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One of the key features of a successful student will be his thinking skills and he gets the basement for this quality from his classroom. Only a creative student can be a good thinker and that is why scholars round the globe are yelling for creative classrooms. There is only a minority of the kids who are born with creative mindsets and it is the good classroom experiences that develop creativity and thinking capability in the rest of the kids.

Those who are born creative might lose their talents if not encouraged in the right way. Schools or classrooms are the place where kids spend more than half of their life time and that is why it is the right place to foster different skills and talents in kids. Even when the curriculum lacks the right mix of creativity, schools are taking initiatives to promote classroom creativity with innovative teaching strategies.

Some may be wondering how classroom creativity can actually improve thinking capability in children. Here let us have a look at the widely accepted and followed classroom activities or strategies that foster creativity in kids that helps them to grow up with good thinking skills.

Open-ended projects: In normal project works, students would be given guidelines, set of topics to choose from and an evaluating technique. But this open-ended technique helps kids to be more creative with their ideas and bring up interesting works. The process and results of the project are related to how amazingly he/she can think about different concepts. Rather than sticking to tough guidelines, they can experience extreme excitement and would be glad to explore different ideas. This activity can very well enhance their thinking capability and feel amazed about their own skills.
Creative team building: Smart schools always include team building activities along with covering up curriculum to help kids excel in exams. Some dedicated time for such activities per week or fortnight can help kids to get to know each other and help others to follow their goals too. An interesting task can be given after separating them into teams and they can work on it together to bring out amazing results. The fun team building activity can not only help them to relax in between the tough study time but also gives them time for creative team work. This helps to improve their thinking process and come up with interesting thoughts as well as to accept others’ thinking process.
Student teachers: It is an innovative teaching strategy in which students take the teaching role. This is an interesting activity in which students would be given a topic to teach and will be given time to do their own research and thinking before presenting it. This would also improve their confidence level and oral communication skills and other students would be excited to learn the topic when taught by their peer. This is also an opportunity to experience the student way of thinking about a particular subject.
Brainstorming sessions: This is another classroom activity that can stimulate problem solving and intellectual thinking. Some puzzles or activities that challenge their brain give way for a lot of thinking and kids would be glad to showcase their excellence. Such activities that trigger their thinking would brush up their brain power and memory helping them to grow up smarter. Brainstorming web, fill up the blanks with some funny ideas or asking them to give a speech on a randomly given topic which are some of the interesting activities followed in such sessions.
Story telling/thinking: This is a good strategy that helps kids to go through an imaginative state of mind. When teachers tell a story, they would see the characters and scenario in their mind that is designed out of their thinking process. Try to include some interesting stories which can encourage curiosity in them that drives their thinking world. Another version of this activity is to let them come up with a story a day or let them write it up. In addition to notebooks, bring some crayons, clay or such materials in classrooms to stimulate their creativity and let them express their stories through some sequence of pictures. Promote reading in them right from the childhood as good readers become good speakers, thinkers and better human beings.
Open-ended questions: It is good to ask some open ended questions when they leave home for a weekend or vacation. Instead of just playing all around during their free time, they can spend some time to think about such questions and come out with interesting answers when they are back to school. And the questions can be a little tricky so that children can be more creative with their answers. This is a good strategy to promote some independent thinking in students rather than just following the daily lessons. This is also an activity by which teachers can encourage dissenting views.
Classroom debates: A good teacher always encourages discussions in class that would gear up their thinking process. Debate is the best form of classroom discussions performed so far as each student gets a chance to come up with their point of view or thinking about a particular topic. This helps them to think critically about the subject while respecting other’s views. Students who make the best use of it grow up as good communicators. Rather than a competitive atmosphere, a collaborative environment should be promoted where kids support peer learning.
Unconventional learning materials: Students would usually get bored when going through the routine class time. Instead, they would be glad to bring in some creativity in class so that they can think out of the normal. Teachers should take initiatives to bring in some unconventional learning materials once in a while. This can be a TED talk show or podcast of some well read speakers that can really impress or inspire the way children think about a topic. With the influence of digital era, smart devices are becoming an integral part of classrooms. Smart boards, interactive video sessions as well as education apps are triggering their creativity and enthusiasm.
Imaginative thinking activities: The borderline between imagination and reality is negligible when it comes to kids. That is why some imaginative activities such as puppet show are found effective to teach kids. This would gear up their imaginative thinking capability and they understand the concept with a creation of images in their mind. There are also some games that trigger imagination, decision making and problem solving skills in kids. This classroom activity can be interactive with some imaginative indoor scenarios. Another way by which teachers stimulate thinking is by giving them chance to build up a new game that carries some new concept. Foreign language learning sessions with interactive activities is another creativity boosting activity that brings lot of fun.
Work out passions: There should be a dedicated hour or period at least once per week for kids to work out their passions. Give your students time to express themselves in the way they prefer whether it is singing, dancing, poems, painting, drawing, acting and what more. Students can best utilize the time to explore their creativity and passions. Sports sessions are also really effective to set a goal and work towards achieving it. Including arts along with curriculum is an interesting way to dig deeper into your thinking instincts. Rather than just considering it odd or unconventional, it is important to set aside some time for creativity.

