1. Teaching Problem Solving Throughout the Day Betty Covington

2. National Centers Resources Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention www.challengingbehavior.org

3. Tertiary: Few Children Secondary: Some Children Universal: All Children The Pyramid Model: Promoting Social and Emotional Competence and Addressing Challenging Behavior TODAY’S FOCUS

4. Today We Will Learn… Why it is important to be intentional about teaching social-emotional skills The importance of teaching problem solving To identify problem solving steps That children need may need assistance in finding solutions to their problems

5. What Happens When Children Do Not Know How to Problem Solve?

6. Importance of Addressing Behavior and Social Development Delayed development can lead to more severe problem behavior Essential for school readiness At risk for social exclusion and academic failure

7. We are talking about babies… Developmental ages from 6 months to 5 years Limited understanding and expression Moving from solitary play to social play Moving from object exploration to representation Implications for guidance, corrective feedback, classroom management, instruction

8. It’s about play… Instruction is embedded within play and routine activities Major focus is to facilitate peer social interaction and concept development Instructional activities are brief and concrete Focus on how social skills are taught, the concepts of rules and expectations

9. Meltdown moments are expected… Crying Head Banging Biting Throwing objects Pinching Pulling hair Hitting Spitting food What the behavior looks like is not meaningful; context is what matters. “Referrals to the office for majors/minors” might not be helpful.

10. “If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we… …….....teach? ………punish?” “Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others?” Tom Herner (NASDE President ) Counterpoint 1998, p.2) If You Want It, TEACH IT!

11. Identifying Teachable Moments

13. Targeting Problem Solving in Everyday Lesson Plans Promotes social emotional development Involves self-regulation, expressing and understanding emotions, and developing social relationships Promotes cognitive development Promotes communication development Can even promote motor skills How do you promote problem solving?

14. Stages of Learning Show and Tell Acquisition – new skill or concept Practice Makes Perfect Fluency – the ability to immediately use the skill or concept without a prompt You Got It! Maintenance – continuing to use the skill or concept over time Generalization – applying the skill or concept to new situations, people, activities, ideas, and settings

15. Acquisition Stage: Show and Tell Explain concretely Demonstrate Link to other ideas or concepts Examples and non-examples Encourage child when learning Warning! Skill or concept can be easily lost at this stage…encourage, encourage, encourage

16. Fluency: Practice Makes Perfect Offer multiple opportunities to practice Help child link concept or skill to others Prompt the child to use the skill or concept in new situations Elaborate on the skill or concept

17. Maintenance and Generalization: You Got it! Provide opportunities to use the skill or concept in new situations or with new people Provide opportunities within a variety of activities and in new applications Comment on the child’s ability to maintain the skill and generalize it’s use

18. Teaching Strategies Adult Modeling Modeling with Puppets Preparing Peer Partners Songs Flannel Board Activities Finger Plays Prompts Priming Encouragement Incidental Teaching Use of Games Use of Children’s Literature Scripted Stories NOTE: SOME OF THE IDEAS IN THE “YOU GOT IT!” ARTICLE INCLUDE THESE STATEGIES

19. Incidental Teaching (and modeling) 1. Arrange the environment to capture the child’s attention or interest 2. Provide a command (e.g., “Tell me what you want”) and wait 4-6 seconds 3. If the child does not respond correctly, provide a model “say _______” and wait 4-6 seconds 4. If the child responds correctly, provide item/request with a verbal expansion. If the child does not respond, provide item/request with a model.

20. Teaching Problem Solving Means Children…  Learn problem solving steps  Can think of alternative solutions  Learn that solutions have consequences  Learn to evaluate solutions - Is it safe? Is it Fair? How would others feel?  Learn what to do when a solution doesn’t work

21. Sample Solution Kit

26. Solution Kit Bingo Game

27. Implementation: Targeted Social Emotional “I cannot believe how well the Solutions from the training work! I introduced the Solution Kit to the children and it worked immediately with two of my toughest boys. The children use it all the time now when they are having a conflict or problem.” Ms. Marisol, teacher

28. Turtle Technique Recognize that you feel angry. “Think”Stop. Go into shell. Take 3 deep breaths. And think calm, coping thoughts. Come out of shell when calm and thinking of a solution.

