Saturday, October 20, 2012

Consumer Critique: The Missing Alphabet

An unfortunate trend in education (and I know, I'm a teacher) is that the emphasis on testing and standards and accountability means that some of the "optional" courses, such as art and music, end up on the sidelines. This means many kids miss out on key chances to explore creativity and work both sides of their brain - their logical side and their artistic one.

The Missing Alphabet: A Parents' Guide to Developing Creative Thinking in Kids aims to provide parents with strategies to help foster creativity in their kids in ways that they may be missing out in a traditional school environment. The missing alphabet in question is the sensory alphabet, building blocks that provide the foundations for creative thinking the same ways the ABCs provide the foundations for reading. The authors draw on their experiences as researchers and educators to explain the research - and also to provide practical advice that parents can use and easily incorporate into daily life.

It's important for kids to be able to think creatively - to be willing to take risks, think outside the box, communicate in ways besides just using words. Even if you don't consider yourself creative, you can use what you read in this book to nurture those skills in your own children.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book to facilitate this review.

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