Problem Solving with Children

Angela Searcy, M.S. and Tyln Sumerset

Simple Solutions Educational Services

www.overtherainbowsimplesolutions.com

asearcya@aol.com708-845-2343/866-660-3899

Developed by: Angela Searcy

Presented by: Lyn Sumerset

• Talyn Sumerset, M.A., Talyn also holds a B.A. degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Illinois and is a Doctorial (Psy.D) candidate at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Clinical Psychology, Specialization in Counseling with a concentration in child and adolescent psychology.

• A former research associate at the Illinois Institute for Juvenile Research, Talyn’s research contributions have revolved primarily around the impact of home visitation in disadvantage communities. Talyn has a wealth of experience working as a patients’ aid coordinator, case management, parent educator, mental health and as a child development specialist.

Simple Solutions For School Success! 1-866-660-3899 www.overtherainbowsimplesolutions.com asearcya@aol.com

Problem Solving Tool kit

Simple Solutions Educational Services© 2010 asearcya@aol.com 866-660-3899

What do Open-Ended Questions Do?

• By incorporating these phrases into their thinking and talking, you will be able to have richer and more varied conversations with your children.

• Open-ended questions don’t have right and wrong answers. They invite children to express their own ideas in their own words. These questions signal to children that their opinion counts, and you would like to hear what they think.

• Open-ended questions encourage children to recall what they’ve done and to practice talking about it. Children love to explain to an interested adult how they did something. These questions help them share how they accomplished something, what happened, why things came out the way they did, and how they felt. The conversation is all about what really interests the children.

What Do Open-Ended Questions Do?• Open-ended questions can produce more than one kind of response.

Asking questions can encourage children to become even more involved in their

activities, or they can produce an extended conversation. It encourages the children to use their imaginations, to think a little differently about what they are doing, and to respond in whatever way they like.

• When a child is beginning a task you can ask, “I wonder what you’re going to do with these blocks?” This encourages the child to plan ahead and talk about it.

• Open-ended questions can be used to help teach children to solve problems. Questions like, “Tell me, what is it you want to do here?” “What else might work?” encourage children to clarify their ideas and generate alternatives. “What do you think will happen?” and “Well, that’s a good idea. I wonder what would happen if you tried it?” are questions that send the message, “You’re in charge and I’m interested in how you’re going to do that.” They encourage children to follow through on their own ideas, test them, discover what works, and talk about them

Examples

• "How are these two things alike and how are they different?“

• "Can you put the pictures of living things in one pile and the pictures of things that are not alive in another?“

• "Can you put the things found in the woods in one pile and the things found in the sea in another?”

Common Phrases• Asking open-ended questions can be an effective way to encourage conversation. Skilled

adults ask open-ended questions that encourage children to explore new possibilities, clarify their thinking, and solve problems. They ask questions that encourage children to talk and share ideas.

• Learn to ask open-ended questions by becoming familiar with some of the most common ways to phrase them:

• What would happen if…? • I wonder…? • What do you suppose…? • In what way…? • How did that happen…? • What do you think…? • Tell me about…? • What would you do…? • How can we…? • How did you…?

Divergent Questions…

• A teacher can ask divergent questions to elicit many different answers.

• Imagine... • Suppose... • Predict... • If..., then... • How might... • Can you create... • What are some of the possible consequences... • What if...

What Do You Remember???

Let children Discover new things at Center Time

Is Your Solution….•Safe?•Fair? •How will everyone feel?

Simple Solutions Educational Services© 2010 asearcya@aol.com 866-660-3899

Simple Solutions Adaptation at Ezzard Charles Montessori

People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.

Simple Solutions Educational Services© 2010 asearcya@aol.com 866-660-3899

3 Before Me

1. Think to myself2. Check the direction chart.

3. Ask a ClassmateIf you still need help clip your name to the chart for teacher help.

Environmental Support

HSCI Curriculum Modifications Module

Would it be safe?Would it be fair?How would everyone feel?

Problem Solving Steps

Step 2

The Solution Kit

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Logan Square!!

What is CSEFEL?The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning

www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel

Partners:• Vanderbilt University• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign• University of Colorado at Denver• University of South Florida• ZERO to THREE• Georgetown Center for Child and Human Development

A Federally Funded Center Focused on Improving the Social Emotional Outcomes of Children Birth to Age Five.

Anger ScaleDifficulties What Does it Look Like ? How Does it make you

Feel?

5 Screaming, throwing, cursing

Hot, see red

4 Walking away-but adult or student won’t let me

Trying to calm myself, sweating, getting hot

3 Yelling Getting mad, body tight

2 Arguing –but calm Getting frustrated

1 Try to ignore the problem-don’t respond

Ok -cool

Turtle Technique

Recognize

that you

feel angry.

“Think”

Stop.

Go into shell. Take 3 deep breathes. And think calm, coping thoughts.

Come out of shell when calm and think of a solution.

Centers!

Turtle Box

19

What is Conscious Discipline for Educators? www.consciousdiscipline.com

Conscious Discipline is a comprehensive self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning and discipline.