One benefit of a home education is a curriculum designed to fit each student. But that means knowing how your child learns. It’s up to the teacher to figure out the best way to reach each one.

Based on the 8 Smarts identified by Kathy Koch—word, logic, picture, music, body, nature, people, and self—8 Great Smarts for Homeschooling Families tailors these ideas to the unique setting of the home classroom. Tina Hollenbeck, a leader in the homeschool community, applies the 8 Smarts to each division of a complete curriculum.

Yet the real benefit of homeschooling is personal relationships. Hollenbeck shows that when parents know their kids’ multiple intelligences, it produces a healthy homeschool dynamic. So don’t try to teach in the dark. Know your kid’s smarts, then watch them truly learn.