Enhancing Your Child’s Creativity Presented by Susan Whittington Director American River Charter School April 17, 2013

Creative learning and thinking skills promote: Visual imagination, handcrafting skills, musical perception, originality and task appropriateness. The ability to “think outside the box”. Research from National Center for Education Statistics: 90% of public elementary schools offer Art or Music instruction once a week 97% of public elementary school do not offer Dance or Theater Arts at all What is Creativity?

Why is Creativity important? Produce effective solutions to highly complex societal challenges Create intense personal enjoyment, engagement and meaning in life Lead to higher levels of career success from James Kaufman, 2009

“Right Brain Rising” from A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink Left Brain Characteristics: sequential, literal, functional, textual, and analytic L-Brain Careers- Scientists, Doctors, Engineers L-Brain Children’s Activities: Playing chess, Math games, Putting puzzles together Right Brain Characteristics: simultaneous, metaphorical, aesthetic, contextual, and synthetic R-Brain Careers- Designers, Artists, Musicians, Entertainers, Educators, R-Brain Children’s Activities: Creating Art, Playing a Musical instrument, Writing creative stories or poetry

Blending Right and Left Brain Learning Gifted and Talented children need help in blending because they get stuck in their strongest learning style. As parents we needs to help our children develop their sense of: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy,Play and Meaning

Ways parents can enhance or develop your child's creativity Encourage your child to take dance lessons, learn to play an instrument, and sign them up for art and theater classes at a young age. Help them blend science and art projects, art and research projects, and music and technology projects for school assignments. Encourage brainstorming ideas, develop flexible thinking, and help develop empathetic capacity. Develop good questioning skills and cultivate divergent thinking. “The more arts and crafts that scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs engage in across their lifetimes, the greater their likelihood of achieving important results in the workplace.” Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein, 2008

Can Creativity be Developed ? YES!!! We have heard the expression, “Curiosity killed the cat”, but nobody talks about how it helps your GATE child develop the love of learning, increase his or her engagement and be successful in school! “Curiosity needs more than stimulation and freedom. For children to develop and satisfy their urge to know, they need role models, opportunities to practice and guidance.” Susan Engel, 2011

Local Resources Imagination Theater in Placerville Ole Coloma Theater in Coloma Local Dance Studios Local Music and Art instructors Sugarloaf EDCOE’s Summer Camp at Sly Park Camp Augusta- Nevada County