Best Method for Torrance Test Prep

The best method in preparation for the Torrance Tests of Creativity is to practice materials that your child can use to hone his or her creativity skills.  With this material, you will learn how you can help your child channel their natural creativity into these test questions, and make sure that they do their best on test day. This test can actually be incredibly fun!  Creative abilities are built up over a lifetime of practice and are important for school, work, and life. Here’s to a great creative start for your child!

Top 10 Tips for Parents to Help Their Child Prepare for the Torrance Tests of Creativity

1. Foster a Creative Environment at Home: Encourage your child to think outside the box and innovate in their daily lives. This can include setting up an art corner for them to express their creativity or engaging them in activities such as building with LEGO, drawing, painting, or even coding. It’s crucial that they understand creativity isn’t just limited to artistic endeavors but can be applied to problem-solving in general.
2. Encourage Divergent Thinking: Divergent thinking is a way of solving problems in which multiple possible solutions are proposed in an effort to find one that works, despite having no established correct answer. You can nurture this in your child by posing open-ended questions or problems that can have multiple solutions. Rather than seeking a single correct answer, allow them to explore various approaches to the question.
3. Promote Brainstorming: Teach your child to brainstorm ideas without judging them. This allows them to think freely and enhances their ability to come up with numerous ideas, a skill essential for the Torrance Tests of Creativity. Remind them that in a brainstorming session, there are no wrong answers, only different perspectives.
4. Imbue Resilience and Persistence: Creativity often involves failure and learning from it. It’s important to teach your child not to be discouraged by setbacks, but instead to see them as opportunities to learn and grow. This growth mindset can help them perform better on tests like the Torrance Tests of Creativity, where unique and innovative thinking is rewarded.
5. Develop Their Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and expressing emotions is a crucial part of creativity. Encourage your child to express their feelings and thoughts openly. Also, help them develop empathy by encouraging them to consider how others might feel in different situations. Activities like role-play or reading books and discussing characters’ feelings can be helpful in enhancing emotional intelligence.
6. Encourage Curiosity and Exploration: Children are naturally curious and it’s important to foster this. Support your child’s interests and let them explore diverse areas, whether it’s music, science, art, or sports. When children are given the opportunity to explore, they can discover their passions and become more motivated to learn and innovate.
7. Practice Metaphorical Thinking: Metaphorical thinking, which is the process of understanding one thing in terms of another, is a key aspect of creativity. You can help your child build this skill by engaging in activities such as storytelling, where they can compare characters or situations to things they know in their lives.
8. Allow for Independent Thinking: Encourage your child to form their own opinions and ideas. When they ask you a question, rather than providing the answer straight away, ask them what they think the answer could be. This promotes independent thinking and encourages them to come up with creative solutions to problems.
9. Promote Regular Reading and Writing: Reading exposes children to different ideas, cultures, and perspectives, which can foster creative thinking. Writing, on the other hand, encourages them to express their thoughts and ideas creatively. Encourage your child to maintain a daily journal or diary where they can write about their experiences, ideas, and feelings.
10. Foster a Non-Judgmental Atmosphere: When children are afraid of being judged or making mistakes, their creativity is likely to be stifled. Make sure to create a home environment where all ideas are welcomed, and mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and not as failures. This will allow your child to freely express their creativity and prepare them for the Torrance Tests of Creativity.

Sample Practice Questions

Creativity – Rhyming (5th-6th Grade)

1.  Dr. Seuss liked to use words that rhymed. How many words can you think of that rhyme with the words below?

• • blatant
  • finicky

Creativity – Just Suppose (3rd-4th Grade)

2.  What problems would there be if everyone was either one foot tall or seven feet tall? How could the problems be solved?

Creativity – Mother Hubbard (1st-2nd Grade)

Read the nursery rhyme and answer the question.

Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn,
Where’s the boy that looks after the sheep?
He’s under the haycock, fast asleep.

3.  Why was Little Boy Blue so tired?

Want to try us out? Sign up for a free account today and get 100 free practice questions.

Here are some interesting articles on creativity and creativity testing:

More than 50 Years of Putting Kids Creativity to the Test;

Creativity and IQ – What is Divergent Thinking?   

Diverse Perspectives of Creativity Testing: Controversial Issues When Used for Inclusion Into Gifted Programs

How to Teach Creativity – Two Dozen Tips

Insights Into Creativity Process – Identifying and Measuring Creativity

See if TestingMom.com supports your child’s test by your school district. If you don't see your child's school district listed, check with us! We have practice for other tests as well.