problem solving techniques teach

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Teaching problem solving.

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Tips and Techniques

Expert vs. novice problem solvers, communicate.

• Have students  identify specific problems, difficulties, or confusions . Don’t waste time working through problems that students already understand.
• If students are unable to articulate their concerns, determine where they are having trouble by  asking them to identify the specific concepts or principles associated with the problem.
• In a one-on-one tutoring session, ask the student to  work his/her problem out loud . This slows down the thinking process, making it more accurate and allowing you to access understanding.
• When working with larger groups you can ask students to provide a written “two-column solution.” Have students write up their solution to a problem by putting all their calculations in one column and all of their reasoning (in complete sentences) in the other column. This helps them to think critically about their own problem solving and helps you to more easily identify where they may be having problems. Two-Column Solution (Math) Two-Column Solution (Physics)

Encourage Independence

• Model the problem solving process rather than just giving students the answer. As you work through the problem, consider how a novice might struggle with the concepts and make your thinking clear
• Have students work through problems on their own. Ask directing questions or give helpful suggestions, but  provide only minimal assistance and only when needed to overcome obstacles.
• Don’t fear  group work ! Students can frequently help each other, and talking about a problem helps them think more critically about the steps needed to solve the problem. Additionally, group work helps students realize that problems often have multiple solution strategies, some that might be more effective than others

Be sensitive

• Frequently, when working problems, students are unsure of themselves. This lack of confidence may hamper their learning. It is important to recognize this when students come to us for help, and to give each student some feeling of mastery. Do this by providing  positive reinforcement to let students know when they have mastered a new concept or skill.

Encourage Thoroughness and Patience

• Try to communicate that  the process is more important than the answer so that the student learns that it is OK to not have an instant solution. This is learned through your acceptance of his/her pace of doing things, through your refusal to let anxiety pressure you into giving the right answer, and through your example of problem solving through a step-by step process.

Experts (teachers) in a particular field are often so fluent in solving problems from that field that they can find it difficult to articulate the problem solving principles and strategies they use to novices (students) in their field because these principles and strategies are second nature to the expert. To teach students problem solving skills,  a teacher should be aware of principles and strategies of good problem solving in his or her discipline .

The mathematician George Polya captured the problem solving principles and strategies he used in his discipline in the book  How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method (Princeton University Press, 1957). The book includes  a summary of Polya’s problem solving heuristic as well as advice on the teaching of problem solving.

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Why Every Educator Needs to Teach Problem-Solving Skills

Strong problem-solving skills will help students be more resilient and will increase their academic and career success .

Want to learn more about how to measure and teach students’ higher-order skills, including problem solving, critical thinking, and written communication?

Problem-solving skills are essential in school, careers, and life.

Problem-solving skills are important for every student to master. They help individuals navigate everyday life and find solutions to complex issues and challenges. These skills are especially valuable in the workplace, where employees are often required to solve problems and make decisions quickly and effectively.

Problem-solving skills are also needed for students’ personal growth and development because they help individuals overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. By developing strong problem-solving skills, students can improve their overall quality of life and become more successful in their personal and professional endeavors.

Problem-Solving Skills Help Students…

   develop resilience.

Problem-solving skills are an integral part of resilience and the ability to persevere through challenges and adversity. To effectively work through and solve a problem, students must be able to think critically and creatively. Critical and creative thinking help students approach a problem objectively, analyze its components, and determine different ways to go about finding a solution.  

This process in turn helps students build self-efficacy . When students are able to analyze and solve a problem, this increases their confidence, and they begin to realize the power they have to advocate for themselves and make meaningful change.

When students gain confidence in their ability to work through problems and attain their goals, they also begin to build a growth mindset . According to leading resilience researcher, Carol Dweck, “in a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”

    Set and Achieve Goals

Students who possess strong problem-solving skills are better equipped to set and achieve their goals. By learning how to identify problems, think critically, and develop solutions, students can become more self-sufficient and confident in their ability to achieve their goals. Additionally, problem-solving skills are used in virtually all fields, disciplines, and career paths, which makes them important for everyone. Building strong problem-solving skills will help students enhance their academic and career performance and become more competitive as they begin to seek full-time employment after graduation or pursue additional education and training.

  Resolve Conflicts

In addition to increased social and emotional skills like self-efficacy and goal-setting, problem-solving skills teach students how to cooperate with others and work through disagreements and conflicts. Problem-solving promotes “thinking outside the box” and approaching a conflict by searching for different solutions. This is a very different (and more effective!) method than a more stagnant approach that focuses on placing blame or getting stuck on elements of a situation that can’t be changed.

While it’s natural to get frustrated or feel stuck when working through a conflict, students with strong problem-solving skills will be able to work through these obstacles, think more rationally, and address the situation with a more solution-oriented approach. These skills will be valuable for students in school, their careers, and throughout their lives.

    Achieve Success

We are all faced with problems every day. Problems arise in our personal lives, in school and in our jobs, and in our interactions with others. Employers especially are looking for candidates with strong problem-solving skills. In today’s job market, most jobs require the ability to analyze and effectively resolve complex issues. Students with strong problem-solving skills will stand out from other applicants and will have a more desirable skill set.

In a recent opinion piece published by The Hechinger Report , Virgel Hammonds, Chief Learning Officer at KnowledgeWorks, stated “Our world presents increasingly complex challenges. Education must adapt so that it nurtures problem solvers and critical thinkers.” Yet, the “traditional K–12 education system leaves little room for students to engage in real-world problem-solving scenarios.” This is the reason that a growing number of K–12 school districts and higher education institutions are transforming their instructional approach to personalized and competency-based learning, which encourage students to make decisions, problem solve and think critically as they take ownership of and direct their educational journey.

Problem-Solving Skills Can Be Measured and Taught

Research shows that problem-solving skills can be measured and taught. One effective method is through performance-based assessments which require students to demonstrate or apply their knowledge and higher-order skills to create a response or product or do a task.

What Are Performance-Based Assessments?

With the No Child Left Behind Act (2002), the use of standardized testing became the primary way to measure student learning in the U.S. The legislative requirements of this act shifted the emphasis to standardized testing, and this led to a  decline in nontraditional testing methods .

But   many educators, policy makers, and parents have concerns with standardized tests. Some of the top issues include that they don’t provide feedback on how students can perform better, they don’t value creativity, they are not representative of diverse populations, and they can be disadvantageous to lower-income students.

While standardized tests are still the norm, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is encouraging states and districts to move away from traditional multiple choice and short response tests and instead use performance-based assessment, competency-based assessments, and other more authentic methods of measuring students abilities and skills rather than rote learning. 

Performance-based assessments  measure whether students can apply the skills and knowledge learned from a unit of study. Typically, a performance task challenges students to use their higher-order skills to complete a project or process. Tasks can range from an essay to a complex proposal or design.

Preview a Performance-Based Assessment

Want a closer look at how performance-based assessments work?  Preview CAE’s K–12 and Higher Education assessments and see how CAE’s tools help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and written communication skills.

Performance-Based Assessments Help Students Build and Practice Problem-Solving Skills

In addition to effectively measuring students’ higher-order skills, including their problem-solving skills, performance-based assessments can help students practice and build these skills. Through the assessment process, students are given opportunities to practically apply their knowledge in real-world situations. By demonstrating their understanding of a topic, students are required to put what they’ve learned into practice through activities such as presentations, experiments, and simulations. 

This type of problem-solving assessment tool requires students to analyze information and choose how to approach the presented problems. This process enhances their critical thinking skills and creativity, as well as their problem-solving skills. Unlike traditional assessments based on memorization or reciting facts, performance-based assessments focus on the students’ decisions and solutions, and through these tasks students learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Performance-based assessments like CAE’s College and Career Readiness Assessment (CRA+) and Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) provide students with in-depth reports that show them which higher-order skills they are strongest in and which they should continue to develop. This feedback helps students and their teachers plan instruction and supports to deepen their learning and improve their mastery of critical skills.

Explore CAE’s Problem-Solving Assessments

CAE offers performance-based assessments that measure student proficiency in higher-order skills including problem solving, critical thinking, and written communication.

• College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+) for secondary education and
• Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) for higher education.

Our solution also includes instructional materials, practice models, and professional development.

We can help you create a program to build students’ problem-solving skills that includes:

• Measuring students’ problem-solving skills through a performance-based assessment    
• Using the problem-solving assessment data to inform instruction and tailor interventions
• Teaching students problem-solving skills and providing practice opportunities in real-life scenarios
• Supporting educators with quality professional development

Get started with our problem-solving assessment tools to measure and build students’ problem-solving skills today! These skills will be invaluable to students now and in the future.

Ready to Get Started?

Learn more about cae’s suite of products and let’s get started measuring and teaching students important higher-order skills like problem solving..

Don’t Just Tell Students to Solve Problems. Teach Them How.

The positive impact of an innovative UC San Diego problem-solving educational curriculum continues to grow

• Daniel Kane - [email protected]

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Problem solving is a critical skill for technical education and technical careers of all types. But what are best practices for teaching problem solving to high school and college students? 

The University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering is on the forefront of efforts to improve how problem solving is taught. This UC San Diego approach puts hands-on problem-identification and problem-solving techniques front and center. Over 1,500 students across the San Diego region have already benefited over the last three years from this program. In the 2023-2024 academic year, approximately 1,000 upper-level high school students will be taking the problem solving course in four different school districts in the San Diego region. Based on the positive results with college students, as well as high school juniors and seniors in the San Diego region, the project is getting attention from educators across the state of California, and around the nation and the world.

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In Summer 2023, th e 27 community college students who took the unique problem-solving course developed at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering thrived, according to Alex Phan PhD, the Executive Director of Student Success at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Phan oversees the project. 

Over the course of three weeks, these students from Southwestern College and San Diego City College poured their enthusiasm into problem solving through hands-on team engineering challenges. The students brimmed with positive energy as they worked together. 

What was noticeably absent from this laboratory classroom: frustration.

“In school, we often tell students to brainstorm, but they don’t often know where to start. This curriculum gives students direct strategies for brainstorming, for identifying problems, for solving problems,” sai d Jennifer Ogo, a teacher from Kearny High School who taught the problem-solving course in summer 2023 at UC San Diego. Ogo was part of group of educators who took the course themselves last summer.

The curriculum has been created, refined and administered over the last three years through a collaboration between the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. The project kicked off in 2020 with a generous gift from a local philanthropist.

Not getting stuck

One of the overarching goals of this project is to teach both problem-identification and problem-solving skills that help students avoid getting stuck during the learning process. Stuck feelings lead to frustration – and when it’s a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) project, that frustration can lead students to feel they don’t belong in a STEM major or a STEM career. Instead, the UC San Diego curriculum is designed to give students the tools that lead to reactions like “this class is hard, but I know I can do this!” –  as Ogo, a celebrated high school biomedical sciences and technology teacher, put it. 

Three years into the curriculum development effort, the light-hearted energy of the students combined with their intense focus points to success. On the last day of the class, Mourad Mjahed PhD, Director of the MESA Program at Southwestern College’s School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering came to UC San Diego to see the final project presentations made by his 22 MESA students.

“Industry is looking for students who have learned from their failures and who have worked outside of their comfort zones,” said Mjahed. The UC San Diego problem-solving curriculum, Mjahed noted, is an opportunity for students to build the skills and the confidence to learn from their failures and to work outside their comfort zone. “And from there, they see pathways to real careers,” he said. 

What does it mean to explicitly teach problem solving? 

This approach to teaching problem solving includes a significant focus on learning to identify the problem that actually needs to be solved, in order to avoid solving the wrong problem. The curriculum is organized so that each day is a complete experience. It begins with the teacher introducing the problem-identification or problem-solving strategy of the day. The teacher then presents case studies of that particular strategy in action. Next, the students get introduced to the day’s challenge project. Working in teams, the students compete to win the challenge while integrating the day’s technique. Finally, the class reconvenes to reflect. They discuss what worked and didn't work with their designs as well as how they could have used the day’s problem-identification or problem-solving technique more effectively. 

