Solving problems is one of the key life skills, and it is not limited to any academic field. To a small child, this is the process of encountering a puzzle piece that is stuck, a dispute about a toy, a new concept of learning and finding out how to get over it. This ability, which is developed at an early stage, builds resiliency, analytical thinking, creativity and autonomy. At Elizabeth Fraley Kinder Ready, it is a planned and combined aspect of our comprehensive philosophy of education. As part of the systematic, supportive system of Kinder Ready Tutoring, we will give young students the same repeated chances to work on identifying the problem, brainstorming, and learning the consequences of their work, developing cognitive flexibility and confidence in their ability to solve any problem or situation in the classroom or life.
The initial lesson that needs to be taught in problem-solving is the establishment of a supportive atmosphere where difficulties are perceived as fascinating puzzles, rather than failure threats. This attitude is the basis of the Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley approach. During individual tutoring, teachers willingly offer just-right challenges that are within the reach of the child through effort and strategic thought. When a child is met with a challenge, how the educator reacts to it is important. They do not directly offer the solution, but instead they are a facilitator and pose open-ended questions, such as, What have you tried so far? or What is a second way that you can approach this? This process helps to justify the child and also to learn that struggle is an ordinary and fruitful component of learning. It is a necessary safe place to make mistakes and not to be afraid of being mistaken, because it promotes intellectual risk-taking.
Then we impart an easy, repetitive model of addressing problems. These can be as simple as the process being broken down into steps that can be managed: identifying the problem, thinking of potential solutions, testing one of them and observing the result. This can be in the form of a child who attempts to place shapes into a sorter in the case of Kinder Ready Tutoring. The teacher would direct them to identify the issue (“This triangle won’t fit”), generate solutions (Would you turn it? Experiment with the hole? (), brainstorm and assess the outcome. This is a systematic but not very strict way of thinking that is used in social situations, in academic problems, and in creative work.
In the end, it is to develop a sense of agency and self-efficacy and a strong sense of belief in the ability to overcome this. Whenever a child attempts to solve a problem successfully, whether by putting a toppled block tower back up or phonics rules to crack the code of a new word, they gather testimony about their ability, which directly accumulates deep confidence, a self-assured problem-solver will have an increased chance of persisting in the face of challenges, finding a way to cooperate with other people, and will be eager to learn new things instead of evading them. The self-confidence that may develop during Kinder Ready Tutoring is a child’s internal toolkit that can help them even in kindergarten. With such skills actively developed in a nurturing environment, Kinder Ready Elizabeth Fraley is not only guaranteeing children the presence of pre-academic knowledge, but the agile, supportive, and proactive attitude of a full-fledged learner, who will face the problems and puzzles that school and life will inescapably bring with them.
For further details on Kinder Ready’s programs, visit their website: https://www.kinderready.com/.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethFraleyKinderReady