Creative Problem Solving for Young Children And the Special Needs of Emerging Speakers/Readers Dr. Susan Keller-Mathers

Creative Problem Solving Generate Ideas Understand the problem Plan for Action  Mess-Finding  (Identify Goal, Wish or Challenges)  Data-Finding (Gather data)  Problem-Finding (Clarify the problem) Idea-Finding(Generate Ideas)  Solution-Finding ( Select and Strengthen Solutions)  Acceptance-Finding (prepare an action plan) CPS is a Semantic Cognitive Based Process

4 areas of adaptation Manipulatives Visuals/Symbols Semantics Movement

CPS Resources Specific to Young Children SCAMPER and SCAMPER ON Bob Eberle Scamper and Scamper On allow your students to develop their imagination through a series of guided activities in which they imagine different events or things. "Scamper" is a creative thinking tool that helps students imagine the world in a completely new way and to generate many, varied, and unusual possibilities. The books lead you through each exercise step-by-step with cues on when to wait, how to modify the activity for more or less participation, and how to extend the activity. Grades 2-8. Big Tools for Young Thinkers, 2nd Edition Facilitating CPS for Primary Students Susan Keller- Mathers & Kristin Puccio Children in the primary grades can learn and apply a wide variety of powerful thinking tools for generating options or for focusing their thinking. This book includes 18 specific lessons, with reproducible activities for introducing and practicing these tools with young children. There are two lessons on the basic guidelines for generating and focusing, followed by two lessons for each of eight different tools (brainstorming, braindrawing, forced relationships, SCAMPER, hits, highlighting, A-Lo-U, and the evaluation matrix). Adventures in Real Problem Solving Facilitating CPS for Primary StudentsKristin Puccio, Susan Keller-Mathers, & Donald J. Treffinger This book offers 22 practical lessons to guide children in the primary grades in learning and using a simplified approach to Creative Problem Solving (CPS). CPS methods and tools can be applied in ways that are developmentally appropriate and effective for young children. The reproducible activities in this book help children learn how to identify real problems, challenges, and opportunities; generate ideas; and take action to solve problems creatively. The book includes detailed, step-by-step directions for teacher-led activities.

Generating Rules Don’t Judge Lots of Ideas Wild and Crazy Piggyback Focusing Rules Be Positive Look at New Items Use your Head Look Where You’re Going

Maren Baermann6 4 GENERATING RULES DON’T JUDGE – open your mind to all ideas LOTS OF IDEAS – the more the merrier WILD AND CRAZY – go bananas PIGGYBACK – build on other ideas

4 FOCUSING RULES BE POSITIVE – find the good stuff LOOK AT NEW ITEMS – ever thought of this? USE YOUR HEAD – don’t make snap judgments LOOK WHERE YOU’RE GOING – remember your goal

Creative Problem Solving for Primary Students Occupations which correspond to each stage of the process Clarifying the Problem Mess-FindingCleaner Data-FindingDetective Problem-Finding Doctor Generating Ideas Idea-FindingCollector Planning for Action Solution-Finding Inventor Acceptance-FindingSalesperson

CPS in OCCUPATIONS

CPS OCCUPATIONS worksheet Mess-findingis like being a ________________ Data-findingis like being a ________________ Problem-findingis like being a ________________ Idea-findingis like being a ________________ Solution-findingis like being a ________________ Acceptance-findingis like being a ________________ Mess-Finding Idea-Finding Solution-Finding Data-Finding Problem-Finding Acceptance- Finding CLEANER DETECTIVE DOCTOR COLLECTOR INVENTOR SALES-PERSON

Mess is like a cleaner because a cleaner often has a large mess that seems overwhelming until it’s broken down into manageable pieces.

. Data is a like a detective since a detective examines much more than just the facts. A detective examines feelings and uses all of his/her senses including observations and hunches.

Problem is like a doctor since based on the data, the doctor examines all the possible problems the patient might be having and then makes a decision as to the areas to treat.

Idea is like a collector. A collector collects many, varied and unusual specimens for the collection. Although a collector doesn’t throw specimens out, he/she will select some of the most valuable or favorite for display.

Solutions are like an inventor since an inventor is often tinkering with one or several inventions at once, improving, developing and refining them to see if they’re workable and improve them.

Acceptance is like a salesperson since a salesperson spends a lot of time working on selling the product and putting a plan in place for implementation.

TIPS Start small, teach some tools. For example, teach forced relationships by having participants select two stuffed animals, force them together s and drawing the resulting animal. Then begin to use the tools to address a problem. Once you begin to use various aspects of the CPS process, start with fun problems and progress to more critical issues of real concern when participants are more comfortable with the tools and aspects of the process.

TIPS Be specific in your use of language and use visuals to support them. When generating in Problem, encourage generation of “problems”. Don’t tell the participants to generate more ideas when you want them to generate problems. A CPS chart with the stages of CPS and the occupations can be used to help participants remember where they are in the process. A velcro doctor figure (Mess = Cleaner, Data = Detective, Problem = Doctor, Idea = Collector, Solution = Inventor, Acceptance = Sales) can be placed on a chart under the word Problem when you are working in that stage.

TIPS Use symbols and visuals to help understand and remember concepts. Everything referring to generating can be represented by green and red for focusing. For example, green paper can be used for generating tool forms like brainwriting or braindrawing and red can be used for focusing tool forms such as Matrix.

Tool lessons Braindrawing Forced Connections SCAMPER Highlighting PPCo Eval Matrix