A creative classroom is beneficial for both students and teachers and the overall learning phase would turn out more productive. Such a classroom set up would stimulate the kids’ mind and keeps them awake always for fresh and innovative ideas. It is important not to force them into some activity which they barely have any interest but choose activities that help them to follow their interests and passions.

Classroom is the best place to find the hidden talents in children and a good teacher should take initiatives to foster their creativity and artistic skills during their school days. Along with interesting activities, kids should also be given a quality resource of good books and visual materials.

Gaining the child’s interest and maintaining it is a bit challenging for any classroom and such appealing materials and activities might do the trick. Also there are lots of education apps that trigger creativity and thinking in kids which keeps them educated and entertained.

If you wish to handhold your kid to succeed in school and beyond, here are the modern learning skills that will become his/her boon for life. Leaning skills are often tagged under a common name called “4 Cs”. Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Collaboration and Communication. These are the 4 important Cs that will demand a push from you so that your child develops and improves the patterns of learning, assimilating and reproducing information in the manner he/she comprehends. All these Cs are a function of their short-term memory that enables them to learn. Hence if you encourage them to develop their short-term memory through creative activities, you are clearing their path to learn and understand better.

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Here are 10 effective ways to improve kid’s learning skill:

The “Left Brain” Activity Is Linked to Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is all about the careful analysis of a topic of study to help you understand it better. In order to help kids learn and use the power of critical thinking, guardians should teach them to analyze a situation by breaking the entire scenario into smaller and understandable parts.

You can also encourage your kids to come up with logical arguments about what they think about a topic and link their thoughts to evidences. When kids start talking in this manner, they will be able to learn the topic better; in a logical way. This exercise ultimately paves the way for them to come up with a logical conclusion. Kids can also be prompted to group items under their respective heads and explaining the striking contrasts between the various classes.

Critical thinking is a learning tool to hone the problem-solving abilities in kids. When guardians push kids to come up with the causes and effects of a problem, kids will find means to eliminate the reasons for a problem.

Creativity Thinking Helps Kids Discover Possibilities

Creative thinking is the ability that is gifted to us by our “right brain”. Guardians can help their wards to learn creative thinking through a number of dedicated activities. Brainstorming is one such practice that will involve your kids to come up with a number of feasible, impossible and unreasonable suggestions for a particular scenario.

Actions speak louder than words. In line with this famous maxim, guardians can encourage the learning skill in kids by allowing them to make items with their own hands. Give them materials to create the product and they will slowly learn different ways to produce a product.

A creative attitude in kids will blossom if parents and teachers encourage them to crack jokes, narrate stories and sing their favorite songs. Engaging them in a dialogue about any topic can also bring their creative traits to the fore, allowing them to learn through innovative ways. Encourage them to pose questions through which they will be able to get to know the facts that were unknown to them. Through the answers given out by them, kids will also arrive at new ways to find a solution to their problem.

Communication Skills – Another Stepping Stone to Learning Through Verbal and Written Expressions

Communication is all about expressing your thoughts and beliefs not only through words but also through gestures, body language and visual aids. It is the responsibility of the guardians to create a communicative environment at home or in school. When communication is encouraged, kids will learn the trick of attentive listening.