The challenges are designed to be engaging – and over three years, they have been refined to be even more engaging. But the student engagement is about much more than being entertained. Many of the students recognize early on that the problem-identification and problem-solving skills they are learning can be applied not just in the classroom, but in other classes and in life in general. 

Gabriel from Southwestern College is one of the students who saw benefits outside the classroom almost immediately. In addition to taking the UC San Diego problem-solving course, Gabriel was concurrently enrolled in an online computer science programming class. He said he immediately started applying the UC San Diego problem-identification and troubleshooting strategies to his coding assignments. 

Gabriel noted that he was given a coding-specific troubleshooting strategy in the computer science course, but the more general problem-identification strategies from the UC San Diego class had been extremely helpful. It’s critical to “find the right problem so you can get the right solution. The strategies here,” he said, “they work everywhere.”

Phan echoed this sentiment. “We believe this curriculum can prepare students for the technical workforce. It can prepare students to be impactful for any career path.”

The goal is to be able to offer the course in community colleges for course credit that transfers to the UC, and to possibly offer a version of the course to incoming students at UC San Diego. 

As the team continues to work towards integrating the curriculum in both standardized high school courses such as physics, and incorporating the content as a part of the general education curriculum at UC San Diego, the project is expected to impact thousands more students across San Diego annually. 

Portrait of the Problem-Solving Curriculum

On a sunny Wednesday in July 2023, an experiential-learning classroom was full of San Diego community college students. They were about half-way through the three-week problem-solving course at UC San Diego, held in the campus’ EnVision Arts and Engineering Maker Studio. On this day, the students were challenged to build a contraption that would propel at least six ping pong balls along a kite string spanning the laboratory. The only propulsive force they could rely on was the air shooting out of a party balloon.

A team of three students from Southwestern College – Valeria, Melissa and Alondra – took an early lead in the classroom competition. They were the first to use a plastic bag instead of disposable cups to hold the ping pong balls. Using a bag, their design got more than half-way to the finish line – better than any other team at the time – but there was more work to do. 

As the trio considered what design changes to make next, they returned to the problem-solving theme of the day: unintended consequences. Earlier in the day, all the students had been challenged to consider unintended consequences and ask questions like: When you design to reduce friction, what happens? Do new problems emerge? Did other things improve that you hadn’t anticipated? 

Other groups soon followed Valeria, Melissa and Alondra’s lead and began iterating on their own plastic-bag solutions to the day’s challenge. New unintended consequences popped up everywhere. Switching from cups to a bag, for example, reduced friction but sometimes increased wind drag. 

Over the course of several iterations, Valeria, Melissa and Alondra made their bag smaller, blew their balloon up bigger, and switched to a different kind of tape to get a better connection with the plastic straw that slid along the kite string, carrying the ping pong balls. 

One of the groups on the other side of the room watched the emergence of the plastic-bag solution with great interest. 

“We tried everything, then we saw a team using a bag,” said Alexander, a student from City College. His team adopted the plastic-bag strategy as well, and iterated on it like everyone else. They also chose to blow up their balloon with a hand pump after the balloon was already attached to the bag filled with ping pong balls – which was unique. 

“I don’t want to be trying to put the balloon in place when it's about to explode,” Alexander explained. 

Asked about whether the structured problem solving approaches were useful, Alexander’s teammate Brianna, who is a Southwestern College student, talked about how the problem-solving tools have helped her get over mental blocks. “Sometimes we make the most ridiculous things work,” she said. “It’s a pretty fun class for sure.” 

Yoshadara, a City College student who is the third member of this team, described some of the problem solving techniques this way: “It’s about letting yourself be a little absurd.”

Alexander jumped back into the conversation. “The value is in the abstraction. As students, we learn to look at the problem solving that worked and then abstract out the problem solving strategy that can then be applied to other challenges. That’s what mathematicians do all the time,” he said, adding that he is already thinking about how he can apply the process of looking at unintended consequences to improve both how he plays chess and how he goes about solving math problems.

Looking ahead, the goal is to empower as many students as possible in the San Diego area and  beyond to learn to problem solve more enjoyably. It’s a concrete way to give students tools that could encourage them to thrive in the growing number of technical careers that require sharp problem-solving skills, whether or not they require a four-year degree. 

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Teaching Problem-Solving Skills

Many instructors design opportunities for students to solve “problems”. But are their students solving true problems or merely participating in practice exercises? The former stresses critical thinking and decision­ making skills whereas the latter requires only the application of previously learned procedures.

Problem solving is often broadly defined as "the ability to understand the environment, identify complex problems, review related information to develop, evaluate strategies and implement solutions to build the desired outcome" (Fissore, C. et al, 2021). True problem solving is the process of applying a method – not known in advance – to a problem that is subject to a specific set of conditions and that the problem solver has not seen before, in order to obtain a satisfactory solution.

Below you will find some basic principles for teaching problem solving and one model to implement in your classroom teaching.

Principles for teaching problem solving

• Model a useful problem-solving method . Problem solving can be difficult and sometimes tedious. Show students how to be patient and persistent, and how to follow a structured method, such as Woods’ model described below. Articulate your method as you use it so students see the connections.
• Teach within a specific context . Teach problem-solving skills in the context in which they will be used by students (e.g., mole fraction calculations in a chemistry course). Use real-life problems in explanations, examples, and exams. Do not teach problem solving as an independent, abstract skill.
• Help students understand the problem . In order to solve problems, students need to define the end goal. This step is crucial to successful learning of problem-solving skills. If you succeed at helping students answer the questions “what?” and “why?”, finding the answer to “how?” will be easier.
• Take enough time . When planning a lecture/tutorial, budget enough time for: understanding the problem and defining the goal (both individually and as a class); dealing with questions from you and your students; making, finding, and fixing mistakes; and solving entire problems in a single session.
• Ask questions and make suggestions . Ask students to predict “what would happen if …” or explain why something happened. This will help them to develop analytical and deductive thinking skills. Also, ask questions and make suggestions about strategies to encourage students to reflect on the problem-solving strategies that they use.
• Link errors to misconceptions . Use errors as evidence of misconceptions, not carelessness or random guessing. Make an effort to isolate the misconception and correct it, then teach students to do this by themselves. We can all learn from mistakes.

Woods’ problem-solving model

Define the problem.

• The system . Have students identify the system under study (e.g., a metal bridge subject to certain forces) by interpreting the information provided in the problem statement. Drawing a diagram is a great way to do this.
• Known(s) and concepts . List what is known about the problem, and identify the knowledge needed to understand (and eventually) solve it.
• Unknown(s) . Once you have a list of knowns, identifying the unknown(s) becomes simpler. One unknown is generally the answer to the problem, but there may be other unknowns. Be sure that students understand what they are expected to find.
• Units and symbols . One key aspect in problem solving is teaching students how to select, interpret, and use units and symbols. Emphasize the use of units whenever applicable. Develop a habit of using appropriate units and symbols yourself at all times.
• Constraints . All problems have some stated or implied constraints. Teach students to look for the words "only", "must", "neglect", or "assume" to help identify the constraints.
• Criteria for success . Help students consider, from the beginning, what a logical type of answer would be. What characteristics will it possess? For example, a quantitative problem will require an answer in some form of numerical units (e.g., $/kg product, square cm, etc.) while an optimization problem requires an answer in the form of either a numerical maximum or minimum.

Think about it

• “Let it simmer”.  Use this stage to ponder the problem. Ideally, students will develop a mental image of the problem at hand during this stage.
• Identify specific pieces of knowledge . Students need to determine by themselves the required background knowledge from illustrations, examples and problems covered in the course.
• Collect information . Encourage students to collect pertinent information such as conversion factors, constants, and tables needed to solve the problem.

Plan a solution

• Consider possible strategies . Often, the type of solution will be determined by the type of problem. Some common problem-solving strategies are: compute; simplify; use an equation; make a model, diagram, table, or chart; or work backwards.
• Choose the best strategy . Help students to choose the best strategy by reminding them again what they are required to find or calculate.

Carry out the plan

• Be patient . Most problems are not solved quickly or on the first attempt. In other cases, executing the solution may be the easiest step.
• Be persistent . If a plan does not work immediately, do not let students get discouraged. Encourage them to try a different strategy and keep trying.

Encourage students to reflect. Once a solution has been reached, students should ask themselves the following questions:

• Does the answer make sense?
• Does it fit with the criteria established in step 1?
• Did I answer the question(s)?
• What did I learn by doing this?
• Could I have done the problem another way?

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help.  View the  CTE Support  page to find the most relevant staff member to contact. 

• Fissore, C., Marchisio, M., Roman, F., & Sacchet, M. (2021). Development of problem solving skills with Maple in higher education. In: Corless, R.M., Gerhard, J., Kotsireas, I.S. (eds) Maple in Mathematics Education and Research. MC 2020. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1414. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81698-8_15
• Foshay, R., & Kirkley, J. (1998). Principles for Teaching Problem Solving. TRO Learning Inc., Edina MN.  (PDF) Principles for Teaching Problem Solving (researchgate.net)
• Hayes, J.R. (1989). The Complete Problem Solver. 2nd Edition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Woods, D.R., Wright, J.D., Hoffman, T.W., Swartman, R.K., Doig, I.D. (1975). Teaching Problem solving Skills.
• Engineering Education. Vol 1, No. 1. p. 238. Washington, DC: The American Society for Engineering Education.

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Teaching problem solving: Let students get ‘stuck’ and ‘unstuck’

Subscribe to the center for universal education bulletin, kate mills and km kate mills literacy interventionist - red bank primary school helyn kim helyn kim former brookings expert.

October 31, 2017

This is the second in a six-part  blog series  on  teaching 21st century skills , including  problem solving ,  metacognition , critical thinking , and collaboration , in classrooms.

In the real world, students encounter problems that are complex, not well defined, and lack a clear solution and approach. They need to be able to identify and apply different strategies to solve these problems. However, problem solving skills do not necessarily develop naturally; they need to be explicitly taught in a way that can be transferred across multiple settings and contexts.

Here’s what Kate Mills, who taught 4 th grade for 10 years at Knollwood School in New Jersey and is now a Literacy Interventionist at Red Bank Primary School, has to say about creating a classroom culture of problem solvers:

Helping my students grow to be people who will be successful outside of the classroom is equally as important as teaching the curriculum. From the first day of school, I intentionally choose language and activities that help to create a classroom culture of problem solvers. I want to produce students who are able to think about achieving a particular goal and manage their mental processes . This is known as metacognition , and research shows that metacognitive skills help students become better problem solvers.

I begin by “normalizing trouble” in the classroom. Peter H. Johnston teaches the importance of normalizing struggle , of naming it, acknowledging it, and calling it what it is: a sign that we’re growing. The goal is for the students to accept challenge and failure as a chance to grow and do better.

I look for every chance to share problems and highlight how the students— not the teachers— worked through those problems. There is, of course, coaching along the way. For example, a science class that is arguing over whose turn it is to build a vehicle will most likely need a teacher to help them find a way to the balance the work in an equitable way. Afterwards, I make it a point to turn it back to the class and say, “Do you see how you …” By naming what it is they did to solve the problem , students can be more independent and productive as they apply and adapt their thinking when engaging in future complex tasks.

After a few weeks, most of the class understands that the teachers aren’t there to solve problems for the students, but to support them in solving the problems themselves. With that important part of our classroom culture established, we can move to focusing on the strategies that students might need.

Here’s one way I do this in the classroom:

I show the broken escalator video to the class. Since my students are fourth graders, they think it’s hilarious and immediately start exclaiming, “Just get off! Walk!”

