This is what we want our preschoolers to be: a problem solver! Often, when crisis erupts in the classroom, teachers ask questions like, "How can we solve the problem?" "What are your ideas?" "Would you like help solving that problem?"
When the child is able to delay gratification, consider another's perspective, formulate a solution that is fair and safe... then they are developing both social-emotional and critical thinking skills, not to mention the language skills to explain a problem and idea to solve it. With time and practice, the child will need to rely less on the adult and more on self to problem solve socially with peers.
But... helping young children problem solve doesn't always go as smoothly as the book or poster seems to imply. After two years of calmly approaching children, helping them negotiate, work through problems, sometimes it just. didn't. work.
I felt like it was because the child might be so upset that they couldn't focus on my words, rise above the intense feelings they were experiencing, to think at a higher level and solve a problem. I was in the trenches with the kids everyday, and I wanted them to be able to self-regulate and talk through problems with their friends. What to do? I created the Problem Solving Basket... and it literally transformed the classroom! I've used it every year since then.
I introduce the Problem Solving Basket to my class during Large Group times often in the beginning of the year. Teachers will role play with each other, and then include children, to practice problem-solving. Usually when children fight over a toy, there are three ways to solve a problem: share (both use it at the same time), trade toys, or take turns with a timer (the child who had it first gets to finish his/her turn). We demonstrate what each card looks like and sounds like,
- "Let's do this idea! We can share and both use it together!"
- "I'm not done. You can have it next."
- "Can I have the red car? You can have this blue one that I have."
Why does the basket work?
- The children literally have to step away from the problem to go get the basket. This gives a few seconds to calm down.
- The children can focus visually on the symbols of the cards (stick figure pictures) and on an adult's voice, so understanding the solutions is enhanced.
- It feels like a game: which card do we choose?
- Even young children who cannot fully explain their ideas can point to the card that they want to use in problem solving, and an adult can scaffold the language gap.
**Sometimes the basket has even had hand puppets, or dice. You can create the basket to suit your children's needs. If a child is upset, communicating with a puppet sometimes helps bridge the gap between feeling and thinking and words. Older children might like the enhanced feature of rolling the dice: the person who gets the biggest number gets it. Do what you want that works!**
We have created Problem Solving cards for apologizing, using an indoor voice, or using manners (saying please). We've used an "Ignore" card to help children remember to focus on the teacher instead of a child who is looking for attention with disruptive behaviors.
Basically, there is beauty in the simplicity, flexibility, and efficiency of the basket! The children learn to solve problems and learn the social dialogue of problem solving much more quickly when using this tool, than when they didn't. Soon, they don't need the basket to prompt them; they problem-solve on their own! :)
