Here is one of many articles that The Creativity
Institute has reviewed and reprinted on nurturing creativity in
children and on educational toys. Infants, toddlers, preschoolers
and school age children can all benefit from the right educational
toys at the right ages, to help them learn that creative choices
are good choices.
The Treasure of Reading to Children
by Maxine Thompson
This placard graced my late mother's bedroom
wall, and until recently, I didn't understand what it meant.
After spending a normal vacation with my loved
ones in Atlanta and Detroit, I reflected how wonderful it is to
enjoy adult children and grandchildren when times are normal.
No one in the immediate family was in harm's way. Everyone is
being blessed. One friend is moving into a new house. Instead
of coming home for a funeral, or a deathwatch, I was just home
to enjoy the moment. Things are looking up. Lesson learned.
We have to treasure our moments of serenity.
Now I'd like to paraphrase this saying and
add, "Reading to children, what a treasure it is."
I often speak on the issue of the shortage
of African American books for children and teenagers. Too many
of our teenagers are reading books meant for adults because of
the shortage of book. Still too many African American teenagers
are dropping out of school.
Last summer, when my three-going-on-four year
old grandchild, Darius, visited from Michigan and came to California,
we developed a ritual of reading at night. I'll never forget his
words, "That was a good book."
This year, when I visited him in Detroit, it
was a pleasure to see the light in Darius's eyes as he recognized
colors and numbers in a book. This was especially exciting because
I saw his love for reading grow.
My oldest son, Maurice, age 33, told me that
he hated when I took them to the library, but now he does this
very same thing with his preteen children, so he's hoping the
seed will be planted as it was in his case. Now Reading is one
of his favorite pastimes.
So I'd like to encourage African American writers
to write more culturally relevant children books and readers to
support more Black children writers.
Make use of your public libraries, which is
a treasure trove of information, and a wonderful place to get
free books for your children.
As parents are reving up for back to school,
take time and invest in reading to your children.
1. Reading together builds your child's vocabulary.
2. Reading helps with your child's imagination.
3. Reading helps create memories your child
will later cherish from his childhood.
4. Reading together is a spiritual endeavor
like writing. You may be nurturing the mind of the next Toni Morrison.
5. You will see the return on the back end.
As they say, "You pay now, (in terms of time invested with
your children,) or you pay later." Just ask parents who were
too busy working while their children were growing up, who now
have to deal with these adult children's drama when they didn't
get the lessons right the first time around.
Copyright 2005 Black Butterfly Press
About The Author
Dr. Maxine E. Thompson is the owner of the
http://www.maxineshow.com and Thompson's Literary Agency and Thompson
Literary Services. She hosts shows for writers on http://www.voiceamerica.com
and http://www.artistfirst.com. She is a story editor and a ghostwriter.
You can sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.maxinethompson.com.
MORE ON CHILD CREATIVITY
Make
your child
more creative for life.
Every child has creative
ability just waiting to be tapped. Even infants have budding creative
potential. The right educational toys can bring it out. and let
children enjoy the benefits of creative pursuits at many levels.
Infants,
toddlers,
preschoolers,
early
school age and older
school age children all delight in opportunities for creative
expression through colors, shapes and sounds.
At The Creativity Institute, we handpick each infant educational
toy, every creative plaything, each piece of furniture and every
toy musical instrument based on its potential for developing vital
creative resources in your child.
Toy
pianos, oversized
foam building blocks, puppet
theaters and puppet stages and people
and animal hand puppets, art
supplies and children's
easels, play
tents and more. The scale and durability of many of these
toys make them perfect for classrooms, homeschool,
day care centers and waiting rooms, too. The benefits of nurturing
creativity can be profound, offering children tools for success
in all endeavors athletic, artistic or academic. Let your baby
begin now.