When the video is over, I say, “Many of us, probably all of us, are like the man in the video yelling for help when we get stuck. When we get stuck, we stop and immediately say ‘Help!’ instead of embracing the challenge and trying new ways to work through it.” I often introduce this lesson during math class, but it can apply to any area of our lives, and I can refer to the experience and conversation we had during any part of our day.

Research shows that just because students know the strategies does not mean they will engage in the appropriate strategies. Therefore, I try to provide opportunities where students can explicitly practice learning how, when, and why to use which strategies effectively  so that they can become self-directed learners.

For example, I give students a math problem that will make many of them feel “stuck”. I will say, “Your job is to get yourselves stuck—or to allow yourselves to get stuck on this problem—and then work through it, being mindful of how you’re getting yourselves unstuck.” As students work, I check-in to help them name their process: “How did you get yourself unstuck?” or “What was your first step? What are you doing now? What might you try next?” As students talk about their process, I’ll add to a list of strategies that students are using and, if they are struggling, help students name a specific process. For instance, if a student says he wrote the information from the math problem down and points to a chart, I will say: “Oh that’s interesting. You pulled the important information from the problem out and organized it into a chart.” In this way, I am giving him the language to match what he did, so that he now has a strategy he could use in other times of struggle.

The charts grow with us over time and are something that we refer to when students are stuck or struggling. They become a resource for students and a way for them to talk about their process when they are reflecting on and monitoring what did or did not work.

For me, as a teacher, it is important that I create a classroom environment in which students are problem solvers. This helps tie struggles to strategies so that the students will not only see value in working harder but in working smarter by trying new and different strategies and revising their process. In doing so, they will more successful the next time around.

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Teaching problem solving

Strategies for teaching problem solving apply across disciplines and instructional contexts. First, introduce the problem and explain how people in your discipline generally make sense of the given information. Then, explain how to apply these approaches to solve the problem.

Introducing the problem

Explaining how people in your discipline understand and interpret these types of problems can help students develop the skills they need to understand the problem (and find a solution). After introducing how you would go about solving a problem, you could then ask students to:

• frame the problem in their own words
• define key terms and concepts
• determine statements that accurately represent the givens of a problem
• identify analogous problems
• determine what information is needed to solve the problem

Working on solutions

In the solution phase, one develops and then implements a coherent plan for solving the problem. As you help students with this phase, you might ask them to:

• identify the general model or procedure they have in mind for solving the problem
• set sub-goals for solving the problem
• identify necessary operations and steps
• draw conclusions
• carry out necessary operations

You can help students tackle a problem effectively by asking them to:

• systematically explain each step and its rationale
• explain how they would approach solving the problem
• help you solve the problem by posing questions at key points in the process
• work together in small groups (3 to 5 students) to solve the problem and then have the solution presented to the rest of the class (either by you or by a student in the group)

In all cases, the more you get the students to articulate their own understandings of the problem and potential solutions, the more you can help them develop their expertise in approaching problems in your discipline.

Developing Problem-Solving Skills for Kids | Strategies & Tips

We've made teaching problem-solving skills for kids a whole lot easier! Keep reading and comment below with any other tips you have for your classroom!

Problem-Solving Skills for Kids: The Real Deal

Picture this: You've carefully created an assignment for your class. The step-by-step instructions are crystal clear. During class time, you walk through all the directions, and the response is awesome. Your students are ready! It's finally time for them to start working individually and then... 8 hands shoot up with questions. You hear one student mumble in the distance, "Wait, I don't get this" followed by the dreaded, "What are we supposed to be doing again?"

When I was a new computer science teacher, I would have this exact situation happen. As a result, I would end up scrambling to help each individual student with their problems until half the class period was eaten up. I assumed that in order for my students to learn best, I needed to be there to help answer questions immediately so they could move forward and complete the assignment.

Here's what I wish I had known when I started teaching coding to elementary students - the process of grappling with an assignment's content can be more important than completing the assignment's product. That said, not every student knows how to grapple, or struggle, in order to get to the "aha!" moment and solve a problem independently. The good news is, the ability to creatively solve problems is not a fixed skill. It can be learned by students, nurtured by teachers, and practiced by everyone!

Your students are absolutely capable of navigating and solving problems on their own. Here are some strategies, tips, and resources that can help:

Problem-Solving Skills for Kids: Student Strategies

These are strategies your students can use during independent work time to become creative problem solvers.

1. Go Step-By-Step Through The Problem-Solving Sequence 

Post problem-solving anchor charts and references on your classroom wall or pin them to your Google Classroom - anything to make them accessible to students. When they ask for help, invite them to reference the charts first.

2. Revisit Past Problems

If a student gets stuck, they should ask themself, "Have I ever seen a problem like this before? If so, how did I solve it?" Chances are, your students have tackled something similar already and can recycle the same strategies they used before to solve the problem this time around.

3. Document What Doesn’t Work

Sometimes finding the answer to a problem requires the process of elimination. Have your students attempt to solve a problem at least two different ways before reaching out to you for help. Even better, encourage them write down their "Not-The-Answers" so you can see their thought process when you do step in to support. Cool thing is, you likely won't need to! By attempting to solve a problem in multiple different ways, students will often come across the answer on their own.

4. "3 Before Me"

Let's say your students have gone through the Problem Solving Process, revisited past problems, and documented what doesn't work. Now, they know it's time to ask someone for help. Great! But before you jump into save the day, practice "3 Before Me". This means students need to ask 3 other classmates their question before asking the teacher. By doing this, students practice helpful 21st century skills like collaboration and communication, and can usually find the info they're looking for on the way.

Problem-Solving Skills for Kids: Teacher Tips

These are tips that you, the teacher, can use to support students in developing creative problem-solving skills for kids.

1. Ask Open Ended Questions

When a student asks for help, it can be tempting to give them the answer they're looking for so you can both move on. But what this actually does is prevent the student from developing the skills needed to solve the problem on their own. Instead of giving answers, try using open-ended questions and prompts. Here are some examples:

2. Encourage Grappling

Grappling  is everything a student might do when faced with a problem that does not have a clear solution. As explained in this article from Edutopia , this doesn't just mean perseverance! Grappling is more than that - it includes critical thinking, asking questions, observing evidence, asking more questions, forming hypotheses, and constructing a deep understanding of an issue.

There are lots of ways to provide opportunities for grappling. Anything that includes the Engineering Design Process is a good one! Examples include:

• Engineering or Art Projects
• Design-thinking challenges
• Computer science projects
• Science experiments

3. Emphasize Process Over Product

For elementary students, reflecting on the process of solving a problem helps them develop a growth mindset . Getting an answer "wrong" doesn't need to be a bad thing! What matters most are the steps they took to get there and how they might change their approach next time. As a teacher, you can support students in learning this reflection process.

4. Model The Strategies Yourself! 

As creative problem-solving skills for kids are being learned, there will likely be moments where they are frustrated or unsure. Here are some easy ways you can model what creative problem-solving looks and sounds like.

• Ask clarifying questions if you don't understand something
• Admit when don't know the correct answer
• Talk through multiple possible outcomes for different situations 
• Verbalize how you’re feeling when you find a problem

Practicing these strategies with your students will help create a learning environment where grappling, failing, and growing is celebrated!

Problem-Solving Skill for Kids

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Problem-Solving

Jabberwocky

Problem-solving is the ability to identify and solve problems by applying appropriate skills systematically.

Problem-solving is a process—an ongoing activity in which we take what we know to discover what we don't know. It involves overcoming obstacles by generating hypo-theses, testing those predictions, and arriving at satisfactory solutions.

Problem-solving involves three basic functions:

Seeking information

Generating new knowledge

Making decisions

Problem-solving is, and should be, a very real part of the curriculum. It presupposes that students can take on some of the responsibility for their own learning and can take personal action to solve problems, resolve conflicts, discuss alternatives, and focus on thinking as a vital element of the curriculum. It provides students with opportunities to use their newly acquired knowledge in meaningful, real-life activities and assists them in working at higher levels of thinking (see Levels of Questions ).

Here is a five-stage model that most students can easily memorize and put into action and which has direct applications to many areas of the curriculum as well as everyday life:

Expert Opinion

Here are some techniques that will help students understand the nature of a problem and the conditions that surround it:

• List all related relevant facts.
• Make a list of all the given information.
• Restate the problem in their own words.
• List the conditions that surround a problem.
• Describe related known problems.

It's Elementary

For younger students, illustrations are helpful in organizing data, manipulating information, and outlining the limits of a problem and its possible solution(s). Students can use drawings to help them look at a problem from many different perspectives.

Understand the problem. It's important that students understand the nature of a problem and its related goals. Encourage students to frame a problem in their own words.

Describe any barriers. Students need to be aware of any barriers or constraints that may be preventing them from achieving their goal. In short, what is creating the problem? Encouraging students to verbalize these impediments is always an important step.

Identify various solutions. After the nature and parameters of a problem are understood, students will need to select one or more appropriate strategies to help resolve the problem. Students need to understand that they have many strategies available to them and that no single strategy will work for all problems. Here are some problem-solving possibilities:

Create visual images. Many problem-solvers find it useful to create “mind pictures” of a problem and its potential solutions prior to working on the problem. Mental imaging allows the problem-solvers to map out many dimensions of a problem and “see” it clearly.

Guesstimate. Give students opportunities to engage in some trial-and-error approaches to problem-solving. It should be understood, however, that this is not a singular approach to problem-solving but rather an attempt to gather some preliminary data.

Create a table. A table is an orderly arrangement of data. When students have opportunities to design and create tables of information, they begin to understand that they can group and organize most data relative to a problem.

Use manipulatives. By moving objects around on a table or desk, students can develop patterns and organize elements of a problem into recognizable and visually satisfying components.

Work backward. It's frequently helpful for students to take the data presented at the end of a problem and use a series of computations to arrive at the data presented at the beginning of the problem.

Look for a pattern. Looking for patterns is an important problem-solving strategy because many problems are similar and fall into predictable patterns. A pattern, by definition, is a regular, systematic repetition and may be numerical, visual, or behavioral.

Create a systematic list. Recording information in list form is a process used quite frequently to map out a plan of attack for defining and solving problems. Encourage students to record their ideas in lists to determine regularities, patterns, or similarities between problem elements.

Try out a solution. When working through a strategy or combination of strategies, it will be important for students to …

Keep accurate and up-to-date records of their thoughts, proceedings, and procedures. Recording the data collected, the predictions made, and the strategies used is an important part of the problem solving process.

Try to work through a selected strategy or combination of strategies until it becomes evident that it's not working, it needs to be modified, or it is yielding inappropriate data. As students become more proficient problem-solvers, they should feel comfortable rejecting potential strategies at any time during their quest for solutions.

Monitor with great care the steps undertaken as part of a solution. Although it might be a natural tendency for students to “rush” through a strategy to arrive at a quick answer, encourage them to carefully assess and monitor their progress.

Feel comfortable putting a problem aside for a period of time and tackling it at a later time. For example, scientists rarely come up with a solution the first time they approach a problem. Students should also feel comfortable letting a problem rest for a while and returning to it later.

Evaluate the results. It's vitally important that students have multiple opportunities to assess their own problem-solving skills and the solutions they generate from using those skills. Frequently, students are overly dependent upon teachers to evaluate their performance in the classroom. The process of self-assessment is not easy, however. It involves risk-taking, self-assurance, and a certain level of independence. But it can be effectively promoted by asking students questions such as “How do you feel about your progress so far?” “Are you satisfied with the results you obtained?” and “Why do you believe this is an appropriate response to the problem?”

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Teaching Problem Solving in Math

• Freebies , Math , Planning

Every year my students can be fantastic at math…until they start to see math with words. For some reason, once math gets translated into reading, even my best readers start to panic. There is just something about word problems, or problem-solving, that causes children to think they don’t know how to complete them.