When you start communicating with them frequently, they will begin to listen to you with all their ears. They will learn to take notes while posing questions about unknown facts. You can also help kids to enjoy the act of reading, when they begin to decode the printed words or images that are in front of their eyes. All thanks to technology, kids can bank on mobile phones and apps that will serve as learning tools to either communicate through phone calls or email or engage themselves through app messages.

Collaboration – The Art of Working Together for a Common Goal

Another tried and tested means to improve your kid’s learning skills is to introduce them to group activities that come with a common objective. Through collaborations, you can teach your kid the benefits of working towards a goal. In their pursuit to reach their common objective, kids will learn to evaluate multiple options.

They will take in alternatives that bring them close to their joint aim and discard those that work against their victory. Such activities can bring out the leadership qualities that are still in the nascent stage of development. Group activities come as a boon to kids when they begin to unearth the benefits of effective management of time and material resources. Such acts also teach your kids to resolve conflicts between their team mates in an amicable manner alongside introducing them to the dynamics of teams.

Unlock the Power of Simulation

A picture is worth a thousand words. So true to this commonly used maxim, you as a parent will need to hone his visualization skills so that he/she can reproduce a subject in his own words. Now you might think that how to do it? You just have to encourage your child to imagine a picture of what he has just heard or read; in his mind’s eye. The next step is to prompt him/her to draw the picture that he imagined. Through repeated session, your child will be able to hone his/her visualization skills when he/she can orally describe the image without having to use a pen and paper to describe it.

Allow Your Kid to Become Your Teacher

Take for instance that your child is trying to play a new game. You as a guardian can prompt him/her to master the game by inspiring them. If you begin to demonstrate a keen interest in their game, he/she will start opening up with the tricks of the game. He/she will employ his descriptive and discretionary skills to inform you about the nuances of the game. You can ignite their imagination through questions that will help them come up with sensible descriptions and evaluations. This way, they will assimilate all the information which they need to excel at a game or the subject at hand.

The World of Knowledge in Black and White

You will agree with the fact that books are an ocean of knowledge. While technical and subject-oriented books come with volumes of information, books on self-improvement help your children learn about the ways to lead a successful and content life.

If you as a guardian encourage your wards to make reading as their favorite pastime activity, they will not only put their leisure time to the best use. They will also be at the receiving end of invaluable information that is presented in the form of printed books or digital sources. They will begin to learn the concept of self-help when they try to pick up a befitting text that provides solutions to all their queries.

The Power of Delivering Good Instructions

As parents and teachers dealing with young children, it is very important for you to teach them by clearly explaining what needs to be done and the manner in which a particular task should be performed. Guardians while instructing kids should keep in mind their tone of voice; a clear yet calm tone can do the trick.

Parents and teachers should also be careful about the words used in the instructions. It is best to use simple language teamed with short sentences that allow your child to relate him/her to the task at hand. Good instructions are all about helping your kid to learn a process through a step-by-step approach. These phased-out instructions will permit your kid to organize himself while aiming to complete a task at hand.

The Importance of Constructive Feedback

It is very common for kids to seek validations from elders. For every task they do, they expect parents and teachers to judge them, announcing their ability to fulfil the same. Constructive feedback can serve as a stepping stone to teach your kid the right way to address a problem. When you as a guardian are vocal about the correct approach your kid has initiated, this feedback encourages him/her to develop a sense of self-esteem. This learning helps them develop a personality that mirrors a blend of their self-confidence and self-respect.

The Inclusion of Memory Boosting Games

You can check out the internet for a host of interesting and memory boosting puzzles and games. Introducing your kids to such games will not only sharpen their concentration levels but also helps them understand the concept of working around multiple alternatives to arrive at a befitting solution. Kids will learn to incorporate all the conditions that the puzzle puts in front of them; eventually reaching the winning post with the correct answer.

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Conclusion

All the above-mentioned strategies help your kids to hone their learning skills when they begin to better their reasoning power along with enhanced concentration levels. When these two attributes are sharpened, your kids will learn and unlearn various concepts by assimilating and processing information from multiple sources. When some or all of these learning strategies become a part of your child’s routine, they will help him/her thrive in a constantly changing and highly-competitive society.