Problem solving
Children become good problem solvers when they are asked to solve a broad range of problems early on, at home and at school. Start with easy questions; let the level of difficulty increase as the child’s ability grows.
Ask children questions like:
- “I’m 38 years old and you are 6. How old will I be when you are 10?”
- “If 3 pieces of candy cost 25 cents, how much do 6 pieces cost? …9 pieces?”
- “How many pieces can you buy for a dollar?”
- “Which would you rather have: 1 piece of a candy bar cut into 3 equal–size pieces, or 1 piece of the same candy bar cut into 6 equal–size pieces? Why?”
- “How can you share 6 candy bars evenly with 3 kids?”
- “How can you share 2 candy bars evenly with 3 kids?”
- “A boy and a girl went to the movies. They spent half of the money they had for their tickets, and they spent half of what they had left on snacks. Finally, they had $5.00 left. How much money did they start with?”
Questions like these help a child’s thought processes become animated. Try it. You’ll see!
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