Let's Get Building: Learning geometry through problem solving
Young children often become frustrated and disappointed when they are confronted for with a challenge. This is because young children are still building the executive function skills necessary to begin problem solving and the social emotional skills to regulate their behavior as they face challenges.
As an adult, you can help build these skills in a fun and engaging way, so that when your child is confronted by different problems they will be better able to handle problems independently. Start by posing a goal and talking about your materials. For this activity you will need small marshmallows and toothpicks. As you lay the materials out in front of yourself and your child, talk about how you want to build the tallest tower ever!
Model sticking the toothpicks into the marshmallows. While you stick the toothpicks into the marshmallows, discuss the different shapes that you are forming. For example, if you stick three toothpicks together to form a triangle, make sure to highlight the points you are creating. Continue to make shapes, now including your child, allowing them to construct their own shapes.
After working together to create several shapes, such as triangles, squares or rectangles, ask your child, "how you can make the tallest tower ever?" Acknowledge their responses and help them test out their ideas. If the tower keeps falling, identify how your child feels and then provide encouragement for your child to keep going. For example, you might say, "I see you are frustrated that the tower fell. I wonder what we can do to keep it from falling down?"
Your tower might not be the tallest tower ever, but the true goal is the quality of vocabulary and problem solving that is being practiced. As you continue to acknowledge your child's emotions and provide encouragement, you build their perseverance. And as you talk about the lines, points, and curves that you make by combining the marshmallow and toothpicks, your child will build foundational skills for future geometry knowledge.
As an adult, you can help build these skills in a fun and engaging way, so that when your child is confronted by different problems they will be better able to handle problems independently. Start by posing a goal and talking about your materials. For this activity you will need small marshmallows and toothpicks. As you lay the materials out in front of yourself and your child, talk about how you want to build the tallest tower ever!
Model sticking the toothpicks into the marshmallows. While you stick the toothpicks into the marshmallows, discuss the different shapes that you are forming. For example, if you stick three toothpicks together to form a triangle, make sure to highlight the points you are creating. Continue to make shapes, now including your child, allowing them to construct their own shapes.
After working together to create several shapes, such as triangles, squares or rectangles, ask your child, "how you can make the tallest tower ever?" Acknowledge their responses and help them test out their ideas. If the tower keeps falling, identify how your child feels and then provide encouragement for your child to keep going. For example, you might say, "I see you are frustrated that the tower fell. I wonder what we can do to keep it from falling down?"
Your tower might not be the tallest tower ever, but the true goal is the quality of vocabulary and problem solving that is being practiced. As you continue to acknowledge your child's emotions and provide encouragement, you build their perseverance. And as you talk about the lines, points, and curves that you make by combining the marshmallow and toothpicks, your child will build foundational skills for future geometry knowledge.
