Imaginative Children Learn Better

By Ina Woolcott

Children that are left alone to learn, naturally know which way of learning suits them best. Parents that are attentive will soon enough see that it is correct to trust this, and that there are countless ways of learning. There is no right or wrong way.

It is essential that children have LOTS of time to think, to fantasize. Children that are good at using their imaginations and role playing are keener learners and better able to deal with frustrations and feelings of being let down than those who have lost or forgotten this gift. Using ones imagination, creativity and fantasy takes time, something that is under threat in most peoples lives - especially when going to school all day long, and then taking part in activities after school, or going to after school clubs because parents have to work, coming home having dinner and going straight to bed. This leaves not much time for children to think, dream, to deal with stress and to kick back and relax on their own.

It is not necessary to give kids incentives to make them learn, such as smiley faces, or stars. This to the child may imply that whatever is being studied must be hard work or not much fun!

It is obvious when you think about it that the best way for children of any age to learn about getting along with other people through interaction is with people of ALL ages. No one would tell their baby that they are only allowed to interact with kids who’s birthdays were in the same ’year’ as they would be if they were at school, or put them in a room, tell them to keep quiet and not talk to each other. How unnatural would that be??? It is almost irrational to categorise children by age and not allow them to mix with other age groups and basically imprison them in a room, making them learn facts and figures, and on top of that not letting them get up unless asked. And even then the teacher can say no. At school kids are like robots being programmed from their early, most impressionable years onwards. In the UK, 13 years are spent in school if kids start at age 5 till age 18. If going to pre-school, 15 - 15 ½ years at school, from age 2 ½ / 3 years old till age 18. This is actually very disgusting and a long time to pretty much waste on subjects that kids aren’t even that interested in. Essentially, children are being kept from the exceptionally large diversity of life, wasting their time away at school.