Every year in math, I start off by teaching my students problem-solving skills and strategies. Every year they moan and groan that they know them. Every year – paragraph one above. It was a vicious cycle. I needed something new.

I put together a problem-solving unit that would focus a bit more on strategies and steps in hopes that that would create problem-solving stars.

The Problem Solving Strategies

First, I wanted to make sure my students all learned the different strategies to solve problems, such as guess-and-check, using visuals (draw a picture, act it out, and modeling it), working backward, and organizational methods (tables, charts, and lists). In the past, I had used worksheet pages that would introduce one and provide the students with plenty of problems practicing that one strategy. I did like that because students could focus more on practicing the strategy itself, but I also wanted students to know when to use it, too, so I made sure they had both to practice.

I provided students with plenty of practice of the strategies, such as in this guess-and-check game.

There’s also this visuals strategy wheel practice.

I also provided them with paper dolls and a variety of clothing to create an organized list to determine just how many outfits their “friend” would have.

Then, as I said above, we practiced in a variety of ways to make sure we knew exactly when to use them. I really wanted to make sure they had this down!

Anyway, after I knew they had down the various strategies and when to use them, then we went into the actual problem-solving steps.

The Problem Solving Steps

I wanted students to understand that when they see a story problem, it isn’t scary. Really, it’s just the equation written out in words in a real-life situation. Then, I provided them with the “keys to success.”

S tep 1 – Understand the Problem.   To help students understand the problem, I provided them with sample problems, and together we did five important things:

• read the problem carefully
• restated the problem in our own words
• crossed out unimportant information
• circled any important information
• stated the goal or question to be solved

We did this over and over with example problems.

Once I felt the students had it down, we practiced it in a game of problem-solving relay. Students raced one another to see how quickly they could get down to the nitty-gritty of the word problems. We weren’t solving the problems – yet.

Then, we were on to Step 2 – Make a Plan . We talked about how this was where we were going to choose which strategy we were going to use. We also discussed how this was where we were going to figure out what operation to use. I taught the students Sheila Melton’s operation concept map.

We talked about how if you know the total and know if it is equal or not, that will determine what operation you are doing. So, we took an example problem, such as:

Sheldon wants to make a cupcake for each of his 28 classmates. He can make 7 cupcakes with one box of cupcake mix. How many boxes will he need to buy?

We started off by asking ourselves, “Do we know the total?” We know there are a total of 28 classmates. So, yes, we are separating. Then, we ask, “Is it equal?” Yes, he wants to make a cupcake for EACH of his classmates. So, we are dividing: 28 divided by 7 = 4. He will need to buy 4 boxes. (I actually went ahead and solved it here – which is the next step, too.)

Step 3 – Solving the problem . We talked about how solving the problem involves the following:

• taking our time
• working the problem out
• showing all our work
• estimating the answer
• using thinking strategies

We talked specifically about thinking strategies. Just like in reading, there are thinking strategies in math. I wanted students to be aware that sometimes when we are working on a problem, a particular strategy may not be working, and we may need to switch strategies. We also discussed that sometimes we may need to rethink the problem, to think of related content, or to even start over. We discussed these thinking strategies:

• switch strategies or try a different one
• rethink the problem
• think of related content
• decide if you need to make changes
• check your work
• but most important…don’t give up!

To make sure they were getting in practice utilizing these thinking strategies, I gave each group chart paper with a letter from a fellow “student” (not a real student), and they had to give advice on how to help them solve their problem using the thinking strategies above.

Finally, Step 4 – Check It.   This is the step that students often miss. I wanted to emphasize just how important it is! I went over it with them, discussing that when they check their problems, they should always look for these things:

• compare your answer to your estimate
• check for reasonableness
• check your calculations
• add the units
• restate the question in the answer
• explain how you solved the problem

Then, I gave students practice cards. I provided them with example cards of “students” who had completed their assignments already, and I wanted them to be the teacher. They needed to check the work and make sure it was completed correctly. If it wasn’t, then they needed to tell what they missed and correct it.

To demonstrate their understanding of the entire unit, we completed an adorable lap book (my first time ever putting together one or even creating one – I was surprised how well it turned out, actually). It was a great way to put everything we discussed in there.

Once we were all done, students were officially Problem Solving S.T.A.R.S. I just reminded students frequently of this acronym.

Stop – Don’t rush with any solution; just take your time and look everything over.

Think – Take your time to think about the problem and solution.

Act  – Act on a strategy and try it out.

Review – Look it over and see if you got all the parts.

Wow, you are a true trooper sticking it out in this lengthy post! To sum up the majority of what I have written here, I have some problem-solving bookmarks FREE to help you remember and to help your students!

You can grab these problem-solving bookmarks for FREE by clicking here .

You can do any of these ideas without having to purchase anything. However, if you are looking to save some time and energy, then they are all found in my Math Workshop Problem Solving Unit . The unit is for grade three, but it  may work for other grade levels. The practice problems are all for the early third-grade level.

• freebie , Math Workshop , Problem Solving

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Published 2018

The Problem-solving Classroom

• Visualising
• Working backwards
• Reasoning logically
• Conjecturing
• Working systematically
• Looking for patterns
• Trial and improvement.

• stage of the lesson 
• level of thinking
• mathematical skill.
• The length of student response increases (300-700%)
• More responses are supported by logical argument.
• An increased number of speculative responses.
• The number of questions asked by students increases.
• Student - student exchanges increase (volleyball).
• Failures to respond decrease.
• 'Disciplinary moves' decrease.
• The variety of students participating increases.  As does the number of unsolicited, but appropriate contributions.
• Student confidence increases.
• conceptual understanding
• procedural fluency
• strategic competence
• adaptive reasoning
• productive disposition

• Our Mission

Problem-Solving in Elementary School

Elementary students practice problem-solving and self-questioning techniques to improve reading and social and emotional learning skills.

In a school district in New Jersey, beginning in kindergarten each child is seen as a future problem solver with creative ideas that can help the world. Vince Caputo, superintendent of the Metuchen School District, explained that what drew him to the position was “a shared value for whole child education.”

Caputo’s first hire as superintendent was Rick Cohen, who works as both the district’s K–12 director of curriculum and principal of Moss Elementary School . Cohen is committed to integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) into academic curriculum and instruction by linking cognitive processes and guided self-talk.

Cohen’s first focus was kindergarten students. “I recommended Moss teachers teach just one problem-solving process to our 6-year-olds across all academic content areas and challenge students to use the same process for social problem-solving,” he explained.  

Reading and Social Problem-Solving

Moss Elementary classrooms use a specific process to develop problem-solving skills focused on tending to social and interpersonal relationships. The process also concentrates on building reading skills—specifically, decoding and comprehension.

Stop, Look, and Think.  Students define the problem. As they read, they look at the pictures and text for clues, searching for information and asking, “What is important and what is not?” Social problem-solving aspect: Students look for signs of feelings in others’ faces, postures, and tone of voice.

Gather Information . Next, students explore what feelings they’re having and what feelings others may be having. As they read, they look at the beginning sound of a word and ask, “What else sounds like this?” Social problem-solving aspect: Students reflect on questions such as, “What word or words describe the feeling you see or hear in others? What word describes your feeling? How do you know, and how sure are you?”

Brainstorming . Then students seek different solutions. As they read, they wonder, “Does it sound right? Does it make sense? How else could it sound to make more sense? What other sounds do those letters make?” Social problem-solving aspect: Students reflect on questions such as, “How can you solve the problem or make the situation better? What else can you think of? What else can you try? What other ideas do you have?”  

Pick the Best One.  Next, students evaluate the solution. While reading, they scan for smaller words they know within larger, more difficult words. They read the difficult words the way they think they sound while asking, “Will it make sense to other people?” Social problem-solving aspect: Students reflect on prompts such as, “Pick the solution that you think will be best to solve the problem. Ask yourself, ‘What will happen if I do this—for me, and for others involved?’”

Go . In the next step, students make a plan and act. They do this by rereading the text. Social problem-solving aspect: Students are asked to try out what they will say and how they will say it. They’re asked to pick a good time to do this, when they’re willing to try it.

Check . Finally, students reflect and revise. After they have read, they ponder what exactly was challenging about what they read and, based on this, decide what to do next. Social problem-solving aspect: Students reflect on questions such as, “How did it work out? Did you solve the problem? How did others feel about what happened? What did you learn? What would you do if the same thing happened again?”

You can watch the Moss Elementary Problem Solvers video and see aspects of this process in action.

The Process of Self-Questioning 

Moss Elementary students and other students in the district are also taught structured self-questioning. Cohen notes, “We realized that many of our elementary students would struggle to generalize the same steps and thinking skills they previously used to figure out an unknown word in a text or resolve social conflicts to think through complex inquiries and research projects.” The solution? Teach students how to self-question, knowing they can also apply this effective strategy across contexts. The self-questioning process students use looks like this:

Stop and Think. “What’s the question?”

Gather Information. “How do I gather information? What are different sides of the issue?”

Brainstorm and Choose. “How do I select, organize, and choose the information? What are some ways to solve the problem? What’s the best choice?”

Plan and Try. “What does the plan look like? When and how can it happen? Who needs to be involved?”

Check & Revise. “How can I present the information? What did I do well? How can I improve?”

The Benefits

Since using the problem-solving and self-questioning processes, the students at Moss Elementary have had growth in their scores for the last two years on the fifth-grade English language arts PARCC tests . However, as Cohen shares, “More important than preparing our students for the tests on state standards, there is evidence that we are also preparing them for the tests of life.”

10 Ways to Teach Your Children to Be Problem Solvers

Problem-solving is vital in navigating the complexities of life and is best nurtured from a young age. Let’s explore a variety of approaches, each contributing to the development of a child’s ability to think critically and resolve challenges effectively.

Strategy 1: Modeling Problem-Solving Behavior

Parents are the first role models children observe and learn from. Demonstrating problem-solving skills in everyday life plays a crucial role in teaching children how to handle challenges.

Impact of Demonstrating Problem-Solving

• Observational Learning: Children learn by observing their parents. When a parent faces a challenge and vocalizes their thought process, it provides a practical, real-world example of problem-solving.
• Developing Cognitive Skills: As parents articulate their problem-solving steps, children learn to think critically and analytically. This process helps in developing their cognitive skills.

How to Model Problem-Solving

• Think Out Loud: Parents should verbalize their thoughts when encountering a problem. For instance, if deciding between buying different products, explain the pros and cons of each option out loud.
• Show Emotion Management: It’s beneficial to express how certain problems make you feel and how you manage these emotions. This teaches emotional regulation alongside problem-solving.
• Involve Children in Solutions: For age-appropriate problems, involve children in the decision-making process. Ask for their opinions and discuss the potential outcomes.
• Boosts Confidence: When children see their parents tackling problems effectively, it boosts their confidence in handling their issues.
• Enhances Critical Thinking: This method promotes critical thinking and decision-making skills in children.
• Prepares for Real-life Situations: Children get better prepared for real-life situations, understanding that problems are a normal part of life and can be approached logically and calmly.

Strategy 2: Encouraging Creative Play

Creative play and DIY projects are not just forms of entertainment for children; they are essential tools for developing problem-solving skills.

How Creative Play Fosters Problem-Solving

• Stimulates Imagination: Engaging in activities like building forts, crafting, or imaginative play scenarios encourages children to think outside the box, an essential aspect of problem-solving.
• Encourages Experimentation: Creative play often involves trial and error, teaching children that it’s okay to fail and try again, a key component of solving problems.
• Develops Cognitive Flexibility: When children create and explore in an unstructured environment, they learn to adapt and change their approaches, which is vital in problem-solving.

