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Recently, there have been several articles in professional journals as well as in the Washington Post and other news affiliates debating the validity of long-standing left brain/right brain beliefs.  Additionally, Newsweek recently ran an article about the Creativity Crisis.  In the article, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman indicate that, for the first time, research shows American creativity is declining.  One of the most significant findings was that the scores of younger children in America, those who are currently in Kindergarten through sixth grade, are at greatest risk.  One of the determined culprits of this shift is the number of hours children watch TV and play video games.  Another reason points to the lack of opportunities for children to be creative in school.  With the curricula driven by test scores, drill and practice lessons, and rote memorization, children do not have the opportunity to “practice” being creative. New research shows that problem solving requires the juxtaposition of both the left and right brain.  In problem solving activities, the left hemisphere of the brain takes over to see if familiar solutions provide an answer to the question.  If the answer is not found there, then the right hemisphere and left hemispheres of the brain activate together.  Ultimately, “In a flash, the brain pulls together these disparate shreds of thought and binds them into a new single idea that enters consciousness.  This becomes the ‘aha’ moment.” 

If you are an early childhood parent, you know that preschoolers ask about 100 questions a day.  Sometimes we wish it would stop!  By middle school it does stop, and student motivation and engagement plummet. So what can we do?

     • Encourage uniqueness with stability
     • Provide opportunities for flexibility as it helps with creativity
     • Give opportunities in schools to include distinct types of free play such as role-playing, voicing someone else's point of view, or acting out negative emotions
     • Be prepared for unconventional questions and answers

Creativity has always been valued in our society, but it has never really been understood.  Schools and parents must work together to provide opportunities for children to exercise both sides of their brain and provide opportunities for children to be engaged, motivated, and open to the world.

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     categorized under:  Elementry Education, Preschool