In need of a resource for teaching problem-solving to your preschool students? Look no further, download our free preschool problem-solving activity!
Teaching Problem-Solving to Preschool Students
You can successfully teach problem-solving to your preschoolers using Everyday Speech’s free problem-solving activity! Problem-solving is a goal that pulls together multiple cognitive skills used in order to aid in decision-making and promote independence. New thinking pathways are created as early learners practice a series of steps to identify and analyze the problem, determine if there is a need for help, devise logical solutions, and use critical thinking skills to choose the best, safest solution.
Lesson Plan – Using Your Free Problem-Solving Activity
1. Introduce the Problem-Solving Steps
Before using our free problem-solving activity with your student, introduce the problem-solving steps. The five problem-solving steps become a mental checklist that learners can use to solve their problems without needing an adult’s assistance. The problem-solving steps are: identify the problem, decide if you need help, come up with possible solutions, choose the best solution, and evaluate if the problem is solved.
2. Practice Using the Problem-Solving Steps
Provide your student with the opportunity to apply the problem-solving steps by giving them 2-3 hypothetical age-appropriate problems they need to solve. Help them work through the 5 problem-solving steps to find the best solution!
3. Use Our Free Preschool Problem-Solving Activity
Our free preschool problem-solving activity called ‘My Problem-Solving Toolbox’ provides your students with the opportunity to explore different problem-solving strategies by picking 3 ‘tools’ to add to their toolbox! These problem-solving tools include: saying the problem out loud, thinking of two solutions, asking for help, using I-Feel words, taking a deep breath, or taking a break. There is often not a ‘one-size fits all’ solution to all of the problems our students may face, so returning to some of these tools whenever they are faced with a problem in need of solving will help with successfully navigating the issue!
Sample Preschool Problem-Solving Video:
This sample preschool video on problem-solving is s great enhancement to this lesson! Everyday Speech provides real-life scenarios as age-appropriate actors model new skills. We offer a 30-day free trial for all of our social skills materials!
Related Blog Posts:
The Whole-Child Approach and Why it Matters
Free Elementary Problem-Solving Material
Free High School Problem-Solving Material