DIY Projects as Learning Tools

• Hands-On Experience: DIY projects provide hands-on opportunities for children to encounter and solve real-world problems. They learn to follow steps, use tools, and understand the process of creating something from start to finish.
• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Working on projects with others, including parents or siblings, enhances their ability to work as a team and solve problems together.
• Boosts Self-Efficacy: Completing a project successfully instills a sense of accomplishment and confidence in their problem-solving abilities.
• Enhances Critical Thinking: Children learn to think critically about how to use materials and what steps to take to achieve their desired outcome.
• Promotes Persistence: Creative play teaches persistence as children learn that not every attempt leads to immediate success.
• Encourages Independent Thinking: These activities allow children to make decisions, fostering independent thought and decision-making skills.

Strategy 3: Systematic Problem-Solving Approach

A systematic method for problem-solving helps children approach challenges in a more organized and effective manner.

Step-by-Step Problem-Solving Method

Identify emotions:.

Begin by helping children recognize and name their emotions related to the problem (e.g., frustration, confusion). This step is crucial for emotional regulation and clear thinking.

Define the Problem:

Guide children to articulate the problem clearly. Encourage them to state the issue in their own words, which helps in understanding the challenge more deeply.

Brainstorm Solutions:

Encourage children to think of as many solutions as possible, without initially judging the ideas. This brainstorming phase fosters creativity and open-mindedness.

Evaluate Solutions:

Guide children to consider the pros and cons of each solution. Ask questions like, “What could happen if you try this?” to help them think through the outcomes.

Choose a Solution:

Encourage children to select a solution based on their evaluation. This step empowers them to make decisions and take ownership of the problem-solving process.

Implement the Solution:

Guide them in putting their chosen solution into action. This step translates their theoretical understanding into practical application.

Reflect on the Outcome:

After the solution has been implemented, discuss with children what worked well and what could be improved. This reflection helps in learning from the experience.

• Develops Critical Thinking: This approach enhances critical thinking skills by requiring children to analyze problems and consider various solutions.
• Encourages Independence: By following these steps, children learn to rely on their own abilities to solve problems.
• Builds Resilience: Children learn that not every problem is solved on the first try, which builds resilience and persistence.

Strategy 4: Reading and Discussing Problem-Solving Stories

Stories and books are powerful tools for teaching problem-solving. They offer relatable scenarios where characters face and overcome challenges, providing real-life lessons in a fictional setting.

Using Stories to Teach Problem-Solving

Selecting appropriate books:.

Choose stories that focus on characters solving problems. Books like “Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy” by Jacky Davis and “The Curious George Series” by Margaret and H.E. Rey are great examples where characters face and resolve dilemmas.

Discussion During Reading:

Engage children in discussions about the story. Ask questions like, “What problem is the character facing?” and “How did they solve it?” This helps children understand the problem-solving process.

Relating to Personal Experiences:

Encourage children to connect the story’s events to their own lives. Discuss how they might handle similar situations, fostering empathy and personal connection.

Encouraging Active Participation:

Have children predict outcomes or suggest alternative solutions for the characters. This engages their critical thinking and imagination.

Role-Playing:

Involve children in role-playing exercises based on the stories. Acting out different scenarios helps solidify the problem-solving methods demonstrated by the characters.

• Enhances Comprehension: Discussing the story’s problems and solutions improves children’s comprehension and analytical skills.
• Builds Empathy: Identifying with characters and their challenges helps develop empathy and emotional intelligence.
• Encourages Creative Thinking: By exploring different solutions within a safe, fictional context, children can expand their creative problem-solving abilities.

Strategy 5: Promoting Autonomy and Learning from Failure

Fostering autonomy in children is a critical aspect of their development. It involves allowing them to make decisions, take risks, and, most importantly, learn from their mistakes.

Allowing Mistakes and Failures

• Avoiding Helicopter Parenting: Overprotective or “helicopter” parenting can hinder a child’s ability to develop problem-solving skills. Allowing children to face challenges and sometimes fail teaches them resilience and self-reliance.
• Learning Opportunities : Mistakes and failures are valuable learning opportunities. They teach children that not every attempt will be successful and that persistence is key.
• Encouraging Risk-Taking: Encourage children to take calculated risks. This helps them learn to weigh options and make decisions based on their judgments.

Guiding Through Failures

• Supportive Environment: Create a supportive environment where children feel safe to fail. Encourage them to try again and guide them through the process of analyzing what went wrong.
• Constructive Feedback: Provide constructive feedback that focuses on the effort and strategy rather than the outcome. This approach helps children understand that failure is a part of the learning process.
• Builds Problem-Solving Skills: Experiencing failure and learning to overcome it is an integral part of developing problem-solving skills.
• Promotes Growth Mindset: It encourages a growth mindset where children understand that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.
• Enhances Emotional Intelligence: Learning from failures helps children manage their emotions and cope with setbacks in a healthy manner.

Strategy 6: Utilizing Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions are a powerful tool in encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving in children. These questions do not have a predetermined answer, allowing children to explore their thoughts and ideas freely.

Implementing Open-Ended Questions:

• Types of Questions: Ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Examples include, “How could we solve this problem together?” or “What do you think would happen if…?”
• Encouraging Explanation: Prompt children to explain their reasoning with questions like, “How did you come to that conclusion?” or “Can you tell me more about your thought process?”
• Fostering Imagination: Use questions that encourage children to use their imagination, such as “What would you do if you were in this situation?” or “How would you handle this differently?”

Benefits of Open-Ended Questions:

• Develops Problem-Solving Skills: These questions make children contemplate different aspects of a problem and potential solutions, enhancing their problem-solving abilities.
• Enhances Communication Skills: Open-ended questions require children to articulate their thoughts clearly, improving their communication skills.
• Builds Confidence: As children express their ideas and are heard, it boosts their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities.

Creating a Supportive Environment:

• Active Listening: Actively listen to the child’s responses without interrupting. This shows that their thoughts and opinions are valued.
• Non-Judgmental Responses: Respond to their answers in a non-judgmental way, encouraging them to share more freely.
• Encourage Exploration: Encourage children to explore different answers and viewpoints, reinforcing that there are often multiple ways to approach a problem.

Strategy 7: Fostering Open-Mindedness

Teaching children to be open-minded is crucial for developing effective problem-solving skills. It involves considering various perspectives and integrating different views into solutions.

Encouraging Multiple Perspectives:

• Understanding Different Viewpoints: Encourage children to think about how others might view a situation. Ask questions like, “What do you think someone else would do in this case?” or “Can you think of a different way to look at this problem?”
• Empathy in Problem-Solving: Teach children to consider the feelings and perspectives of others involved in a problem. This not only helps in finding more compassionate solutions but also in building strong interpersonal skills.

Integrating Diverse Solutions:

• Combining Ideas: Encourage children to combine different ideas to find a novel solution. This could involve brainstorming sessions where multiple solutions are discussed and combined.
• Learning from Different Cultures: Expose children to problem-solving methods from different cultures and backgrounds. This broadens their understanding and appreciation of diverse approaches.
• Enhances Creativity: Open-mindedness in problem-solving fosters creativity, as children learn to think outside their usual boundaries.
• Builds Critical Thinking: Considering multiple perspectives requires children to critically evaluate each viewpoint, enhancing their critical thinking skills.
• Promotes Tolerance and Understanding: Fostering open-mindedness helps children develop tolerance and understanding towards different ideas and cultures.

Strategy 8: Incorporating Problem-Solving into Family Culture

Integrating problem-solving into family culture involves turning everyday challenges into learning opportunities and making this practice an enjoyable part of family life.

Practical Ways to Integrate Problem-Solving:

• Family Meetings: Regular family meetings can be an effective way to discuss and solve family issues together. It encourages collaboration and collective decision-making.
• Shared Challenges: Involve the entire family in solving practical problems, such as planning a family vacation or budgeting for a big purchase. This teaches children the value of planning and compromise.
• Fun Problem-Solving Activities: Incorporate games and activities that involve problem-solving skills, like puzzles, strategy games, or scavenger hunts. This makes the process fun and engaging.

Encouraging a Positive Attitude Towards Challenges:

• Modeling Positivity: Show a positive attitude when facing challenges, demonstrating that problems are opportunities for growth and learning.
• Celebrating Solutions: Whenever a problem is solved, whether it’s big or small, celebrate the achievement. This reinforces problem-solving as a positive and rewarding experience.
• Fosters Teamwork: Engaging in family problem-solving activities helps in building teamwork and cooperation skills.
• Develops Practical Life Skills: Children learn practical life skills that are essential for their future, like financial planning, time management, and organization.
• Strengthens Family Bonds: Working together on problems strengthens family relationships and fosters a sense of unity and support.

Strategy 9: Engaging in Role-Playing Activities

Role-playing is an effective educational tool that allows children to simulate real-life situations. It provides a safe environment to practice problem-solving skills by acting out various scenarios.

Implementing Role-Playing in Problem-Solving:

• Creating Scenarios: Develop scenarios that children are likely to encounter, such as resolving a disagreement with a friend or handling a difficult situation at school. These should be age-appropriate and relevant to their experiences.
• Encouraging Different Perspectives: In role-playing, children can take on different roles, allowing them to see a problem from various viewpoints. This helps them understand the importance of empathy and considering multiple perspectives in problem-solving.
• Guided Discussion: After the role-play, have a discussion about the experience. Ask questions like, “How did you feel in that role?” or “What could have been done differently to solve the problem?”
• Enhances Communication Skills: Role-playing requires children to articulate their thoughts and feelings, improving their communication skills.
• Builds Emotional Intelligence: By putting themselves in someone else’s shoes, children develop empathy and emotional understanding.
• Practical Application of Skills: It allows children to apply problem-solving strategies in a controlled, low-stakes environment, helping them internalize these skills.

Variations of Role-Playing:

• Use of Props and Costumes: Incorporating props and costumes can make the activity more engaging and realistic.
• Incorporating Real-life Situations: Use real-life events as a basis for role-playing scenarios. This makes the exercise more relevant and practical.

Strategy 10: Encouraging Reflective Thinking

Reflective thinking is a critical component of the learning process. It involves looking back at the steps taken during problem-solving, analyzing the effectiveness of different strategies, and considering what could be improved.

Process of Reflective Thinking:

• After-Action Review: After a problem has been addressed, encourage children to reflect on the process. Ask questions like, “What part of our solution worked well?” or “What challenges did we face, and how did we overcome them?”
• Encouraging Honesty and Openness: Create an environment where children feel comfortable discussing both successes and failures openly. This honesty is crucial for genuine reflection and growth.
• Focus on Learning, Not Just Outcome: Emphasize the importance of the learning process over the outcome. This approach helps children understand that the value lies not only in solving the problem but also in the lessons learned along the way.
• Improves Problem-Solving Skills: Reflective thinking helps children understand what strategies are effective and which are not, refining their problem-solving skills over time.
• Fosters a Growth Mindset: It promotes the idea that skills and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work.
• Builds Self-Awareness: Reflecting on one’s own thought processes and decisions enhances self-awareness and personal development.

Guiding Children in Reflective Thinking:

• Modeling Reflection: Demonstrate reflective thinking yourself. After solving a problem, talk about what you learned from the experience and what you might do differently next time.
• Writing Journals: Encourage children to keep a journal where they can write down their thoughts about different problems they encounter and how they solved them. This can be a powerful tool for reflection.

Empowering the Next Generation: Fostering Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving at Las Vegas Day School

As we navigate a world that is increasingly complex and interconnected, equipping our children with the ability to think critically and solve problems is more important than ever. By implementing these strategies, parents and educators can provide children with the tools they need to face challenges confidently and effectively.

For families looking to further support their children’s educational journey, Las Vegas Day School (LVDS) offers an encouraging environment where these skills can be honed and developed. LVDS emphasizes a well-rounded approach to learning, where problem-solving is integrated into the curriculum, preparing students not just for academic success but for life-long resilience and adaptability. Visit LVDS to learn more about their programs and how they can support your child’s growth into a confident problem-solver and independent thinker.

