This document summarizes information about problem solving with children. It discusses using open-ended questions to encourage conversation and problem solving. Some common open-ended question phrases are provided, such as "what would happen if..." and "how did you...". The document also provides examples of open-ended questions and discusses how they can be used to classify objects and encourage divergent thinking. It recommends allowing children to discover things at center time and provides steps and strategies for problem solving, including considering safety, fairness and feelings.

1. Problem Solving with
Children
Angela Searcy, M.S. and Tyln Sumerset
Simple Solutions Educational Services
www.overtherainbowsimplesolutions.com
asearcya@aol.com
708-845-2343/866-660-3899

2. 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

3. Problem Solving Tool kit
Simple Solutions Educational Services© 2010 asearcya@aol.com 866-660-3899

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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?”

7. 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…?

8. 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...

9. What Do You Remember???

10. Let children Discover new things at
Center Time

11. Is Your Solution….
•Safe?
•Fair?
•How will everyone feel?
Simple Solutions Educational Services© 2010 asearcya@aol.com 866-660-3899

12. Simple Solutions Adaptation at Ezzard
Charles Montessori

14. People who
fly into a
rage always
make a bad
landing.
Simple Solutions Educational Services© 2010 asearcya@aol.com 866-660-3899

16. 3 Before Me
1. Think to myself
2. Check the direction chart.
3. Ask a Classmate
If you still need help clip your name to the chart for teacher help.

17. HSCI Curriculum Modifications Module
Environmental Support

20. Problem Solving Steps
Step 2
Would it be safe?
Would it be fair?
How would everyone feel?

22. The Solution Kit
28

23. Logan Square!!

24. What is CSEFEL?
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations
for Early Learning
www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel
A Federally Funded Center Focused on Improving the Social Emotional
Outcomes of Children Birth to Age Five.
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

26. Anger Scale
Difficulties What Does it Look Like ? How Does it make you
Feel?
5 Screaming, throwing, Hot, see red
cursing
4 Walking away-but adult or Trying to calm myself,
student won’t let me sweating, getting hot
3 Yelling Getting mad, body tight
2 Arguing –but calm Getting frustrated
1 Try to ignore the problem- Ok -cool
don’t respond

27. Turtle Technique
Recognize
“Think”
that you
Stop.
feel angry.
Go into shell. Come out
Take 3 deep of shell
breathes. when calm
And think and think of
calm, coping a solution.
thoughts.

28. Centers!
Turtle Box
19

31. What is Conscious Discipline for
Educators?
www.consciousdiscipline.com
Conscious Discipline is a comprehensive self-regulation
program that integrates social-emotional learning and
discipline.