Chapter 2 Creative Thinking

Left Hemisphere

- Analytic way - Organized and logical - Specializes in learning logical ideas and skills - Rules of reading and math

Strategies to Facilitate Creative Thinking

- Build creative thinking into your program - Model creative thinking - Recognize, encourage and value creative thinking and - problem solving - Help children value their own creative thinking - Pose problems requiring creative solutions - Engage children in critical thinking - Ask open ended questions

Right Hemishere

- Controls creative abilities - Body awareness - Spatial orientation - Recognition of faces

Facilitating Children's Creative Thinking

- Provide psychological climate conducive to creativity (a safe place, diversity, silence is consent) - Creative thinking takes time - Children need space to be creative

Convergent and Divergent Thinking

- Without convergent thinking, people will lack access to core body of knowledge needed for school success and academic achievement - If no access to divergent thinking, become conforming adults who do not realize their creative potential

Characteristics of Divergent or Creative Thinking

1. Fluent: Able to generate a long list of possibilities or ideas 2. Flexible: ability to mentally push boundaries, and take mental detours 3. Original: refers to uniqueness, uncommon, unusual, different, and unexpected 4. Elaborate: big ideas and can express selves in complex ways

Creativity and The Brain

Brain houses two hemispheres that are connected and can function independently and together

Vertical thinking

involves learning more about something or arriving at an accepted, convergent answer

Lateral thinking

involves using one's mind that leads to creative thinking or products - Children express creativity through thinking