Can children practise becoming more flexible idea generators?
Yes. Divergent thinking develops across childhood, and experimental work shows that the learning environment and deliberate practice can influence how many different possibilities children generate.[1]
How Toku uses this
Toku can ask for alternative methods, multiple valid routes, pattern completions, category shifts and open problems where more than one approach deserves consideration.
What research shows
Experimental work with young children shows that exposure to more divergent demonstrations can increase the variety of actions children subsequently generate.[1]
Divergent-thinking training has produced changes in idea-generation performance in adolescent samples.[2]
Creative mathematical reasoning can support mathematical understanding when learners construct or justify a route instead of only imitating one.[3]
Why this can matter for your child
Your child practises searching the solution space instead of assuming the first familiar method must be the only method.
Strong problem solvers need a wider menu of possible moves. Toku can make generating alternatives part of normal practice rather than something reserved for “creative” subjects.
Questions this helps answer
- what is divergent thinking for children
- can creativity be trained
- why multiple solutions matter
- divergent thinking problem solving
References
- Elena Hoicka et al. (2018). Two-year-olds can socially learn to think divergently. British Journal of Developmental Psychology.
- Bing Zuo et al. (2021). Impact of divergent thinking training on teenagers' emotion and self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology.
- Bert Jonsson, Carina Granberg & Johan Lithner (2020). Gaining mathematical understanding: the effects of creative mathematical reasoning and cognitive proficiency. Frontiers in Psychology.