Do you remember the days when we were children and had endless imaginations?
As it happens, science confirms how creative we once were.
In an effort to evaluate the creative capacity of its scientists and engineers, NASA worked with scientist George Land to develop a test. The test measured the number of solutions a person could think of for a problem.
Later, George Land and his colleague Beth Jarman gave the same creativity test to 1600 children aged 4 to 5.
The result?
A stunning 98% of them were found to be very creative!
But here’s the kicker: As these kids grew up, their creativity decreased. Only thirty percent were still very creative at age ten. It fell to just 12% at the age of fifteen.
And when adults took the test? Only 2% scored as highly creative.
So, when does this creativity drop off?
350 primary school students took the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking in the late 1950s. They were told to label, sketch, write questions, and create new ideas.
The younger children were packed with ideas. But as they moved up in the school system, they began to lose creativity, starting around the fourth grade — a phenomenon dubbed the “Fourth Grade Slump.”
Why is there a Fourth Grade Slump?
The problem lies with the educational system.
Children meet increasingly strict regulations as they advance in school: raise your hand, remain still, learn information by heart, and don’t make mistakes.
Peer pressure is another factor.
Something that once seemed like a good idea, like adding polka-dotted leaves to a tree, could be ridiculed by classmates or shot down by teachers.
By the fourth grade, children start to hold back on their opinions in order to fit in and avoid being criticised.
Their creativity is suppressed by this fear of being shot down.
How can you help?
Here are a few ideas to encourage a child’s creative spark:
Ask “What if?” questions after reading a story.
Start a sentence and let your child finish it with their own story.
Ask them to think of creative ways to use everyday items. Ask questions like, “What else can we do with a fork besides eating noodles?”
Above all, show an open mind to their ideas.
Children won’t take creative chances if they believe they can’t make mistakes.
Help children maintain their creativity!
The Fourth Grade Slump: Why Kids Lose Creativity and How to Help Them Thrive