Previous blog posts have explored ways that we can help young children grow their brains and develop their kindergarten readiness. Instead of asking “How smart is this child?” we can turn the question around and ask “How is this child smart?” That gives us more information about a child’s individual strengths and challenges because each child is unique. The notion of multiple intelligences says that we are all smart in different ways. New research is also showing that children’s brains grow with stimulation so yes!! we can make kids smarter. In addition to the 8 of body-smart, word-smart, logic/math smart, picture-smart, self-smart, people-smart, music-smart and nature-smart there’s a new one: wondering-smart.
Wondering-smart is somewhat different for adults than for kids. I think it’s about time that being able to imagine is recognized as a part of intelligence. Yeah, for imagination! How can you encourage your child to develop wondering and imagination?
Read books about anything and everything. When you can’t read a book, make up a story. “Once upon a time, instead of a bus driving down the street there was a giant bath tub…” or “Once upon a time a cloud bumped into the sun and…”
Put out some dress-up clothes for your child to stimulate imagining.
Wonder together about the wind, or what the bee says to the flower, or if the sun ever sees the moon. Children have never seen dinosaurs. Contrary to the opinion of older kids, parents have never seen them either! Yet, we all wonder about them and what our world was like in the time of dinos
aurs.
Playing is a wondering-smart activity. Playing also promotes being smart in the other areas. Are you ensuring that your child’s day includes play-time to encourage kindergarten readiness and make your child smarter? Are you also squeezing some play-time in for yourself so that you share the wonder of it all?