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PreschoolWhat We Saw: A child wanted to make a picture with the pegboard like the one on the box. The child became frustrated because she could not push the pegs in place by herself, so the teacher helped her. The child counted the number of pegs in the picture, "1,2,3,4,5,6". The teacher asked the child how many are already in the pegboard. The child answered "four". The teacher asked her, "How many more do we need?" The child counted 6 on the picture. The teacher counted and held up 6 fingers and said, "We need six. We have four. 1,2,3,4" as she put down fingers, leaving two fingers up. Then she said, "How many more do we need?" The child said, "1,2 – We need two more". The child handed the teacher two more pegs. What It Means: A key teaching role for parents and early childhood educators is to provide a setting rich in possibilities for solving problems. Often, parents and teachers solve problems that could be solved by children themselves if given the time and opportunity. Children gain a great deal when adults model problem-solving strategies and dispositions. Disposition is more than just a positive attitude. An effective problem solver perseveres, focuses attention, remains flexible and exhibits self-regulation. |
PreschoolWhat We Saw: One child came into the classroom to help set the table for lunch while the other children were outside. The child asked the teacher how many children were at school today. The teacher said each child's name and counted as she said each name. Then she asked the child to add 3 places for the teachers. The teacher asked the child, "what do we need to set the table?" The child started setting the table and then stopped and asked the teacher whether they needed forks or spoons today. The teacher read the menu to the child and then asked him whether he thought forks or spoons would be better for this meal. What It Means: Notice how this teacher uses every chance to encourage children to think, reason, question and experiment. The teacher took a simple task of setting the table and turned it into a lesson in math concepts by counting the children and then telling the child to add three places for the teachers. When the child asked a question, she did not give a simple answer but gave the child a strategy and more information (check the menu) so that he could solve the problem himself. Because this child has a great teacher, he is learning to reason and to be more independent. More Reasoning & Problem Solving Skills Promising Practices |
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