Anne Pflaum's List: Problem Solving

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  Ann Barbour

   

  Professor of early childhood education

     

  It’s never too young for a child to start learning about problem solving. Your child is already solving problems everyday as she tries to figure out how to do things by herself. Sometimes adults don’t recognize children’s efforts in, say, trying to put on shoes by themselves, or stacking blocks to make a tower that won’t fall down as problem solving. But these trial-and-error processes and the persistence kids show as they try to do these kinds of things for themselves are exactly what we want to encourage to help them develop problem-solving skills
• en know that you have confidence in their abilities to figure things out for themselves and as they do, be enthusiastic about their efforts and help them take pride in their own abilities. Saying “Wow! You figured that out all by yourself!” reinforces their sense of accomplishment. And if you describe what kids actually did to solve a problem (for example, “It was a good idea to use that long block to make a bridge over that river.”) rather than simply saying “good job,” you’re not only telling them you value what they did, you’re encouraging them to think
• How you offer help depends on their stage of development. Sometimes giving them different materials (like child-size scissors) can make things easier for them. Other times, asking questions to encourage them to think about problems in different ways (What do you think you could try next? What would happen if . . . ?) can guide them in discovering solutions and encourage their persistence. You’ll also be able to see when kids are tired or distracted and you’ll realize that it’s better for them to leave things and come back to them later.
  

1 more annotation...

• But children make mistakes, and when they do, it's vital that parents remember that the educational benefits of consequences are a gift, not a dereliction of duty.