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Problem-Solving Method in Teaching

The problem-solving method is a highly effective teaching strategy that is designed to help students develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities . It involves providing students with real-world problems and challenges that require them to apply their knowledge, skills, and creativity to find solutions. This method encourages active learning, promotes collaboration, and allows students to take ownership of their learning.

Table of Contents

Definition of problem-solving method.

Problem-solving is a process of identifying, analyzing, and resolving problems. The problem-solving method in teaching involves providing students with real-world problems that they must solve through collaboration and critical thinking. This method encourages students to apply their knowledge and creativity to develop solutions that are effective and practical.

Meaning of Problem-Solving Method

The meaning and Definition of problem-solving are given by different Scholars. These are-

Woodworth and Marquis(1948) : Problem-solving behavior occurs in novel or difficult situations in which a solution is not obtainable by the habitual methods of applying concepts and principles derived from past experience in very similar situations.

Skinner (1968): Problem-solving is a process of overcoming difficulties that appear to interfere with the attainment of a goal. It is the procedure of making adjustments in spite of interference

Benefits of Problem-Solving Method

The problem-solving method has several benefits for both students and teachers. These benefits include:

• Encourages active learning: The problem-solving method encourages students to actively participate in their own learning by engaging them in real-world problems that require critical thinking and collaboration
• Promotes collaboration: Problem-solving requires students to work together to find solutions. This promotes teamwork, communication, and cooperation.
• Builds critical thinking skills: The problem-solving method helps students develop critical thinking skills by providing them with opportunities to analyze and evaluate problems
• Increases motivation: When students are engaged in solving real-world problems, they are more motivated to learn and apply their knowledge.
• Enhances creativity: The problem-solving method encourages students to be creative in finding solutions to problems.

Steps in Problem-Solving Method

The problem-solving method involves several steps that teachers can use to guide their students. These steps include

• Identifying the problem: The first step in problem-solving is identifying the problem that needs to be solved. Teachers can present students with a real-world problem or challenge that requires critical thinking and collaboration.
• Analyzing the problem: Once the problem is identified, students should analyze it to determine its scope and underlying causes.
• Generating solutions: After analyzing the problem, students should generate possible solutions. This step requires creativity and critical thinking.
• Evaluating solutions: The next step is to evaluate each solution based on its effectiveness and practicality
• Selecting the best solution: The final step is to select the best solution and implement it.

Verification of the concluded solution or Hypothesis

The solution arrived at or the conclusion drawn must be further verified by utilizing it in solving various other likewise problems. In case, the derived solution helps in solving these problems, then and only then if one is free to agree with his finding regarding the solution. The verified solution may then become a useful product of his problem-solving behavior that can be utilized in solving further problems. The above steps can be utilized in solving various problems thereby fostering creative thinking ability in an individual.

The problem-solving method is an effective teaching strategy that promotes critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. It provides students with real-world problems that require them to apply their knowledge and skills to find solutions. By using the problem-solving method, teachers can help their students develop the skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

• Jonassen, D. (2011). Learning to solve problems: A handbook for designing problem-solving learning environments. Routledge.
• Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235-266.
• Mergendoller, J. R., Maxwell, N. L., & Bellisimo, Y. (2006). The effectiveness of problem-based instruction: A comparative study of instructional methods and student characteristics. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(2), 49-69.
• Richey, R. C., Klein, J. D., & Tracey, M. W. (2011). The instructional design knowledge base: Theory, research, and practice. Routledge.
• Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (2001). Problem-based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. CRLT Technical Report No. 16-01, University of Michigan. Wojcikowski, J. (2013). Solving real-world problems through problem-based learning. College Teaching, 61(4), 153-156

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The Inductive Method of Teaching

When teaching anything, it is essential to do so efficiently. While there are many methodologies of teaching, there are two major teaching strategies that are very popular: inductive method of teaching and deductive method of teaching. This blog looks at how the inductive teaching method works and what makes it one of the best methodologies of teaching.

What is an Inductive Method of Teaching?

The inductive method of teaching is a student-centric approach based on the idea that students are more likely to learn when they are actively engaged in the learning process.

The inductive method of teaching essentially includes an approach where the teachers start with the use of examples, and the responsibility of the students or learners is to find rules associated with it. The basic difference that an inductive method of teaching has with a deductive method of teaching is that it starts by giving the learners rules in the beginning.

This approach challenges students to formulate their own beliefs or concepts by examining all the evidence provided and recognizing patterns to arrive at solutions.

The inductive method of teaching allows for encouraging the students to develop beliefs and concepts through their own ability. They are asked to examine what evidence is provided to them and try identifying patterns so that they can arrive at their own conclusions.

This means that the inductive method of teaching contributes towards helping the students put their own logical abilities to the test to come to conclusions. Generally it can be implemented through the help of two different approaches which are experimental and statistical.

The experimental approach is associated with conducting experiments and encouraging the students to explore. It is through this exploration that it becomes possible for students to develop their own hypothesis. On the other hand, the statistical approach is associated with numerical data analysis through the use of numbers.

The major reason why this method of teaching is considered to be a success in the current education landscape is because it empowers the students to become an active participant rather than passive. It also helps the students become more engaged with the work that they are doing and as a result improve their concentration and learning abilities.

The following teaching method involves the use of a systematic and structured process that encourages active engagement for the students. It is the reason why Educators often use it to help nurture children's inquisitive nature and foster creativity and group problem-solving.

The inductive method can follow either of the two approaches:

• Experimental: Where you experiment and explore to form a hypothesis
• Statistical: Based on numbers

The inductive teaching method is unique because it does not rely on a strict lesson plan or prior knowledge or guidelines, unlike deductive teaching, where teachers give direct instruction on what they want students to learn.

The inductive method of teaching has many advantages and disadvantages.

Some advantages of this teaching method are:

• Encourages student participation
• Builds natural curiosity in students
• Helps in developing a scientific mindset approach
• Promotes learning by a ‘doing’ approach

Some disadvantages of this teaching method are:

• Time-consuming
• It might lead students to develop incorrect rules.

Steps Involved in the Inductive Method of Teaching

Following are the six steps involved in this method:

• Provide students with the relevant learning materials. These could be examples, images, keywords, data, etc.:This is the first part of the teaching method process where the teachers are required to provide the students with the necessary learning materials including images, keywords,etc. in this way the students are introduced to the topic.
• Instruct students to find something familiar in the material provided.: In the step, the students are required to actively search for elements they can connect with their existing knowledge.
• Instruct students to organize steps to complete a task and develop their conclusions to formulate the hypothesis.:The final step requires the students to critically analyze the information and draw logical conclusions.
• Instruct them to identify patterns. Considered to be an important part of the process, it helps in helping the students recognise the recurring patterns or elements.
• Instruct students to identify a problem (from various points of view) that needs to be solved.:Based on the patterns identified, the students are able to easily understand the problem.
• Instruct students to generate a range of possible solutions to an issue or problem and then choose the best one.: In this given step, the students are responsible for brainstorming ideas and considering approaches to find solutions to the problem.

What is the Difference between Inductive and Deductive Teaching?

In inductive teaching, the teacher observes his/her students and determines what they require. It is more hands-on and relies on observation. In deductive teaching, the teacher has a predetermined lesson plan and teaches accordingly.

How Can Inductive Reasoning be Used in the Classroom? Teachers can use inductive reasoning to help students learn and understand concepts better. Teachers can allow students to share their thought processes while trying to answer and solve their concerns. They are encouraged to participate in open discussions. But the teacher is required to be prepared for questions. With the inductive method of teaching, students are free to form their hypotheses about what they are learning and how to learn it. This thinking starts with specific observations or facts and then works to find a generalized conclusion that explains the facts. It is one type of reasoning that builds conclusions from observation.

The inductive method can be used in any subject where factual or conceptual knowledge is gained.

Inductive Teaching vs Deductive Teaching The inductive method assumes that general statements are generated from specific observations while the deductive method assumes that particular statements are generated from general observations. The inductive method of teaching is often used with children because it allows them to discover the material on their own. It is also used in more informal settings, such as seminars or workshops. Inductive teaching is based on an experiment-like approach to understanding the topic at hand while deductive teaching is typically more of a lecture.

How Does the Inductive Method Help a Teacher?

The inductive method of teaching allows a teacher to use open-ended questions and activities to guide students towards their understanding. The teacher creates an environment where students can take risks to learn. The role of the teacher is to create a productive learning environment. This is done by developing a curriculum in accordance with a macro teaching lesson plan, selecting appropriate materials, and introducing new material in a sequential order. The teacher should provide opportunities to children to explore concepts, ask questions, and take risks. There should be no attempt by the teacher to control or direct the process, as it could hinder the whole strategy.

Which Is Better?

When creating a lesson plan before a session begins, teachers have to decide how personalized a learning experience can be. They have to gauge the depth of understanding students require for a subject. And they also have to figure out if there is enough time available for them to practice the inductive teaching method, since it is a time-consuming activity. Nevertheless, there is no best approach here. Each one has its pros and cons. It depends on the teacher teaching the subject. The best scenario, in this case, is to use the inductive approach as well as the deductive approach to teach students different ways of thinking and understanding. A person can make the transition from inductive reasoning to deductive reasoning and vice versa, and can use both at the same time. Inductive reasoning is more often used in hypothesis generation, and deduction is often used in testing hypotheses.

The inductive method of teaching is pedagogical and challenges learners to construct their knowledge through their interactions with the material. It considers a student a participant in the construction of knowledge. It focuses on their interaction with materials instead of just the information presented by the instructor, which is the case with the deductive method of teaching. The main reason why inductive teaching is so effective is that it has a student-centric approach.

Teachmint is keen on changing the future of education with its advanced LMS and ERP tools. With more than 20+ modules for educational institutions like admission management , attendance management system, performance management, and more; it is changing the teaching-learning experience.

Green applies problem-solving skills to service

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Every year during awards season we hear talk of artistic types who have been named EGOTs for taking home the coveted combo of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Headlines scream, commentators gush because it is not easy to be good at so many things. 

If the academic world had a similar designation, Dr. Joe Green’s name would be right at the top of the list. During his career at Ohio State Lima, he has earned all the teaching, research and scholarly awards we have to offer, some of them twice. At Ohio State Lima’s 2024 Academic Celebration, he added the Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate and support the Buckeye idea of care for others, as well as carrying out the mission of the university on an ongoing basis. 

Green's approach to service is similar to the approach to general problem solving he developed as one of 11 kids. To stand out, you had to do more than come up with a good idea, you had to take action. 

“Seeing things that could be improved is easy,” Green said. “Everybody notices things that could be improved, but taking the next step and trying to come up with a constructive solution that's doable and not just wishful, that is more complicated.”

Green has taken action to spread his service out from Ohio State Lima to include his hometown of Bellevue and the entire state of Ohio. During his time as faculty assembly president he helped develop a process for faculty and staff to evaluate administrators on our campus, a more detailed and layered process than any of us could have expected. Over the years, he and his colleagues have developed a cognitive-based approach to smoking cessation that includes hypnosis, mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches. The latest iteration was piloted at Ohio State Lima and included campus and community members.  His ongoing efforts in his home community as president of the Gridiron Foundation support both the school and town and have resulted in an improved and expanded athletic complex, a more beautiful downtown, and a growing endowment for scholarships for high school students.

Research mentor

Green applies the idea of turning abstract ideas into concrete action and knowledge to research and teaching as well. He models turning curiosity about a subject into a research question that you can collect empirical data on to strengthen the argument for or against its validity. As students in his classroom learn to how to do it as well, Green sees their confidence grow. 

“That's all part of the goal of higher education is to instill greater confidence and assertiveness and willingness to insist upon good scientific evidence for claims that are being made as opposed to just accepting positions because a person in authority has stated them,” Green said.  

