When my children were very little I made two important discoveries:
Children love to be read to.
Children love to make things.
This little discovery completely changed the function and culture of my home, and I am so glad that it did! When my oldest was a toddler, I was reading the basic board books by Karen Katz, Tad Hills, Dr. Seuss, Bill Martin Jr. etc. He wanted me to read them over and over again and I obliged him without hesitation. Then I started extending the read aloud a little further, we started to paint and color the illustrations in the book. This little habit never left us, and now that my children are older, books are still the starting point for the vast majority of their creative endeavors.
You see, it is one thing to read Bill Martin Jrβs Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See (repeatedly, over and over again until you feel like your head will explode), but something magical seems to happen when you take out some paint and cardstock afterwards and go through the book to make all the animals in the story. The reading experience is enhanced through the creative outlet and your walls now have a fresh work of art to adorn them.
“The reading experience is enhanced through the creative outlet and your walls now have a fresh work of art to adorn them ”
Not Only For Preschoolers
This is not only for wee little ones in preschool.
Unfortunately, we have bought into the idea that only children in preschool or kindergarten can enjoy these literacy/creative experiences. My dear reader this is not true! On the contrary, as children get older, and as their reading materials become more complex so also do their creative responses. The reading of Bill Martinβs infamous childrenβs story results in colorful imitations of Eric Carleβs unique illustrations to adorn your walls, whereas an older childβs reading of Jim Arnoskyβs Thunderbirds could result in carefully crafted birds of prey made from air dry clay to gracefully hang from their ceilings.
The creative response enhances the reading regardless of the childβs age. As the parent, you get to enjoy the culmination of it all. It becomes a learning experience for everyone, whether learning of Eric Carleβs collage/tissue paper style or Jim Arnoskyβs beautiful explanation of an owlβs silent flight.
You get my drift, creativity and literacy go together; imitating illustrations and moldings from air dry clay are only the tip of the iceberg.
There Is No Such Thing As “I’m Bored”
Each morning before we start our home education we have a little chant:
βEach day we adventure, study, observe, create, produce, explore, discover, experiment, and imagine. There is no such thing as βIβm boredβ.”
Though we chant this every morning, at times I hear that horrendous phrase come dripping off their lips (it is usually after they get a new gift thatβs novelty has worn off quicker than they expected). I give them the same solution every time.
Our ideas come from the books we read. So, if your child utters the horrid words βI’m boredβ, send them to your book basket for ideas. I remind my children that there is no such thing as βIβm boredβ. There is far too much literature, history, and wonders of Godβs world to be bored. You only get βboredβ when you want to be entertained by a passive medium that requires little of you. This desire is easily fixed by reading and even more hacked to death by creativity.
It bears repeating, creativity and literacy go together.
Creativity vs. Screen Time
I am not against a good wholesome movie or enlightening documentary every now and then. But I would, without hesitation, make a case against putting little minds in front of a TV for 3 hours every evening so mom doesnβt need to be βbotheredβ with anyone. In place of screen time, encourage your children to make things. It may not be as quiet or as mess-free, but itβs better for those little brain cells and satisfies what the child is really wanting…togetherness, self-expression, productivity, and a sense of accomplishment.
There was one time we had agreed to watch our friendβs 4 kiddos for the evening while they went on a date. We had the evening well-planned: pizza, play outside, cookies, popcorn and watch Chronicles of Narnia. Full, happy, entertained kids…right?
Well, part way into the movie, I noticed one by one each of their kids disappeared. At one point I looked around and only my family was in the living room! I found their kids in our garage-turned-creativity studio busily and happily making crowns out of construction paper. I was shocked! They were so zoned into their task the only time they looked up to acknowledge me was when they needed help making their crowns fit. They did this until their parents came to pick them up, and even then, they weren’t ready to go.
Truly children are happiest when they are making something, and when this desire is cultivated, it can easily replace the common issue of too much screen time.
How To Get Started? Keep It Simple
It doesnβt take much to create a literacy/creativity culture in your home and pry eyes (and hearts) off the screen. Nothing elaborate is necessary. First, take your library cards and max them out with good books according to the interests of your family (check out book reviews to get some ideas). Be sure to get a mix of fiction and non-fiction books. Max out that card girlfriend, donβt be scared.
Pick up a couple of book baskets and fill them up. Strategically put the baskets in places your family spends a lot of time. A lot of reading will start happening without you even realizing it. Start reading aloud and reading independently. Be sure to share the ones you like with one another. Take notes of authors and illustrators that you enjoyed and check out more of their work. Have your child keep a bookwishlist of their favorite stories so you can start building your own personal library.
Next, carve out a space in your home where your children can be creative (ours is called βThe Creativity Studioβ we are unabashedly nerdy over here). Fill it with basic art supplies to begin with (you can read about how I did this here) but know this little space will have more added to it as different art mediums are exploredβ¦ youβd be surprised at what is out there.
Thatβs it. Read, create, repeat.
The Quietest Times
My kids are loud, hyper, high-energy extroverts that did not inherit their fatherβs introvertedness or his proneness to solitude… the poor things got their mamaβs personality (I will say my son may be an introvert who is unfortunately stretched by his sisters on a daily basis). They are extremely bubbly, are constantly moving, and usually laughing. During the day we have a one-hour quiet time where the children must be reading, aside from that time, there is ongoing activity and little voices throughout the house.
But there is another time (aside from sleeping) when my home is utterly peaceful and completely quiet, even more quiet than our reading hour: when mom comes home with new books and craft supplies. Crossing my threshold with a wagon full of books and/or bags filled with fresh crayons, markers, paint, confetti, cardstock, etc. my children are instantly entrancedβ¦ and totally silent. Even my youngest, who is not yet a fluent reader, βreadsβ and confidently creates right alongside her siblings.
Those times of quiet are restful but also exciting…exciting because I know what awaits on the other side of the silence: happy, curious, creative kids brimming with ideas for our next adventure together and new art for our home.
One more timeβ¦
Creativity and literacy go together.
Happy Reading and Creating!