Our Favorite Characters are Problem Solvers!
I fall in love with characters every time I read picture books! I love their determination, persistence, and resilience. I love their creativity and how they’re innovative! Really, I love how they are problem-solvers!
95% of picture books, a character is faced with a problem and we as readers follow their journey in solving their problem.
A way we can help our kiddos or students when they’re facing a problem or struggling is to remind them of the strategies our book besties have used in their stories!
Here are some go-to problem-solving strategies: Asking for help, Making a request to an adult or peer, Saying no or stop, Telling an adult, Making a choice, Making a different choice, Expressing feelings, Trying again, Trying a different way, Walking away, Taking a break, Negotiating, Compromising
Let’s take a look at some of the best problem-solvers I know and how they solved their problems:
Jabari is afraid and nervous to jump off the diving board at the town pool. Jabari expresses his feelings, tries again, walks away, and takes a break before finding the courage to jump off the diving board!
Jabari, at it again, is trying to fly his rocket across the entire yard. Jabari reluctantly asks for help, tries again, and tries a different way before flying his rocket all the way across the yard!
The Smart Cookie tried a few different ways to come up with a “completely original” project. The Smart Cookie took a break, and practiced mindfulness before landing on the perfect, completely original idea for his project!
The other unicorns in Nerdycorn are having fun at the Sparkle Dance Party while Fern is working away in her laboratory when all of a sudden the other unicorns need help. Fern expresses her feelings. Fern tries a again and many different ways to get the Sparkle Dance Party back up and running! Most importantly, Fern sticks up for herself and stays true to herself while problem-solving.
The children in Big Feelings are all playing together when things start to not go their way. They’re feeling frustrated, upset and overwhelmed. In order to solve their problems, they must express their feelings, listen to others, try again, and compromise!
Amy Wu is trying to make the perfect bao with her family. Too much filling, not enough dough, hands are too small— are just a few of Amy’s struggles. Amy must ask for help, try again, and ultimately try a different way before making the most perfect bao!
I hope you can see how our favorite characters are such great-problem solvers. We can use their experiences to support our own children and students at home and in school. Next time your students encounter a problem, remind your students they can be a problem-solver like Amy, try again and take a break like Jabari, stick up for themselves like Fern, compromise like the friends in Big Feelings and practice mindfulness like the Smart Cookie!
For even more information on how to teach problem-solving strategies through literacy, check out our course- The Problem-Solving Course: 7 Days to Promoting Problem Solving and Taming Tantrums at Home.