Green realizes that he could do research more quickly and more efficiently if he wasn’t a mentor, but he is a mentor anyway. He has been in his undergraduates’ shoes and knows what it takes to help them become better students, researchers and community citizens. 

“I was fortunate enough to have great mentors during my academic career and throughout my life more broadly,” Green said. “Having someone to take the time to explain is invaluable.”

Teaching has never become routine for Green in his 31 years at Ohio State. He preps for each lecture like it is a mini-performance with a lesson plan as the script and the ability to adjust to the students’ needs and questions as they develop. 

“I try to script my lectures out to some extent,” Green said. “Once I get into the classroom, it's like improv because you never know where it's going to go or what questions are going to come out or what topics students are going to be interested in on a given day.”

While he sees the utility of offering online and hybrid classes, he misses a fully in person teaching load. It is easier to engage and hold the class in a live setting. It is a workout both mentally and physically. 

“The biggest thing I miss about not being in a physical classroom is I used to get all my steps in every time I taught because I pace. Part of it was intentional,” Green said. “I want to change the site line that students are looking at. I want to change the volume level. I want to change the source of where my voice is coming from so going from the back of the class to the middle of the class to the front of the class to the left to the right, approaching students when they ask questions.”

Dr. Joe Green is a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University at Lima. In the course of his career he has earned the prestigious Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching (2004), Outstanding Scholar Award (2022 and 2015), Faculty Award for Sustained Student Mentorship (2022 and 2017) and the Teaching Excellence Award (2011). 

Photo captions (from top): Dr. Joe Green on the Quad at Ohio State Lima, Archie Griffin and Joe Green strike a Heisman pose when Griffin surprised Green with the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2004. 

Design Thinking and Innovation

Design Thinking and Innovation from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online will teach you how to leverage fundamental design thinking principles and innovative problem-solving tools to address business challenges.

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What you'll learn.

Break cognitive fixedness and approach problems with a new mindset that integrates creative problem-solving and management

Develop an innovation toolkit, and determine when to apply design thinking frameworks, tools, and exercises to your own strategic initiatives

Practice empathy and apply human-centered design through techniques such as ideation, prototyping, user journey mapping, and analyzing mental models

Assess group dynamics and maximize your team’s potential for developing and iterating prototypes and managing the implementation of new designs

Understand how leaders can create the optimal environment and team dynamics to guide innovation and collaboration

Put design thinking into action by collaborating with peers from a wide range of professional experiences and backgrounds

Course description

Design Thinking and Innovation, through Harvard Business School (HBS) Online, equips current and aspiring innovation managers with the design thinking principles and innovative problem-solving tools to solve business challenges and guide their organization’s strategy. The course features five weeks of course content and two weeks of cohort project work, enabling the opportunity to put learning into practice. Leaders interviewed include Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, Royal Philips CEO Frans van Houten, and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert, among others. Participants will walk away with an innovation toolkit of frameworks and exercises for identifying business opportunities and generating possible solutions for their organization’s initiatives.

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Srikant Datar

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Top Skills for High-Performing Teams

To excel in their jobs, employees need the right blend of skills. While managers might assume employees would prioritize the technical skills required for their specific roles, Lattice data shows that’s not the case.

Instead, employees are focusing their attention on soft skills, with three skills leading the pack. And for companies looking to future-proof their businesses , that’s good news — because soft skills are often a hallmark of the kinds of high-performing teams responsible for driving business success.

Here’s more about which soft skills employees are pursuing and why these skills matter so much. Below, we’ll also discuss why employee growth is good for business and how to create an upskilling strategy that empowers employees to perform their best. 

Top 3 Soft Skills and Why They Matter

Lattice powers the world’s best companies — which means we’ve got access to data from over one million users. Anonymized Lattice user data reveals the top three growth areas employees are pursuing are:

Communication 

• Problem-solving
• Leadership 

Let’s take a closer look at why these skills matter — alongside some expert insight into what these skills can look like in practice and how to promote them at your organization. 

Communication is the cornerstone of any team, and leaders know it. That’s why, in 2023, this was the most frequently occurring growth area competency across all sizes of Lattice customers, as well as across almost all industries. 

High-performing employees take communication to the next level, allowing them to collaborate, innovate, and work as team players. Those abilities aren’t just apparent during easy, in-person conversations, but they’re also evident for distributed asynchronous teams and during challenging times. 

Another feature of the kind of communication seen in teams that get stuff done is that it’s not just a one-way street. Two-way communication involves allowing everyone to share information, which leads to stronger teams, better ideas, and improved team and employee performance . 

What does excellent communication look like? 

“Good communication is clear, concise, and empathetic,” explained Lucas Botzen , CEO at Rivermate . “It requires active listening, and at the same time, a person can put forth their ideas in such a way that both parties understand.”

In an age of hybrid and remote work, it’s also crucial that this proficiency spans multiple channels and tools, said Stephen Greet , CEO and cofounder of BeamJobs . “This includes written mediums like email and reports as well as verbal contexts such as presentations, meetings, and one-on-one discussions.” 

Problem-Solving

Workplace problems come in all shapes and sizes, like an unforeseen technical glitch or friction between contributors. Top performers use their adaptability and their capacity to combine analytical, creative, and strategic thinking to solve all sorts of problems.

Different employees will often have unique approaches to solving the same problem. But many high-performing individuals collaborate with other team members to find the right solution. With strong communication, teamwork and problem-solving go hand-in-hand.

What do excellent problem-solving skills look like? 

HR consultant Jessica Hart said that the best problem-solvers can recognize and address conflicts in people and processes. “They lead with options, not dictations, and engage others through change management with buy-in. It's about solving the problem, not being tied to a specific solution or method.”

Greet added that top performers also can anticipate potential challenges and mitigate risks. “They proactively identify issues and implement creative solutions to avoid hurdles.” He suggested that their strong analytical skills allow them to get to the root cause of problems. 

Managers have a huge influence on the engagement and performance of their teams , so it’s no surprise that the leadership skill set is highly sought after. One hallmark of an effective leader is their ability to cultivate trust in their teams: Employees who strongly agree they trust their organization’s leadership are four times as likely to be engaged at work, according to Gallup .

Good managers are self-motivated and confident in their own abilities but give their teams the freedom to work with autonomy. Leaders also need to be compassionate and flexible, especially when working with new teams. Anonymized Lattice user data shows that the average number of employees who have to adapt to manager changes has doubled since 2020, increasing the risk of burnout and change fatigue as some employees struggle to adjust. 

Managers are also under pressure and leading larger teams , with the average number of direct reports increasing from 4.3 in 2020 to 5.1 in 2023. Giving managers the tools they need to lead can help streamline admin tasks and free up time for connection and interaction. 

Empowering high achievers to develop their own leadership skills can also help with succession planning and retention, as they prepare to move up the career ladder and manage teams of their own. 

What does excellent leadership look like? 

“Good leaders earn team buy-in and trust through consistent actions,” Hart explained. “Whether that’s being punctual, adhering to procedures, or even small acts like cleaning the coffee pot in the break room.”

She added that they’re also aware of their influence on their teams — and they're more than their title. Strong leaders earn respect and trust rather than relying on status. Hart said, “They build respect by leading their own experience in a way others admire.”

Sharon Rose Hayward , career coach and author of Winning at Work: A Practical Guide to Career Success , suggested that good leaders “model respect, collaboration, open communication, and work excellence.” 

Effective leaders are also committed to continuous learning and development, said Greet. “They seek out opportunities for personal and professional growth to strengthen their capabilities.” 

The Link Between Employee Growth and Organizational Success

Soft skills aren’t just great for employees — they’re also foundational for the success of an organization as a whole. And that’s why they’re so important.

Without key skills like communication, problem-solving, and leadership, employees and managers can swiftly become frustrated. Leave these frustrations unresolved, and this kind of chronic workplace stress can lead to burnout . Employees also want to refine their skills and develop their careers.

If you don’t offer these development opportunities and support employee growth, this can lead to disengagement. At this point, some employees will become “quiet quitters,” watch the clock, and put in the minimum effort. Others will look to move to another organization that’s more committed to supporting their growth. Then, you’re left with the cost of finding a replacement . 

Instead, investing in employee growth and development shows top talent that you’re committed to their future, which can boost engagement. And it’s well known that engaged, thriving employees perform better , which in turn drives the performance and profitability of organizations as a whole. 

4 Ways to Promote Upskilling 

It’s unrealistic to expect all employees to have the perfect combination of skills — but the right upskilling strategy can help average performers become your best employees. 

Upskilling helps employees develop a growth mindset, plus work on the skills they need to excel. Creating an upskilling strategy is one of the best ways to facilitate this process, but it needs to be flexible.

“Your business and staff are unique, which is why a customizable approach is essential,” said George Sik, PhD , psychologist and director of workplace assessments at eras Ltd . “Whether you are looking to identify those individuals with management potential or you want to build the interpersonal skills of a team, your strategy has to adapt with each individual.”

Here’s what that process can look like in practice. 

1. Assess existing skills. 

You can’t improve what you can’t see. Hart recommended using a simple matrix approach to assess specific skills. “Employees rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 5 in each skill area, and managers do the same for their employees,” she said. “This self-assessment helps gauge self-awareness and identify overlaps or discrepancies. It can also be expanded to team calibrations for additional feedback, revealing unseen strengths or areas for improvement.”

Observing specific situations can also help during the hiring process. “Roleplaying in group exercises can demonstrate how someone interacts in communication and problem-solving. Putting up difficult problems and assessing the answers can show one's analytical skills,” said Greet. 

2. Make time for personal and professional development. 

Identifying an employee’s existing skills and where they might have room for improvement is great, but it’s also essential to give employees the time they need to work on their development. 

Sik noted that this personal development time can give people the opportunity they need to focus on bettering themselves and improving their skills. “This can really help individuals and teams thrive in unexpected ways.”

He added that there’s another advantage too: “It also ensures your company culture is one focused on nurturing individuals and creating a supportive environment for talent to thrive.” 

3. Schedule regular growth conversations. 

As employees work on developing and refining their soft skills, they’ll want to know if they’re heading in the right direction. But Lattice research shows that 85% of employees aren’t offered regular career growth conversations , leaving them in the dark about where they’re going. 

Individual development plans (IDPs) are one way of shining a light on growth and empowering employee success . Effective IDPs typically include an employee’s:

• Development opportunities 
• Long-term career vision
• Short-term career plan
• Growth areas 

Performance reviews can also provide the kind of clarity and recognition that are hallmarks of high-performing teams according to our 2024 State of People Strategy Report . That’s one reason why performance management is becoming such a high priority for HR: The same report found that 48% of HR teams that are exceeding their set goals are using some kind of performance management software to track relevant metrics. 

4. Create clearly defined career tracks. 

Career tracks and growth paths can help boost engagement and retention by showing high-potential employees what their progression at your organization could look like. This is also a hallmark of high-performing HR teams. In our 2023 State of People Strategy Report , only 19% of low-performing HR teams reported having clear employee growth paths, compared to 58% of high-performing teams.

Proactively preparing top-performing employees for leadership roles can also help support succession planning . “It can be extremely jarring for other leaders and employees when current leaders transition into new opportunities without a successor in place. Leadership coaching ensures a smooth transition by developing those future leaders early on, providing much-needed stability,” said Sik. 

Cultivating the Skills Needed to Succeed

When it comes to employee development and growth, the right HR tools can make all the difference. Lattice Grow is designed to identify skills gaps, facilitate meaningful conversations, and inspire development. 

Request a demo and empower your employees to take charge of their career growth.

Related content

The Path: “Always believe in your work and to never hesitate to take chances.”

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The Path: “I always try to focus on what people bring to the table, not who they are on paper.”

