Microsoft Word lilly creativity (early childhood) done docx

Mentor as Creative Facilitator
Prentice (2000) explains that in order for creativity to flourish in young children, support from 
creative adults is crucial. Creative mentors can help children acquire the appropriate technical 
skills and secure a knowledge base in order to underpin sustained creative activity. Once this is 
achieved, children are able to engage in a given activity with greater depth and thereby allow 
creativity to function. The mentor becomes the “child’s instrument” in such creative episodes as 
storytelling where an adult takes dictation for a child who cannot write their own stories (Doyle, 
2003).
Imagination
Schaefer (1969) found implications in his study to suggest that brighter children who are inclined 
towards creativity were more likely to have experienced imaginary companions in childhood. 
Therefore, imaginary companions should be noticed as a marker of potential creativity. 
Classroom Environment
Children must feel psychologically safe and free in order to develop a creative potential 

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demonstrated through creativity in adolescence (Harrington, Block & Block, 1987). It is 
important that teachers prepare their students to choose environments that are conducive to their 
creative success in order to nurture their development (Sternberg, 2003). Stressful environments 
create emotional and psychological needs in children which they try to fulfill through high levels 
of creativity. Students will produce higher levels of creativity and show deeper learning through 
the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Because students learn in a variety of ways, 
they need to be able to express their creativity and learning through multiple modes of 
representation. When given assignments or homework, students are allowed to express 
themselves through multiple formats to provide responses to the teacher (e.g., film, essay, skit, 
poetry, formula). However, first teachers must be skilled in providing multiple modes of 
instruction in their classrooms and willing to accept multiple methods of evaluation for an 
assignment. Based on the concept of inclusion, UDL builds community in the classroom by 
honoring diversity. All curriculum and instruction is offered in multiple modes (e.g, lecture, film, 
cooperative learning, inquiry learning, discovery learning). All materials used in the classroom 
must be accessible to all children and complement their learning styles. As a result, students 
learn to explore, risk, tolerate ambiguity, generate multiple solutions to problems and work 
together to solve tasks (Burgstahler & Cory, 2008).