or her feelings throughout the situation.

Is your child an introvert or an extravert? How do you personalize homeschooling to fit his or her learning style?