How to Help Children Problem Solve
Encouraging children to think independently and facilitating problem-solving activities help develop these skills early and teach children how to tackle life's challenges successfully. Solving problems requires time and practice, but can provide long-term cognitive flexibility and increased confidence when taught to children at a young age. By following a few guiding principles, you can teach your child the skills he/she will need to problem-solve independently.
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Instructions
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Help Children Problem Solve
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Model the problem-solving process for your child by talking through your thought process as you deal with everyday situations. Break complex problems down into smaller parts that your child can understand.
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Talk about ideas and approaches to hypothetical situations. Discuss news events, storybook plots, and friends' situations with your child, and ask him what he would do at various decision points.
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Create an environment that views problem-solving as a positive experience. Maintain a positive attitude and demonstrate the fun possibilities that can arise when generating solutions. Emphasize the positive in each attempt to problem-solve with phrases such as, "Now we know what doesn't work!" and "The solution to this problem will be exciting when we find it!"
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Facilitate brainstorming so your child develops her own ideas and potential solutions. Encourage her to create more than one possible solution before she chooses a response. Partner with your child in writing out "mind maps" and idea lists in order to brainstorm possible solutions, and select one to try.
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Ask open-ended questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer, such as, "How could we try to open this jar?" Follow up with non-judgmental questions that illicit more in-depth thinking, such as, "If it's not safe to break open, what kind of motions can we try on the lid?"
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Provide plenty of unstructured play time where your child can encounter challenges and practice solving problems solo, such as peg board play or lego toy construction. Create a safe environment where your child can make mistakes without repercussion or fear of being wrong. Remind him that mistakes will help him in his learning process.
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Tips & Warnings
Never verbally abuse a child when you are attempting to teach him to problem-solve.
