ASK A TEACHER
Imagination

with Nancy Downing
Q:  What can we as parents do to help our children use their imaginations?

A:  As I recently watched TV, a car commercial showed two children in the backseat watching
separate DVDs. A few minutes later I saw another car commercial with children in the backseat
listening to their CD players.  

Stepping into the playroom at work, three out of the five children are playing hand held games.  

At this moment a question flashes across my mind.  How many children at home are watching TV
right now?  

The high tech age we live in today is fascinating and incredible, but it is robbing our children of
their imaginations.  Schools are requiring today’s child to problem solve, to show logic and
reasoning in all subject areas.  This could be thought of as “educational imagination.”   We as
parents need to step up and require “imagination” time at home in the areas of play and
recreation.  

Here are some ideas to help you accomplish this task.

  • Once a week, do not allow any battery operated or electrical devices to be turned on.
  • After breakfast put out some art supplies on the kitchen table.
  • Go to the store and find some “fun” paper to write a story or poem on.
  • Get out several board games and put them in the den.
  • Pull out the Legos or building blocks.
  • Pick a theme for the day. (Ex.  “A Day in the Jungle”)  Make everything revolve around
    the jungle.  Use your imagination on how to pull this off.  Have all the family members put
    in their ideas a few days before.
  • Go to the library and check out some books.

Think outside of the box and have fun.

Copyright © by Nancy Downing.  All rights reserved.
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Nancy has been an educator for 30 years and is currently a special education teacher.  
She is the former Center Director of LearningRx in Little Rock, Arkansas. She has
received local, state, and national recognition for her development of Downfeld
Phonics, a multi-sensory reading program.  Nancy also wrote curriculum for an
educational technology company.   

Nancy is a single mother of three children:  one with learning differences, one gifted,
and one who has to work for his grades.  Not only does she know what it is like to teach
all these different learning styles at school, but she has the experience of dealing with
all aspects of each twenty-four seven.  
Train a child in the way he should go,  
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
(Proverbs 22:6)