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