A step-by-step parents’ guide that demystifies “creativity,” and helps children grow up to be 21st century thinkers

In a future that will require visual literacy and innovative thinking, today’s kids will be expected to think across disciplines, come up with imaginative solutions, and have the capacity to invent with many media. In order to succeed, they’ll need creative thinking skills. Yet, we’ve been trained to think that some kids are “born” creative, while others are not.

But as the experienced educators, researchers and co-authors of The Missing Alphabet: A Parents’ Guide to Developing Creative Thinking in Kids (Greenleaf Book Group, October 23, 2012, 288 pages, $17.95) have discovered, this simply isn’t true. Rather, every child is born with a rich creative capacity; parents can build on that by supplying the Sensory Alphabet — the building blocks for creative thinking — an alphabet that is missing in schools today.

The Sensory Alphabet is as fundamental for creative thinking as the ABC’s are for reading and writing, and it is the foundation for understanding our sensory world: line, color, texture, sound, movement, sound, rhythm, space, light, and shape. As children learn this basic vocabulary and are involved in creative work/play, they gain the confidence and self-understanding needed to become creative problem-solvers and innovators.

Over the past 40 years, Susan Marcus, Susie Monday, and Cynthia Herbert, PhD. have studied how children individually learn and create, and also how parents and educators can help them utilize untapped reserves of their creative potential. The authors were the co-founders of Learning About Learning Educational Foundation, a future-oriented organization in San Antonio, Texas. Responding to the needs of 21st century literacies, they have collaborated to produce “New World Kids,” a series of after-school programs for pre-K through second grade, now being used in school districts, museums and creative arts programs. Today, parents can have access to this approach in The Missing Alphabet, no matter where they live.

Through vivid photographs and illustrations, The Missing Alphabet helps parents and educators hone in on a child’s natural strengths, and develop that child’s particular brand of imagination. In a digital world where information is often communicated through pictures, icons, sound and video, tomorrow’s adults will need highly developed creative thinking skills that are beyond words. This guide will help build a strong foundation.

SUSAN MARCUS, SUSIE MONDAY and CYNTHIA HERBERT, PHD are the co-creators of the popular “New World Kids” program, as well as The Foundry in Austin, TX, producing programs in creative thinking for children, parents, and professional development for educators.

Susan is a designer of educational programs and products and consultant to museums. She is the co-author (with Herbert) of Everychild’s Everyday (Doubleday), and When I Was Just Your Age (University of North Texas Press), and (with Monday) New World Kids (FoundryMedia). Susie is a children’s museum designer, educational consultant, and an adjunct faculty member of the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio. Cynthia is a developmental psychologist, the former Director of the Texas Alliance for Education and the Arts, and a specialist in Differentiated Education.

The holiday season is supposed to be joyous, fun and happy. But it can also be stressful. The nation’s emergency physicians want to remind all Americans to keep your stress in check.

“For many, including emergency physicians, the holidays come with a daunting pile of obligations,” said Dr. Andrew Sama, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “Don’t overdo it, because you can damage your health and possibly wind up spending the holidays in the emergency department.”

One particular concern is known as “holiday heart” syndrome. It is an irregular heartbeat that occurs in people who are otherwise healthy. It can be the result of stress, lack of sleep, excessive alcohol or caffeine ingestion, and/or dehydration. Emergency physicians say this is more common during the holiday season because of holiday parties and other events. Best advice is to moderate alcohol use and drink plenty of water.   If an irregular heartbeat lasts for longer than a few hours, you should seek medical attention or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

A long to-do list of decorating, buying presents and hosting parties can be overwhelming. It is important to pace yourself, whether it’s eating and drinking or shopping.

Money has been is a significant source of stress during the holiday season because of the current state of the economy (American Psychological Association 2011). Here are some tips to help you get through the season with the least amount of stress possible.

• Get exercise:  This is extremely important. Go to the gym, take regular walks or run. Make sure you stay active to help reduce the stress level.
• Watch your diet: People tend to eat more quantities of rich foods during the holidays. It’s okay to indulge occasionally, but do it responsibly and in moderation.
• Get a checkup: If you haven’t had one recently, the holidays might be a good time to visit the doctor and have a routine physical.

• Be organized: Have a plan, make a schedule and do it one step at a time. Do not wait until the last minute to do everything.

• Be cost effective: Given the current economic crisis, no one can blame you for spending less this year. Keep it simple.

• Ask for help: You can’t be expected to do everything yourself. Ask for help when it comes to shopping and decorating, as well as other tasks.

• Get enough sleep: You shouldn’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep, as well as daily down time. Take a nap, take time for yourself, reenergize and relax. Your body will thank you for it.

“If you feel chest pain or think you are having a heart attack, call 911 or seek emergency care right away,” said Dr. Sama. “Don’t postpone treatment because you don’t want to spoil the holidays. In the meantime, take care of yourself now, and reduce that stress .”

ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.

Macs are great for beginners, because the basics are easy. The challenge comes when you want OS X to do things your way. For Mac users who want to travel beyond the basics,Master Your Mac (No Starch Press, November 2012, 424 pp., $29.95, ISBN 9781593274061) is here to help.

“The great thing about OS X is that a complete beginner can turn on a new Mac and start surfing the web in less than five minutes,” says author Matt Cone. “But things get tricky after that. How do you connect another monitor or create new trackpad gestures? I wrote Master Your Mac to teach people how to do things in OS X that they didn’t even know were possible.”

Master Your Mac takes users to the next level with tutorials on how to change hidden defaults, enable undocumented features, repair disk permissions to improve performance, monitor their systems, and even create a bootable USB drive for emergencies. Readers will also learn how to:

• Automate tasks with AppleScript, triggers, and Automator macros
• Handle massive amounts of email and media with synced accounts and spam filters
• Turn their Macs into a file or Web server
• Create Safari extensions and use site-specific browsers
• Secure their Macs with firmware passwords, firewalls, FileVault full-disk encryption
• Install the best apps to boost productivity and fix everyday annoyances

Sure, anyone can use a Mac fresh out of its pretty packaging, but that’s no fun. Master Your Mac promises to teach readers to customize their machines to make them work their way.