| When it comes to imagination, there are no right | | | | result of the simple click of a button. This |
| or wrong answers for the most part. Encouraging | | | | diminishes children's learning capacity to view the |
| imagination in children is a vital component to their | | | | world as an interactive place and can place |
| development and parents play an important role in | | | | unrealistic demands on the life experience of |
| determining that imagination by encouraging it. | | | | children. The passive nature of television or |
| When parents do not encourage imagination in | | | | computer games often leads to a lack of physical |
| their children, they run the risk of hampering the | | | | play in children as well. |
| development of many important mental capacities | | | | Teaching Techniques |
| that children develop through the experience of | | | | Believe it or not, some teaching techniques can |
| play. | | | | stifle the ability of children to imagine and work |
| Allowing children to have adventures in their own | | | | with their creativity. Rigid teaching systems that |
| minds using creative tools, such as dollhouses or | | | | teach conceptual skills are often the culprit here, |
| other miniature worlds, is an important piece of | | | | as children learn endlessly from passive |
| the child raising puzzle. It is important to | | | | workbooks and are not taught critical interaction |
| encourage children to use their minds in play | | | | and imagination skills. This form of learning is |
| situations, as this encourages the emergence of | | | | common in early-age schoolchildren and commonly |
| rules, regulations, creative thinking, and problem | | | | teaches children principles through verbal |
| solving. Far too often, children lack those skills | | | | instruction rather than allowing children to learn |
| upon entering the most basic of life situations | | | | principles through active participation. |
| because of the parent's desire to have their | | | | A big part of the problem with this is that nothing |
| children become in touch with "reality" as early as | | | | is actually actively learned in a physical sense. |
| possible. This is often referred to as "tough love" | | | | Children learn from experience, by and large, and |
| and is certainly not suitable for young children. | | | | rely on life experiences to teach them what they |
| There are many practices that discourage the | | | | need to know. The universal example of the child |
| use of children's imagination and abstract skills. | | | | touching the stove several times to figure out |
| Television and Computers | | | | that it is hot is a clear example of this type of |
| Too often in the modern world, it is common to | | | | learning style. Children that do not learn by doing |
| have passive parenting skills take charge. Parents | | | | often do not learn as successfully as those that |
| often park their children in front of the television | | | | learn through experience. |
| or computer for hours on end as a result of the | | | | So the next time children are interacting with a |
| busy lifestyle they lead. As a result, the children | | | | doll house and playing with dolls in an imaginary |
| become engaged in what is largely an inactive | | | | sense, sit down and interact with them. Adults in |
| medium. This hampers creativity immeasurably. | | | | these frenzied modern times have a lot to learn |
| This passive action takes its place in the form | | | | from children who have the ability to learn |
| that the children do not need to act in order for | | | | creatively and intelligently. |
| there to be action. Instead, action occurs as a | | | | |