Promoting Social
Emotional Competence
Promoting Children’s
Success: Social Emotional
Problem Solving Skills
Adapted for Kindergarten-Grade 1 from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
by Genetta Gross, Margret Thorstenson, Melissa Binkley & Elizabeth Vorhaus
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Learning to Problem Solve
• Problem solving is a difficult task (even for
adults!).
• Research has demonstrated that young
children are cognitively capable to learn
problem solving.
• Problem solving can
be taught step-by-step.
Problem Solving Steps
Step 2
Would it be safe?
Would it be fair?
How would everyone feel?
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Identify the Problem
• Teach children to pay attention to their feelings as the
first step in problem solving.
• Identifying a negative emotion is a cue that there is a problem.
• After the problem has been identified, children
describe the problem.
• Problems should be reframed into
“I statements”
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Generate Solutions
• Children need to learn how to generate
multiple solutions to problems.
• Sample solutions could be:
• Get a teacher; Ask nicely; Ignore; Play; Say, “Please
stop”; Say, “Please”; Share; Trade; Wait and take
turns
• The key is teaching children to generate as
many solutions as possible,
rather than just one “correct” solution.
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The Solution Kit
• Get a teacher
• Ask nicely
• Ignore
• Play
• Say, “Please stop.”
• Say, “Please.”
• Share
• Trade toys/item
• Wait and take turns
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Consequences
• Once children have learned the problem solving steps
and begin to generate solutions, the next phase is
learning that solutions have consequences.
• When learning to evaluate solutions starts with the
child asking:
• Is it safe?
• Is it fair?
• How would everyone feel?
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Try It Out!
• Once a solution has been selected, children should
try it.
• Not every solution will work.
• Children can try other solutions they have generated
• They may need to return to Step 2 and generate more
solutions
Handout 7 & 8
Problem-Solving Activities
• Problematize everything
• “We have 6 kids at the snack table and only
one apple. We have a problem. Does
anyone have a solution?”
• Play “What would you do if…?”
• Children make their own “solution kits”
• Children offer solutions to problems that occur
in children’s stories
Dealing with Common Peer
Problems
• Teaching alternative responses to being
teased, bullied, or yelled at
• Teaching children to speak up when
something is bothering them, “please stop”
• Teaching children to be good ignorers (using a
teasing shield)
• Teaching aggressors skills to initiate play and
to feel sorry
Teasing Shield
Purpose:
• To teach children how to ignore inappropriate
behavior
• To teach children how to initiate play
appropriately
Materials:
• Puppet for pre-teaching use of teasing shield
• Shield printed on card stock with a handle
taped to back
• Various art supplies to decorate front
Stages of Learning
• Using a puppet, demonstrate how the shield works:
When someone is saying something mean to you, you
can put up your shield and ignore them. Demonstrate
how to initiate play and feel sorry
• Introduce art activity, decorating shields with names,
markers, stickers, glitter, etc
• Practice using shield in context of classroom, with
shield and without shield
• Reinforce use of shield skills in natural contexts. This
includes noticing and labeling as well as supporting
children in using this technique successfully
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Activity: Problem Solving Lesson Plan
• With your co-teachers, discuss how you will
introduce problem solving skills to your
classroom.
• Think about:
• How will you define problem solving?
• How will you demonstrate problem solving?
• How will you help your students practice the problem
solving steps and solutions?
• Use the Action Plan to develop next steps.
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Questions?