29. When Problem Solving… If child is aggressive/angry…start with Tucker Turtle Help calm/self-regulate, then facilitate solutions If a “problem” does not usually result in aggression/anger…then use Problem Solving Steps Solution Kit is combined with both Provides children with choices

30. ONE Cue Ring With Problem Solving, Solutions, and Turtle Technique TABS BETWEEN EACH To order Coil Key Chains: http://www.orientaltrading.com

31. Lesson Planning Involves Intentional Planning and Embedding Opportunities RoutineLesson Arrival Circle Time Center Time Small Group Outside Snack Story Time Good-bye Circle Transitions

32. Targeting Social Emotional Skills When planning, think of children who need targeted social emotional teaching Write skills that you would like to teach Write targeted lessons Show and Tell: How are you going to teach the skill? Practice Makes Perfect: What opportunities will this child have for practicing the skill? You Got It!: How are you going to promote maintenance and generalization of the skill?

33. Secondary – Skill Instruction Identify target skill Identify learning opportunities and seek to maximize the number of learning trials Select procedure for teaching e.g., least to most, most to least, incidental teaching procedure, peer support, modeling, visual prompts Track child progress

34. Sample Data Form Monday 11/02 Tuesday 11/03 Wednesday 11/04 Thursday 11/05 Friday 11/06 Circle (Calendar) 0 1 2 3 Outside (Swing Set) 0 1 2 3 Washing Hands 0 1 2 3 Average ScoreAverage Score: (7/3 =) 2.3 Average Score: 1.6 Average Score: 1.3 Average Score: 1 Average Score: 1.3 Rate the problem behavior: 0= no problems, 1= whining, resisting, 2= screaming, falling on floor, 3= screaming, hitting Child’s Name: EmmyTarget Skill: Waiting her turn Observer: Mrs. Nelson Procedure: Least –to-Most Week of: 11/02 to 11/06

35. Sample Computer Turn- Taking System

36. Tap friend on the shoulder

37. Wait for him or her to look

38. Say his or her name

39. Use your words (tell, ask, express) Can I have a turn?... Please stop… Can I use that?... This is fun...

40. Problem-Solving Activities Problematize everything “We have 6 kids at the snack table and only one apple. We have a problem. Does anyone have a solution?” Play “What would you do if…?” Children make their own “solution kits” Children offer solutions to problems that occur in children’s stories Problem solver puppets 40

41. You Got It!...

42. You Got It!...Bridging to Home

43. Bridging to Home Art Puppets

45. Stages of Learning Show and Tell Acquisition – new skill or concept Practice Makes Perfect Fluency – the ability to immediately use the skill or concept without a prompt You Got It! Maintenance – continuing to use the skill or concept over time Generalization – applying the skill or concept to new situations, people, activities, ideas, and settings

46. Lesson Ideas That Promote Problem Solving… Outside: big blocks/wagon…move across playground as a team to build… Parachute with ball Gutter play Funnels and tube system Floor puzzles as a small group Art without enough of something (glue, scissors…) Pretend you, the teacher, can’t do something (opening jar…) Etc.

47. Teaching Strategies Adult Modeling Modeling with Puppets Preparing Peer Partners Songs Flannel Board Activities Finger Plays Prompts Priming Encouragement Incidental Teaching Use of Games Use of Children’s Literature Scripted Stories NOTE: SOME OF THE IDEAS IN THE “YOU GOT IT!” ARTICLE INCLUDE THESE STATEGIES

48. Let’s Do What We Do Best… Let’s TEACH! Each table has a Solution Kit Card As a group come up with a lesson to teach your group’s solution Remember all 3 stages of learning! Show and Tell (large group) Practice Makes Perfect (small group/individuals) You Got It! (personal acknowledgement and group review)

49. Steps to Teaching Throughout the Day: 1. Identify the skill you want to teach 2. Teach the Social Skills Concept –during large group, small group and provide individualized instruction for children who need it 3. Give children opportunities to practice – role play, prompting children through an interaction (scaffolding), embedding instruction 4. Model the behaviors in every day interactions 5. Reinforce the behavior in context – use positive descriptive feedback to comment on children engaging in the behavior 6. Involve children in reflecting on the skills – individually or in a group

50. CSEFEL Practical Strategies http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/ http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/ Problem Solving Steps (boy only) The Turtle Technique Solution Kit Book Nooks

51. Citation for this training: Lentini, R., Wimmer, A., & Anderson, R. (2011). Teaching Problem Solving Throughout the Day. Addressing Challenging Behavior: National Training Institute on Effective Practices/Supporting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Development. Clearwater Beach, Fl.