Empowering Preschoolers: Teaching Problem-Solving Skills and Building Confidence

Day 6, and we’re learning how to solve our own problems. We’re also talking about our last two class rules. Be honest and be safe. I start off the lesson by talking about why it’s important to be honest and tell the truth, and then how my number one job is to keep them safe at school, and they need to help me with this. We’re going to read two books about problem solving. A big guy took my ball, and then the social story, talk and work it out. These books are fantastic, but they’re a little bit too long for preschoolers, so I actually took and highlighted the words that I want to read. I’m learning to get along with lots of people. Sometimes I don’t agree with a person. It’s okay to have different ideas. But if something really bothers me, I can choose to work things out. I can stop and take a big breath to calm myself. I can take time to think about what to do. I can look at the person and tell them how I feel. I tell my students that they are big kids now, and they can solve their own problems. Each student gets a puppet, and we sing this song together. If you’re a problem solver, say please stop. If you’re a problem solver, say please stop. Problem Solver, say please stop. So I explicitly teach students that when I say, puppets down, their puppets are going to be In their lap. And if they don’t follow this direction, they lose their puppet. While their puppets are in their lap, I’m explaining each problem solving skill. And then I say, puppets up. And it’s time to act it out and sing the song. If you’re a problem solver, say, please stop. If you’re a problem solver, say, please stop. If a. If a problem has you stuck? Here’s how to change your luck. If you’re a problem solver, say, please stop. Please stop. I don’t like that. You wanna try it? Yeah. If you’re a problem solver, say, please stop. If a problem has you stuck? How to change your luck. If you’re a problem solver, say, please stop. Please stop. I don’t like that. I don’t like that. Good job, buddy. I want to do like that. We’re going to do that for our lesson today. Does that sound fun? Yeah. Okay. We’re gonna learn how to solve our own problems. I want to do