Teaching Kids to Solve Problems

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When my son was two years old, he and I read the book, The Question Song by Kaethe Zemach. This book teaches kids to solve everyday problems. My son found it interesting because it contains repetition, rhythm, and rhyming words. One Scenario in the book reads…

“My train is broken! What are we going to do? My train is broken! What are we going to do?”

“We’ll fix your train and make it strong. Then off you go, chugging along! That’s what we will do!”

The book shows a picture of a little boy holding a wheel that is detached from his train. Then the boy and his mother fix the train with a hammer and nail. The book also addresses other problems such as injuries and selfishness. As a teacher or a parent, you can incorporate these principals at home or in the classroom. Below is an example of the time I applied this concept with my son. One day, my son spilled milk on his shirt. Instead of cleaning the milk and getting another shirt immediately, the following happened… ME: What are we going to do? MY SON: My shirt is wet. ME:  Should we leave the shirt on? MY SON: We should take it off. (We took off the shirt.) ME: What should we do now? MY SON: (Looks confused) ME: Let’s go to your room and get another… MY SON: Shirt!  (We put on the shirt and went to where the milk was spilled.) ME: We have a problem, there is milk on the floor. What are we going to do? MY SON:  We will clean it up! ME: What do we need to clean the milk? MY SON: A Towel! (We used a towel dampened with water to clean the milk up.) This helps kids learn to think and solve problems. Next time your child or students have a problem, ask them “What are you going to do?” Allow them to think and solve the problem. The more they practice, the better they will become. Happy Problem Solving!!!! OUR KID FRIENDLY FAST & FUN STUDY TRICKS FOR BETTER GRADES: 9 FUN STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN LEARNING AND SCHOOL HAS $29 OFF THE ORIGINAL PRICE. Our books are available on Amazon, “Teach Your Toddler to Read Through Play,” “Fun Easy Ways to Teach Your Toddler to Write, and “Teach Your Child About Money Through Play.” THE TEACH YOUR TODDLER TO READ THROUGH PLAY ONLINE COURSE HAS A $97 DISCOUNT. Click here for the PAYMENT PLAN OPTION! Get the password for the library with Tips and Tools for Accelerated and Fun Learning for kids by completing this form. Once you press the SUBSCRIBE button, we will send you an email with the password. Then go to SOY Resource Library and enter the password.