Colorful Hands

 A mother of a 4-year-old asked me what could she do at home to help keep her child interested in learning.  At the time I told her purchasing affordable supplemental materials and using them with her child at home should help.  However, as I thought more about her question I began to think about the magic of creativity.

Creativity like other things has the ability to allow children to explore and learn without inhibitions. Just imagine allowing a child to create whatever he or she wants through drawing a picture, building a structure, writing a story, or creating a dance, etc. Then asking him or her what they would like to discuss about their creation. Through discussion and observation basic math, reading, science, or social studies concepts can emerge from what the child has created to help them learn new concepts and/or review old concepts. This approach not only assists the child in their learning, but also allows the child to create the tool used for their learning and play a significant part in their learning process. These methods of learning help to maintain a child’s interest because they are student centered.

The creative picture above can be used to present many great learning opportunities highlighting simple concepts for children such as counting, colors, interpretation, addition, imagination, story telling, parts of the body, and even trees. Feel free to add any other concepts that I may have missed.

Have Fun & Keep Learning,

T.S. Bradshaw