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Program Profile: Social Decision Making/Problem Solving Program

Evidence Rating: Promising | One study

Program Summary

This is a prevention program targeted at middle school students, which is designed to reduce stressors by teaching coping and decision-making skills. The program is rated Promising. Students who participated in the intervention demonstrated a statistically significant greater level of coping skills to reduce stressors, compared with students who did not receive any intervention.

A Promising rating implies that implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s).

Program Description

Program goals.

The Social Decision Making/Problem Solving (SDM) program, originally known as the Improving Social Awareness-Social Problem Solving Program, was developed in 1979 as a collaborative effort among professionals from a wide variety of disciplines, including teachers and school administrators of Middlesex Borough, N.J.; psychologists and researchers from the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University; and the Community Mental Health Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The program's ultimate goal was to prevent violence, substance abuse, and related problem behaviors by teaching social, emotional, and decision-making skills that students would utilize throughout their lives.

Program Theory

The SDM program uses an extended version of the Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving (ICPS) framework. The ICPS framework is founded on the belief that interpersonal cognitive problem-solving skills are an essential component of one’s adjustment throughout his or her life. Proponents of the ICPS framework argue that through means-ends thinking (a central aspect of the ICPS framework), individuals choose how to interpret and respond to problematic situations they encounter (Elisa 1986). Drawing on the ICPS framework and other research, the SDM program emphasizes that even though a child’s behavior and peer acceptance are influenced by numerous factors, there are specific behaviors that can predict acceptance or rejection within a peer group. The SDM program enhances these specific behaviors through the training and practice of important social and decision-making skills throughout the program’s curriculum.

Program Components

Given its preventive aim, the SDM program seeks to alleviate the stress that arises during the elementary to middle school transition (stress that can disrupt or interfere with the development of expected academic achievements and interpersonal behaviors). In an effort to lessen this stress, students in the SDM program are asked to:

• Focus on their feelings and the feelings of others in problematic situations
• Think about their goals and develop solutions to achieve these goals, while also keeping in mind potential consequences
• Focus on how they would implement their solutions
• Develop confidence in their ability to overcome problematic situations, while also understanding that even the best solutions do not always lead to resolutions

The SDM program takes place during the school year and is structured around a specific curriculum. The curriculum includes three sets of social-problem solving skills: interpersonal sensitivity, means-ends thinking, and planning and anticipation. Interpersonal sensitivity focuses on an individual’s feelings in problematic situations, articulating those feelings, and developing a goal for the situation. Means-ends thinking strives to develop alternate ways to reach an individual’s goal in the situation, while also developing consequences for each goal. Finally, planning and anticipation focuses on carrying out the solution, anticipating potential obstacles, and using the knowledge gained from the present situation to plan for the future.

The SDM program is organized into three phases: the readiness phase, the instructional phase, and the application phase. The readiness phase focuses on developing students’ self-control skills, as well as their group participation and social awareness skills. The instructional phase includes an eight-step problem-solving procedure and stresses the importance of initiative in producing positive resolutions, both of which take place during the first half of the year. Finally, the application phase, which takes place during the second half of the school year, utilizes the skills developed during the instructional phase and integrates them into the students’ social and affective realms.

The readiness phase has two specific units that are taught to students: a self-control unit and an improving social awareness unit. Within the self-control unit, students are taught the personal skills that impact their ability to self-regulate, control their emotions, and communicate. Specially, this unit stresses the importance of listening, following directions, and taking turns. The social awareness unit teaches students the skills necessary to function effectively within a group. Within the social awareness unit, students are taught characteristics that are accepted by others, such as positivity and appreciation. Overall, both units not only introduce these skills, but assist students with applying these skills in real-life situations (Bruene–Butler 1997).

The instructional phase of the program consists of 20 lessons, conducted twice a week, averaging about 40 minutes per lesson. The first two lessons discuss problem situations and the importance of developing skills to handle these situations more easily. The next 16 lessons consist of two lessons on each of the eight problem-solving skill areas. The final two lessons provide children the opportunity to utilize these problem-solving skills in a specific situation. Each lesson is conducted by a teacher using a scripted curriculum. The main goal of this phase is for students to develop decision-making and problem-solving processes, while understanding that these processes can be applied to a variety of situations.

The application phase of the program consists of two main parts. First, teachers are instructed to mediate conflicts between students by facilitating children’s problem-solving thinking rather than intervening and providing their own solution; this is known as life space intervention. Secondly, teachers incorporate the problem-solving skills into the everyday classroom curriculum. For example, students record problem situations they encountered, skills they used in the situation, and how the situation turned out. The class then discusses the situation and focuses on how there are certain skills that help in various situations. The application lessons are held approximately once a week and teachers are encouraged to use the life space intervention as often as needed.

Evaluation Outcomes

Elias and colleagues (1986) found that students in the Social Decision Making/Problem Solving (SDM) program demonstrated stronger coping skills to deal with middle school stressors, compared with students who received no intervention. This difference was statistically significant.

Evaluation Methodology

To assess the effectiveness of the Social Decision Making/Problem Solving (SDM) program, Elias and colleagues (1986) used a quasi-experimental design to measure the program’s impact when children were faced with a stressful life event. Three levels of the intervention were compared:

• Children receiving the full SDM program (the instructional phase occurred from October to December 1979, and the application phase occurred from January to May 1980)
• Children receiving the instructional phase only (which occurred from January to May 1980)
• Children who entered middle school in the previous year (1978–1979) without having received any portion of the intervention

The CrimeSolutions review of this study focused on the difference between the children who received the full SDM program and the children who received no intervention. The study was conducted in a primarily blue-collar, multiethnic town in central New Jersey. Specially, the study participants included 158 fifth graders (80 boys and 78 girls) from all four of the town’s elementary schools, whose parents provided parental permission, all of which tested 1 year above grade level on standardized tests. The study used a delayed control design, with two of the elementary schools beginning with the instructional phase at the beginning of the school year, and the other two schools implementing the instructional phase only in the second half of the year. The study noted that no significant differences were found among the four elementary schools used in the study.

The effectiveness of the SDM program was investigated using the Survey of Middle School Stressors, which measured the children’s transition from elementary to middle school. This assessment included several parts. During the first part of the assessment, students were asked questions about their feelings towards middle school and their ability to adjust. In the second part of the assessment, students were asked to rate their middle school on a 7-point scale of adjectives, such as interesting to boring, or afraid to unafraid. Finally, during the third part of the assessment students were presented with 28 situations that typically lead to distress or upset feelings, such as forgetting a locker combination or finding their way around a larger school. The students were then asked to rate whether each stressor was not a problem, a small problem, a medium problem, or a large problem since starting middle school. Overall, the Survey of Middle School Stressors provided a summary of two categories: Problem Frequency , defined as the number of stressors rated as small, medium, or large problems; and Problem Intensity , which included the number of stressors labeled as large problems. Study authors also conducted analyses to determine the difference between students who received only the instructional portion of the intervention and students who received no intervention.

Other Information (Including Subgroup Findings)

Comparative Research

Elias and colleagues (1986) also conducted analyses to determine the differences between students who received the instructional portion only of the Social Decision Making/Problem Solving (SDM) program and students who received no intervention. Students who received partial intervention demonstrated greater coping skills regarding middle school stressors, compared with students who received no intervention. This difference was statistically significant.

CrimeSolutions doe not consider comparative research learn more about how CrimeSolutions treats comparative effectiveness research .

Evidence-Base (Studies Reviewed)

These sources were used in the development of the program profile:

Elias, Maurice J., Michael Gara, Michael Ubriaco, Peggy A. Rothbaum, John F. Clabby, and Thomas Schuyler. 1986. “Impact of a Preventive Social Problem Solving Intervention on Children’s Coping with Middle-School Stressors.” American Journal of Community Psychology 14(3):259–75.

Additional References

Elias, Maurice J., Michael Gara, Thomas Schuyler, Leslie R. Branden-Muller, and Michael A. Sayette. 1991. “The Promotion of Social Competence: Longitudinal Study of a Preventive School-Based Program.” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 61(3):409–17. (This study was reviewed but did not meet CrimeSolutions criteria for inclusion in the overall program rating.)

Bruene–Butler, Linda, June Hampson, Maurice J. Elias, John F. Clabby, Jr., and Thomas F. Schuyler. 1997. “The Improving Social Awareness, Social Problem–Solving Project.” In George W. Albee and Thomas P. Gullotta (eds.). Primary Prevention Works. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage, 239–67.

Elias, Maurice J. and Roger P. Weissberg. 2000. “Primary Prevention: Educational Approaches to Enhance Social and Emotional Learning. Journal of School Health 70(5):186–90.

Elias, Maurice J., Roger P. Weissberg, Kenneth A. Dodge, J. David Hawkins, Philip C. Kendall, Leonard A. Jason, Cheryl L. Perry, Mary Jane Rotheram–Borus, and Joseph E. Zins. 1994. “The School-Based Promotion of Social Competence: Theory, Research, and Practice.” In Robert J. Haggerty, Lonnie R. Sherrod, Norman Garmezy, and Michael Rutter (eds.). Stress, Risk, Resilience in Children and Adolescents. New York, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press, 268–316.

Elias, Maurice J. and John F. Clabby. 1988. “Teaching Social Decision Making.” Educational Leadership 45(6):52–55.

Elias, Maurice J., Linda Bruene-Butler, Lisa Blum, and Thomas Schuyler.  1997. “How to Launch a Social & Emotional Learning Program.” Educational Leadership 54(8):15–19.

Related Practices

Following are CrimeSolutions-rated programs that are related to this practice:

Designed to foster the development of five interrelated sets of cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies, in order to provide a foundation for better adjustment and academic performance in students, which can result in more positive social behaviors, fewer conduct problems, and less emotional distress. The practice was rated Effective in reducing students’ conduct problems and emotional stress.

Evidence Ratings for Outcomes

This practice involves the promotion of social and social-cognitive competencies to prevent future antisocial behavior. The practice is rated Effective for preventing overall antisocial behavior, aggression, delinquency, oppositional and disruptive behaviors, and general antisocial behavior.

Why might a practice's outcome ratings differ from the ratings of specific programs encompassed by that practice?

Age: 9 - 11

Gender: Male, Female

Race/Ethnicity: Black, American Indians/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, White, Other

Geography: Suburban

Setting (Delivery): School

Program Type: Classroom Curricula, Conflict Resolution/Interpersonal Skills, Leadership and Youth Development, School/Classroom Environment

Current Program Status: Active

151 Centennial Avenue, Suite 1140 NJ 08854 United States

53 Avenue E,Tillett Hall NJ 08854-8040 United States

151 Centennial Ave. Suite 1140 NJ 08901 United States

Free Article: 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Teaching Superflex

10 DOs and DON'Ts for Teaching Superflex

Pamela Crooke, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Michelle Garcia Winner, MA CCC-SLP

Superflex® has become super-popular! We have enjoyed hearing from so many people around the world about their love of Superflex and the Team of UnthinkaBots and Thinkables and the positive effect the Superflex curriculum has on helping individuals become better social thinkers and social problem solvers!

We have enjoyed hearing from so many people around the world about their love of the Social Detective, Superflex, UnthinkaBots, and Thinkables. Did you know that most of the characters were either co-developed, inspired, described, illustrated, and invented by neurodivergent clients and students over the years? In fact, a few years ago we asked kids to submit their ideas for Unthinkables/UnthinkaBots and they came up with over 500!

As with all products within the Social Thinking Methodology , the Detective/Superflex series is a work in progress. We continue to rely on our clients, who are neurodiverse, to help shape the way we teach and the materials we publish. We also rely on educators, clinicians, and parents to test and critically evaluate the products that eventually make it into classrooms and clinics. As you read the DOs and DON'Ts that follow, see how many align with your own experiences. If you’re new to using Detective/Superflex, this guide will hopefully help you teach using these tools with fidelity and compassion.

Related Resources to Support the Concepts in This Article

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