Visual Expression: A Creative Advantage of the Disadvantaged

Abstract

areas of the elementary-school curriculum. Few studies have emphasized strengths in non-verbal areas that may reinforce learning for children who are verbally handicapped. From early studies, a perceptive picture has been drawn of the personality characteristics that children of the slums develop to meet the challenges in their world. Several researchers have agreed that disadvantaged urban children are more spontaneous in their behavior and actions (1), less conforming (2), more independent of their parents (3), and more highly developed in motor skills than children from more advantaged families (4). Any educator familiar with current research in creativity will recognize the pattern: only the characteristics of originality and fluency are missing to complete the picture of a creative child. Clues in research tend to indicate that disadvantaged children, if taught to use the creative process, are more likely to be fluent producers of ideas than advantaged children.