Creative learning is a natural, healthy human process that occurs when people become curious and excited. In contrast, learning by authority requires students to use thinking skills such as recognition, memory, and logical reasoning--the abilities most frequently assessed by traditional tests of intelligence and scholastic aptitude. Children prefer to learn in creative ways rather than just memorizing information provided by a teacher or parents. They also learn better and ometimes faster Il. Three questions illustrate the difference between learning information provided by an adult or textbook and creative learning 1. In what year did Columbus discover America?(The answer, 1492, requires recognizing and memorizing information. 2. How are Columbus and an astronaut similar and different?(The answer requires more than memorization and understanding, it requires students to think about what they know.) 3. Suppose Columbus had landed in California. How would our lives and history have been different? (The answer requires many creative thinking skills including imagining, experimenting, discovering, elaborating, testing solutions and communicating discoveries.) I. How Adults""Creativity: nsisting that children do things the"right way Teaching a child to think that there is just one right way o try new ways Pressuring children to be realistic, to stop imagining When we label a child's flights of fantasy as"silly, "we bring the child down te earth with a blow. causing the inventive urge to die Making comparisons with other children This is a subtle pressure on a child to conform, yet the essence of creativity freedom to conform or not to conform Discouraging childrens curiosity One of the ind icators of creativity is curiosity; yet we often brush questions aside because we are too busy for"silly"questions. Children's questions deserve respect V. What Can Parents do? It is natural for young children to learn creatively by dancing, singing, orytelling, playing make-believe, and so forth. One of the first challenges te creativity may be formal schooling. By this time parents, as well as teachers appreciate conforming behaviors such as being courteous and obedient, following ules, and being like others. While these are desirable traits to some extent, they may also destroy a child's creative potential The following are some positive ways parents can foster and nurture the growth of creativity 1. Encourage curiosity, exploration, experimentation, fantasy, questioning, testing, and the development of creative talents 2. Provide opportunities for creative expression, creative problem-solving, and constructive response to change and stress2 Creative learning is a natural, healthy human process that occurs when people become curious and excited. In contrast, learning by authority requires students to use thinking skills such as recognition, memory, and logical reasoning--the abilities most frequently assessed by traditional tests of intelligence and scholastic aptitude. Children prefer to learn in creative ways rather than just memorizing information provided by a teacher or parents. They also learn better and sometimes faster. III. Three questions illustrate the difference between learning information provided by an adult or textbook and creative learning: 1. In what year did Columbus discover America? (The answer, 1492, requires recognizing and memorizing information.) 2. How are Columbus and an astronaut similar and different? (The answer requires more than memorization and understanding; it requires students to think about what they know.) 3. Suppose Columbus had landed in California. How would our lives and history have been different? (The answer requires many creative thinking skills including imagining, experimenting, discovering, elaborating, testing solutions, and communicating discoveries.) IV. How Adults "Kill" Creativity: Insisting that children do things the "right way." Teaching a child to think that there is just one right way to do things kills the urge to try new ways. Pressuring children to be realistic, to stop imagining. When we label a child's flights of fantasy as "silly," we bring the child down to earth with a blow, causing the inventive urge to die. Making comparisons with other children. This is a subtle pressure on a child to conform; yet the essence of creativity is freedom to conform or not to conform. Discouraging children's curiosity. One of the indicators of creativity is curiosity; yet we often brush questions aside because we are too busy for "silly" questions. Children's questions deserve respect. V. What Can Parents Do? It is natural for young children to learn creatively by dancing, singing, storytelling, playing make-believe, and so forth. One of the first challenges to creativity may be formal schooling. By this time parents, as well as teachers, appreciate conforming behaviors such as being courteous and obedient, following rules, and being like others. While these are desirable traits to some extent, they may also destroy a child's creative potential. The following are some positive ways parents can foster and nurture the growth of creativity: 1. Encourage curiosity, exploration, experimentation, fantasy, questioning, testing, and the development of creative talents. 2. Provide opportunities for creative expression, creative problem-solving, and constructive response to change and stress