Introduction

Teaching elementary students problem-solving skills is an essential aspect of their education. Solve It is a game designed to help students develop these skills in a fun and engaging manner. By guiding students through a series of steps, they learn to identify problems, evaluate their severity, brainstorm solutions, and assess their effectiveness. This blog post will explore the concept of Solve It, provide a no-prep activity for educators, and offer discussion questions and related skills to further enhance students’ problem-solving abilities.

No-Prep Activity

Here’s a simple, no-prep activity to help your students practice problem-solving using the steps of Solve It:

1. Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students.
2. Present a common, age-appropriate problem to each group (e.g., a student forgot their lunch at home or a classmate is feeling left out during recess).
3. Give the students a few minutes to discuss the problem and work through the steps of Solve It together:
• Identify the problem
• Figure out how big the problem is
• Think of possible solutions to the problem
• Pick a solution
• Try that solution and then reassess it
4. After each group has had a chance to work through the problem, bring the class together and have each group share their problem, solution, and any additional insights they gained during the activity.

Discussion Questions

After completing the Solve It activity, use these discussion questions to foster further conversation and reflection:

1. How did your group decide on the best solution to your problem? What factors did you consider?
2. Were there any solutions that you thought would work, but after discussing with your group, decided against? Why?
3. How does working through the steps of Solve It help you approach problem-solving in a more structured way?
4. Can you think of a time when you encountered a problem outside of school and used similar steps to solve it? How did that experience compare to using Solve It?
5. How do you think improving your problem-solving skills can help you in your everyday life, both now and in the future?

Related Skills

In addition to problem-solving, working through the Solve It activity can help students develop other valuable skills, such as:

• Communication: Effectively conveying one’s thoughts and ideas during group discussions.
• Collaboration: Working together to brainstorm solutions and evaluate their effectiveness.
• Empathy: Considering the feelings and perspectives of others when solving interpersonal problems.
• Resilience: Learning to remain persistent and adapt when a solution doesn’t work as expected.
• Critical thinking: Evaluating the pros and cons of various solutions before selecting the best option.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned about the Solve It game and its benefits in teaching problem-solving skills to elementary students, it’s time to explore more resources to further enhance your students’ learning experience. To access free sample materials and discover additional skills to support your students’ growth, visit Everyday Speech’s sample materials page. By incorporating these resources into your curriculum, you’ll be better equipped to foster a positive and supportive learning environment for your students.