Doorway to Imagination

This question is silently posed by every child who struggles with reading. These kids often prefer to sit and watch television, a place where little imagination is needed, or play on electronic games of all descriptions. Games and television have a place in any kids life, but it’s easy to let these things swallow up the afternoon. All too soon it's time for bed and no reading has even been attempted. Kids on a constant diet of video games and cheesy TV usually have starving imaginations. In conversation with people outside their immediate age group, they have little to offer. If all they know about is the latest Playstation game high scores or all the names of the stars in their favourite soap, life gets pretty shallow.

The problem with these types of entertainment is they require no imagination. When children do nothing to engage their imagination, it’s time to take action. With imagination nothing much else is needed. Add a cowboy hat and suddenly your child is transformed into the hero who saves the day. A simple toy stethoscope and a healthy dollop of imagination causes a doctor or nurse to emerge from your toddler. Imagination doesn’t even require the correct tools, it has the ability to shape objects into whatever your child desires them to be.

Reading tales of heroes and villains is one way of showing your child problem solving in action. If the main character found a way through his trials, then so will your child when faced with their own. Their imagination is used to evaluate the effectiveness of plans, because they can imagine the outcome. The more stories and situations they read the more solutions, facts and pieces of useful information they store up. It’s like filling a well. The more fluid detail they add the more they can dip their imagination in, drawing out something to satisfy. Keep them reading and adding to this reserve. Fertilize their minds.

An imagination will help them cope with life. They’ll create solutions to their problems and be open to suggestions by others, such as yourself, your partner or teachers. Your child will imagine answers quickly. They may need encouragement from you to implement their plan, but that’s courage. Imagination is the spark, the idea. The more they read and fill their creative well-spring, the more they will want to achieve. Ideas have a motivating force. Help them channel this motivation into reaching their dreams. Give them good books to read and help them ignite the spark in their own minds.