Whether you have a four-year-old working on a new puzzle, or an 11-year-old working on difficult math problems, there are effective ways to support the problem solving process. Your tone, words, intensity and approach are all important. Overall, the goal should be the child becoming a more independent problem solver. Here are several tips to … Continue reading How to Encourage Kids to be Independent Problem Solvers
When your child is challenged by a new problem, the idea is to remind them of what they already know and build from there. This can help make the task seem more manageable and provide a familiar strategy. Let’s say your child has mastered 25 piece puzzles, and they are starting on a 60 piece puzzle … Continue reading Best New Learning Builds on Previous Knowledge
The theme this week is working through problem solving with your children. Our third guideline is ‘corrections shouldn’t feel like corrections.’ This guideline is easier to follow with younger children. When a two-year-old says, “I need a ram-baid,” we don’t tend to correct in a heavy way such as, “no, you said that wrong! It … Continue reading Corrections Shouldn’t Feel Like Corrections
Continuing the theme of helping children become independent problem solvers, give hints and suggestions not outright answers. A few examples: When your first graders asks, “mommy, how do you spell elephant?” Avoid spelling it for them. Give hints and suggestions for how they can spell it. You might offer to help them learn to look … Continue reading Give Hints and Suggestions Not Answers
Whether your four-year-old is working on a hard puzzle, or your fourth grader is struggling through math homework, when they ask for your help, start by asking them how they would like to be helped. If you swoop in and give them your brand of helping, you may be doing too much, which discourages independent … Continue reading Ask Them How They Want to Be Helped
Goal setting is identifying the successful endpoint of a plan. We talk about goal setting in our Look, Listen and Learn classes each week and then follow up to help children identify success as they play. Goal setting is easy to incorporate in daily life. Talk with children about the task at hand and what … Continue reading Teach Children Goal Setting
Scaffolding is how you approach problem solving with your child. Think about a four-year-old who is struggling with a new type of puzzle or a nine-year-old plodding through difficult math homework. Scaffolding is the language you use to help them through the problem solving process; it is your approach. Here, it becomes important to realize … Continue reading Scaffolding – How We Approach Problem Solving
Parenting by Dr. Rene 