STATEMENTS ABOUT THE CREATIVITY DESIGN TASK PUZZLES.
How can anyone tell, for sure, what is going on in the mind of a person who is experimenting with something he, himself, had only curiosity and little knowledge about? If someone else shows him what they think the solution should be then the rest of us may never get to know what might have been discovered.

A Maltese special education teacher attended the 2004 International Congress on Early Childhood and Primary Education Congress held in Istanbul, Turkey on November 26, 27 & 28 and discussed Dr. Henrickson’s research procedures which had been developed into the CD book format called “Knock a Rooster Off A Fence” and reported favorable responses among the European teachers and some bewilderment from among the Muslim teachers. For a preview of that CD please click on: www.tcp.com.mt . (then go to the “business section” and the reference to “Knock a Rooster Off a Fence”)

A mother speaks, a teacher reports and a vitally interested observer comments on the creativity tasks and puzzles described in the website www.tcp.com.mt, (a.k.a. “The Creativity Packet”) in the education section.

An observer and a father comments when faced with one of the puzzles: “I’ve never done this before. I like the colors and the way they can go together, but how can you put together something you don’t know how it works? There are no pictures to follow. How am I going to do it if there are no pictures to follow? Well let’s do it anyway….so I did it. I felt somehow like the way I felt as a child, everything was mysterious, but I did it. I felt there must be a picture somewhere. I just had to create it. It gave me a thrill that I did it all without help. That’s when I found out that kids should have the experience of doing something all by themselves. learning how to use their minds to create was is new for them. It is important to learn that before it is too late, not wait until you are grown up when that kind of discovery might be confusing. That is why I have structured a system whereby I can make these available to young people now.
…….Kurun Vella

A MOTHER SPEAKS: “After hearing about these puzzles I was curious how my son would react. When he tried it at first he got nervous and asked for his grandma’s help but on his second try, at home with me, he did it in a few minutes.

I tried them myself. To me I found them like a challenge. I had fun and hoped to try others.

After his first experience my son, seemed to have done his best and didn’t rest until he got them right. He tried most of the puzzles twice or more times. I think he learned not to discourage himself instantly.

Children are given a syllabus and they must learn it to achieve certificates in later life. For my son who is going to be 7 in December its not too hard, he’s a fast learner. I try to notice his interests and help him to learn what he likes to do. I think I might change as a result of this experience since I’ve had a habit of ordering my son to read books. I will try to discuss with him his time table and let him decide…I’ll supervise. I don’t think the way they learn makes them content men and women in later life, I mean, happy with what they have achieved in life and in doing what they like best.
…Miriam Curmi, mother

The author states:
As the person who some forty years ago originated these tasks as part of my Ph.D. program and participated under the guidance of E. Paul Torrance in many of his experimental programs I am, frankly, pleased, that their time for effective employment seems to have arrived.

As primarily a practicing artist myself, at least that is how I generally see myself, I am perplexed that such acceptance of my efforts, which had taken no great effort for me to accomplish, has taken place at all. Their importance seemed obvious to me from the very beginning.

The creations of these tasks and puzzles was not at all a problem, it was the process of promoting them that seemed endless and very irksome to me, in part, I suppose, because I am burdened by a dislike for self promotion or even knowing that it is being done on my behalf. I guess I would prefer that people simply recognize value because it is there and not needing to have it pointed out to them. Recognizing that that point of view is unrealistic is of no help in relieving me of the embarrassment I feel in doing it. Consequently, since I do not enjoy it I am not very good at doing it. But something like this needs to be done and those people who do recognize the value in these tasks and products do deserve and require my support. However, I am not shy about stating quite emphatically that these puzzles have great value in supporting efforts in reading, structural analysis and emotional and mental health.
--Paul Henrickson, Ph.D.