Encouraging Creativity - Loudoun County Public Schools



Encouraging Creativity

Creativity, as defined in The Dictionary of Developmental and Educational Psychology, is “our capacity to produce new ideas, insights, inventions or artistic objects, which are accepted as being of social, spiritual, aesthetic, scientific or technological value.” Creativity is a trait that is present in every person and one that can be improved with practice. Fortunately, there are many ways parents can promote creativity in their children.

First, it is important for parents to create a home environment that encourages creativity. Parents need to establish a private place and provide materials (instruments, art supplies, etc.) for creative work to be done. Parents should display their children’s work without overly critiquing it. Instead, parents should emphasize the child’s effort and creative ideas and choices. Because creativity requires time for the mind to think and wonder, providing unscheduled, quiet time is crucial.

In addition, creativity can be promoted by experimenting with new ideas. Parents should allow their children to follow through on questions they have about the world around them. Permit your child to investigate the insect life in the backyard, create a new recipe, or come up with a different way to organize her room. When some of these explorations do not turn out as planned, let your child know that is okay. Creativity involves a certain amount of risk, and it’s okay to be wrong or make mistakes.

Finally, parents should model creativity and demonstrate its worth. Parents can share their own creative interests such as drawing, writing poetry, or playing an instrument with their children and think aloud as they brainstorm solutions to a problem. Parents can also introduce their children to a variety of new experiences. By going to places such as museums, the library, and new restaurants, parents are encouraging new discoveries and introducing different types of creativity, as well demonstrating its importance by incorporating creativity into the family’s daily life. Lastly, parents can be accepting of their child’s decisions regarding his own uniqueness. Whether it is trying out a new hair color or style of clothing, support your child’s decision without judgment. By doing so, you are providing a safe environment for your child to discover his own identity.

It is never too late to encourage creativity. But parents, keep in mind, the final product is not the most important part of the creative process. What matters most is the journey.

Boone, Susan. Fostering Creativity. Duke Gifted Letter, Summer 2006.

Piirto, Jane and Starko, Alane. Defining and Encouraging Creativity. Duke Gifted Letter, Summer 2006.

articles/vol6no4_article.html

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download