How to Direct Children to Use Their Creativity to Learn

Children love to be praised for being creative. They have a big need to express themselves but it is very important to be a receptive audience. Shut the television and let them read to you stories they have composed. Be supportive and encouraging. Explain what you loved about the story and don't mention much about what you didn't. They will improve with practice. I have done this and it works.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Interest

1. If you are critical of a child's early efforts at writing or drawing they may stop. Here is a way to help them write and spell better without crushing the impulse to try. Ask them to write or draw for you and then take the time to have them read the story out loud or hang up the picture on a bulletin board. Buy inexpensive decorative stickers and let them pick one to put at the top of their work.

2. Tell them to always take credit and sign their work. Only correct one spelling error per story and come up with an easy way they can remember to spell it. A sing song medley helps. Tell them something that stands out as a creative idea that impressed you.

3. Ask them to write another and the phrase to use is: The last one was great and the next will be even better. Why don't you write one about your last visit to..............Why don't you write what you think of your teachers.... Why don't you write what you think animals are thinking. Just give them a prompt and let them run with it.

4. Children hear us talking about the bad economy. They get frightened, too. Giving them something creative to do helps to divert their attention to where it should be learning and growing not worrying.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask them to make a list of ideas they have for future projects and tell them to work off their list. Give them a dime for every effort and tell them they can buy themselves a toy when they get enough saved. Give them an old jar to use as a bank. Tell them to decorate their bank.
• You may get to enjoy the peace and quiet that comes when the children are busy writing and drawing.

[lydiabily]

on 11/16/2008 These are terrific suggestions! And I like the "Things You'll Need" section, too.