Discovery Point Blog

July 16, 2014

Creativity, Problem-Solving Skills, and the Modern Parent

Now more than ever, key skills like critical-thinking, problem-solving, and creativity are being linked to a child’s development outside of the standard school system. Not every student responds enthusiastically to rote learning or to a highly-regimented environment. Many children tune out and disengage when they don’t feel stimulated at school, leaving gaps not only in their content knowledge, but in the development of important personal skills.

Across the board, experts recommend supplementing a basic K-12 education with a curriculum that fosters creativity, curiosity, and independent problem-solving. An article published in the Financial Times in May of this year emphasizes the growing importance of flexibility and critical-thinking in our technology-rich world. “As repetitive tasks are eroded by technology and outsourcing,” the author writes, “the ability to solve novel problems has become increasingly vital.”

New challenges and unfamiliar situations are becoming the norm, and today’s parents are encouraged to provide their children with opportunities to develop both creative expression and subject knowledge that goes beyond the classroom. Parents that offer their children a safe space to learn, explore, and empower themselves are, in effect, giving them the tools to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.