Ideas and Activities for Parents of Preschool Gifted Children (cont.)
by Laura Siegelbaum and Susan Rotner
Activities For The Creatively Gifted Child
A discussion of imagination will lay the foundation for encouraging creativity
in the creatively gifted preschool child. You may begin by telling your child
that "there is something inside his head that he can't see, but that helps him
to think of things that no one else can think of - that this is called his
imagination." Help you child grasp the meaning of this concept by bringing his
attention to his own creativity in a positive and reinforcing manner. The
comprehension and understanding of this concept is not one that can be
accomplished in a day, but instead will need nurturing over a long period of
time. The following ideas and activities will encourage creative behaviours in
your child.
Scrambled Animals
Ask your child to choose an animal he likes. Then choose another one. Imagine
that these two animals had somehow become a single, new animal. Have him give
his new animal a name and make up a story of how it came to be. What does it
like to do best, where does it sleep, what does it eat, who are its best
friends and why, etc.?
Following this activity, ask your child to use his imagination and make up his
own animal, one that isn't really real - one that he has never seen or heard of
before - his own very special animal that comes from only his imagination. Draw
a picture of this animal, using similar or different questions than those in
the above exercise.
Super Heroes
Children today are fascinated with the super heroes on television. Here is an
excellent way to approach the subject of creativity as it relates to your
child's interest. Ask the question, "Is Superman really real or is he make
believe?" The answer, you will explain, is that Superman isn't really real, but
was made up by someone's imagination. One person sat down, thought of a super
hero, gave him a name and decided in his mind just what he would like him to do
that was special. Then the creator drew a picture of him "using his
imagination." Ask your child if he would like to create his very own special
super hero, one that no one ever saw on television or heard of before. Allow
your child (insist on it) "thinking time" - time just to sit, close his eyes
and imagine. He then can tell you about his own super hero, what that super
hero can do that is special. He can give it a name, tell a story about it, and
draw a picture. Your child's thoughts can be dictated and written down by you,
taped on a recorder to be played back to him or just discussed orally. The use
of pictures is extremely important in encouraging creativity since many ideas
can have their origin in visual images. A simple crayon and piece of paper are
many times the only way to express the thousand words a creatively gifted
preschooler would like to express.
Magic Toy
Present the following supposition to your child : "Suppose you went into a big
beautiful toy store. On each shelf you see the loveliest, cutest, and best toys
you have ever seen. Mum says, "You may choose any one toy for your very own -
any one you want. You choose a ___________________________ BUT... there is
something very special about this toy. It's not just an ordinary toy-it's
MAGIC!!! This toy can do anything you want it to. Use your imagination and tell
a story about what happens to you and your magic toy." Again, allow your child
a "thinking time" where he can close his eyes and in silence let his
imagination wander.
Picture Possibilities
Give your child the very beginning of a picture that could have many
possibilities for its outcome. Tell your child that he may turn the paper in
any direction, use his imagination, and complete the picture to make something
unique - something that no one else has thought of. A good source of this type
in incomplete picture is the "Uncoloring Book" (Media for Education
Publishers). Have your child create a story from this picture, for example, one
child created "a walking mushroom" from the following beginning:
Your child need not be an artist to make creative use of this activity. Many
children have created pictures that only they can recognize and interpret
through a very active and creative imagination.
You could begin this exercise with a beginning of a picture that has several
immediate possibilities, such as 
which could be any object that has wheels.
Crazy Cookery
While in the kitchen, your child can create some new dishes of his own. Ask him
to list three or more ingredients to make the following:
- Circus Surprise,
- Deep Sea Ocean Pie,
- Flower Soup,
- Outer Space Pudding, and
- Jungle Jello.
Ask how he is going to put the ingredients together and have him think of some
new place to cook it other than an oven. Make sure you communicate to your
child that there are no limits to his thinking - that he can be just as silly
as he wants.
Activities For The Child Who is Advanced in Reading
Learning to read can be simple and lots of fun for your child, while
incorporating creativity as well as cognitive skills. Below you will find
several activities to try with your child. There is, though, one underlying and
extremely important factor for you to remember - nothing can nor should replace
the time you spend reading out loud to your child. This informal time is an
excellent way for your child to learn, through pure exposure, to recognize
words, comprehend what is read to her, recall information, sequence events, and
draw conclusions.
You will be able to see that your child is gaining valuable skills once she
begins to "read" to you ,even if she is not yet able to decode
words.
Labelling
A good way to introduce written words is to label common objects around the
house or in your child's room. Using 3 by 5-inch index cards and a dark felt
tip marker, print the name of each object (in lower case letter if your child
can recognize these) about one inch high. Tape each card to the
object.
Word Cards
Once your child is showing an interest in books and in reading, you might find
that she will begin to recognize word on her own. You may want to begin a
special word box with her. You can purchase an index file box (the type that is
used for recipes), index cards, and alphabet dividers to fit inside. Each time
your child learns a special new word or has a word she would like to learn, you
or she may write it down on a card. If possible you or she may also illustrate
this word on the reverse side. Then place it in the file under the letter
divider with which it begins. After your child has collected many word cards
(she can share these with her family each day), you may want to take them out
and begin to form sentences with them.
Language Stories
Language experience stories provide an excellent means of learning to read.
Your child will make up a story of her own about a subject of her choice (her
family, friend, a pet, a vacation, a day at the zoo, etc.) and you will write
it neatly on a large piece of paper as she dictates it to you. Your child may
then draw an illustration of her story. (This is an excellent way to learn
correct grammar and tense and to speak in sentences.)
After you have read her story to her once or twice, your child may then be able
to read it to you. She will feel so proud when she reads it to her dad, big
brother, or her grandparents. She may choose one or two new words which she
might like to put in her word box.
Making A Book
If your child enjoys the language experience stories, you may eventually want
to help her make her very own special book:
-
First cover a piece of 8.5 by 11-inch cardboard on one side with a piece of
wallpaper or heavy wrapping paper.
-
Then make a pile of three or four pieces of typing paper and fold them in
half.
-
With a needle and thread, sew down the centre fold of the typing paper so that
the papers will be permanently bound.
-
Glue the typing paper onto the cover.
-
Allow the glue to dry, and fold the cover in half.
Your child is now ready to begin creating her own long-lasting book. It is best
to have your child first dictate her story in total to you as you write it on a
regular sheet of paper. Then each day you, or your child, can write one
sentence on the top of one page of the book. Underneath it your child can draw
an illustration of the sentence, "just like you see in your books." We would
suggest only doing one page a day. In this way, your child will look forward to
her next story-writing session and will not become over-tired. You may want to
help your child write a title for her story and tape the title to the front
cover of the book.
Games
With a little creativity, you can make up some game boards of your own with
your child to help her learn certain words or reading skills. You could also
reproduce store bought games, using reading concepts instead of those already
included in the existing game.
Activities for the Child Who is Advanced in Maths
It is very important to try to incorporate maths activities into everyday
routine experiences. The more gamelike these activities can be, the more
enjoyable they will be for your child.
Reprinted from Gifted Child Today January/February 1983
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