Gifted children need to think productively. This process helps children find more unique solutions to problems in everyday life.

1. Logic Games (see list in this chapter)
   
   
2. Encourage divergent thinking. While driving or just looking around your home ask your child, "What do you like/dislike about Florida?" In the house name things that are square, start with different sounds and different endings, etc.
   
   
3. Encourage creativity/productivity thinking. The components of productive thinking are:
   • Fluency - Expressing many ideas
   • Flexibility - Expressing ideas that are different and belong in different categories. The child expresses unusual and uncommon ideas.
   • Evaluation - The child weighs his ideas in terms of likes or dislikes.
   • Elaboration - The child adds details to a basic idea.

Strategies to encourage this process are:

• Place a black dot on a piece of paper, draw a picture around it.
• Place a doodle ~~~~VVV~~~~ on a piece of paper, have the child make a picture from it.
• Make up your own food, new clothing, new invention, etc.
• Cut out squares, circles, rectangles, have child make a picture.
• How many words can you make from Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.
• Finish the cartoon.
• Design a new cereal box cover/billboard/book cover.
• What comes in twos?
• What can you buy with a dollar?
• What can you use instead of a rake to rake leaves?
• Make your own flavor of popcorn.
  
  
  
4. Visit local museums
   
   
5. Try creative problem solving/ forecasting/ decision making. Predict cause and affect. For example:
   • You can only take five items camping. What would you choose?
   • There is no more salt in the world. What are alternatives?
   • All stores are closed on weekends. What problems can you see?
   • You have to stay overnight at school. What would you bring?
     
     
6. Practice planning - Planning helps children organize a method for achieving a specific solution or outcome. Plan a party, start a club plan a camping trip, vacation, special events. Tell what to plan and materials needed, steps needed to carry out the plan, anticipate what problems you might have.
   
   
7. Present decision making problems.
   Ex: How would you spend Saturday morning?
   Ex: You can have one pet, what would it be? Space, cost, effect on family weigh, decide; show how to earn money for it.