Suggestions To Extend Creative Thinking Skills
A definition of creativity is “What do I do when I confront a problem for which I have no learned solution?” Creativity is not only the arts. Successful people in all disciplines use creative thinking skills. Some things you could do to support children’s growth in creative thinking skills include:
· Analyze paintings, sculpture, music as they pertain to content
· Create riddles, jokes, or cartoons based upon content
· Create analogies based upon content: “How is a ___like a ___?”
· Use guided imagery/visualization
· Practice fluency: How many ideas can you make?
· Practice elaboration: How many details can you add?
· Ask “What might happen if…?”
· Ask “What don’t we know about…(content)?”, Generate lists of questions
· Ask “How can you improve…?”
· Ask “What are the ethical or global implications of…?”
· Ask “How does (a concept) look, sound, taste, smell, feel?”
· Ask “What possible explanations are there for…?”
· Ask “What possible consequences are there for…?”
· Write dialogue between historical characters, scientific processes, etc.
· Combine characters from different stories to make a new story
· Construct, draw, or create visual representations of content
· Participate in such programs as: Odyssey of the Mind, Future Problem-Solving, Georgia State Saturday School, Camp Invention
· Field trips to such places as art museums
· Read books that use content creatively, such as The Phantom Tollbooth by Juster and Lost in Lexicon by Noyce
· Use fantasy to discuss content
· Analyze content from more than one point of view/perspective
· Practice activities in How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Gelb
· Use Enrichment Sites on www.nagc.org and www.gagc.org
· Use resources such as Tin Man Press, Bright Ideas, Nature Watch, Museum Tour, Gifted and Talented Workbook Series, Creative Learning Press, Creative Teaching Press, Critical Thinking Co.
Things To Consider When Planning Creative Thinking Activities
Does my child enjoy these types of activities OR Does this activity help my child with a skill they are not comfortable with? Do these activities provide a new experience for my child? Do these activities require my child to use math and reading skills to solve problems or to create something new? Is there more than one correct strategy to solve the problem? Does the activity require my child to explain their reasoning or solution? Can the activity be done several times with different outcomes each time? Does the activity provide a sense of frustration and then accomplishment because the answer was not found immediately? Does the activity ask my child to look at the world in a new way? Does the activity require my child to check their work? Does the activity help my child learn to ask questions? Does the activity encourage my child to be original and to elaborate on their ideas?
How can I help students think more creatively?
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/how-help-students-think-critically
What is creativity? How can I foster creativity at home?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704694004576019462107929014
A definition of creativity is “What do I do when I confront a problem for which I have no learned solution?” Creativity is not only the arts. Successful people in all disciplines use creative thinking skills. Some things you could do to support children’s growth in creative thinking skills include:
· Analyze paintings, sculpture, music as they pertain to content
· Create riddles, jokes, or cartoons based upon content
· Create analogies based upon content: “How is a ___like a ___?”
· Use guided imagery/visualization
· Practice fluency: How many ideas can you make?
· Practice elaboration: How many details can you add?
· Ask “What might happen if…?”
· Ask “What don’t we know about…(content)?”, Generate lists of questions
· Ask “How can you improve…?”
· Ask “What are the ethical or global implications of…?”
· Ask “How does (a concept) look, sound, taste, smell, feel?”
· Ask “What possible explanations are there for…?”
· Ask “What possible consequences are there for…?”
· Write dialogue between historical characters, scientific processes, etc.
· Combine characters from different stories to make a new story
· Construct, draw, or create visual representations of content
· Participate in such programs as: Odyssey of the Mind, Future Problem-Solving, Georgia State Saturday School, Camp Invention
· Field trips to such places as art museums
· Read books that use content creatively, such as The Phantom Tollbooth by Juster and Lost in Lexicon by Noyce
· Use fantasy to discuss content
· Analyze content from more than one point of view/perspective
· Practice activities in How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Gelb
· Use Enrichment Sites on www.nagc.org and www.gagc.org
· Use resources such as Tin Man Press, Bright Ideas, Nature Watch, Museum Tour, Gifted and Talented Workbook Series, Creative Learning Press, Creative Teaching Press, Critical Thinking Co.
Things To Consider When Planning Creative Thinking Activities
Does my child enjoy these types of activities OR Does this activity help my child with a skill they are not comfortable with? Do these activities provide a new experience for my child? Do these activities require my child to use math and reading skills to solve problems or to create something new? Is there more than one correct strategy to solve the problem? Does the activity require my child to explain their reasoning or solution? Can the activity be done several times with different outcomes each time? Does the activity provide a sense of frustration and then accomplishment because the answer was not found immediately? Does the activity ask my child to look at the world in a new way? Does the activity require my child to check their work? Does the activity help my child learn to ask questions? Does the activity encourage my child to be original and to elaborate on their ideas?
How can I help students think more creatively?
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/how-help-students-think-critically
What is creativity? How can I foster creativity at home?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704694004576019462107929014
