INDUSTRY INSIGHT
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
SPONSORED CONTENT
MONTESSORI CENTRE ACADEMY
Without Your Child’ s Imagination, Abstract Thinking Cannot Exist
There is a very special stage in your child’ s developing brain that manifests and feeds the imagination. The process of thinking that produces the imagination is necessary for creative abstract thinking. The child’ s ability to imagine impacts not only their intellectual learning but their imaginary games, being competitive in sports, and the arts.
The brain of a third grader is straining to make neural connections for information to think at a higher level of learning. The imagination tickles their creativity to think what is possible, what is plausible, and what is impossible. These connections stabilize the brain for more complicated thought processes. Those neurons that are not connected are pruned away( lost). Without the imagination, there can be no creativity or theoretical learning or advances in science, technology, engineering, and math. Children should be exposed to hands-on learning in order to test reality in all subjects. Classes should be small and discussions should be to focal point of learning. This allows for cooperative learning and collaborative learning. Mass learning of data and memorization, does little to push the boundaries of the creative thought processes.
Education has to serve this new developing talent of your child’ s brain growth by developing an interactive curriculum that is sensitive to this new stage of learning. Children at this age are eager to read stories with the magic of Harry Potter and the mythical world of Percy Jackson. Reading, in third grade and on, becomes important in pushing their boundaries of reality. This literature, because of its more convoluted scenarios, and more sophisticated language, will not only appeal to the child’ s interest but his emerging theoretical thinking and processing. The child begins to test reality and push the limits of the impossible to what is plausible. It is a stage of thinking that produces“ What if?”,“ Truth or Dare?”, and taking unreasonable chances and risks. JFK, as U. S. President, declared,“ we will put a man on the moon.” The moon was the reality; getting there was the unknown. The minds of men were put to the test in solving the impossible. This brain development of intense imagination serves as the basis of research in science, math, technology, language, and the performing arts.
Prior to this third grade state, children were practicing skills for dance and t-ball. Their reading interest was a storyline with a touch of magic. An example would be“ The Three Bears” and“ Captain Underpants.” Animation thrilled the child, as in cartoons and Disney movies. As young children, they are learning skills and data in preparation of the brain’ s ability to imagine.
This Industry Insight was submitted by Yolanda Sweenie, Director of Montessori Centre Academy since 1988. She has a vast array of experience in both Montessori education and teacher education, serving as a teacher trainer at Carlow College for the American Montessori Society. She wrote educational programs for model cities, and directed the first Montessori funded program under Head Start in Washington, D. C. In addition, she created workshops and served as a curriculum consultant for the Pittsburgh Board of Education when it created a public Montessori in the City of Pittsburgh.
Hampton | Winter 2017 | icmags. com 9