Problem Solving
Through Engineering
By: Sophie Booth
Children having the opportunity to engage
in engineering has many benefits to
their development. It allows children to
experience forces and motion, mixing
substances,reasoning and spatial awareness,
volume, capacity and manipulating and
using tools.
Children are naturally curious and by
providing them with opportunities to
engage in this area of learning we foster
these natural instincts which stimulates their
desire to learn.
Here are some ways to introduce problem solving in your classroom:
Have designated areas in your classroom where children can solve problems through their play
Make problem solving part of your classroom culture, share and bring attention to problems and celebrate
when solutions have been found. Encourage children to think about how to transport things around the
classroom, what to do if a toy is broken or how they can resolve conflict.
Try not to give all the answers to the children
It is very important that children are given the opportunity to solve problems independently, this
encourages children’s motivation and helps develop their critical thinking skills, builds confidence in their own
abilities and allows children to celebrate their successes.
Select activities which allow children to use their problem-solving skills
When planning and setting up activities it is important to think about what is in the activity for children to
figure out? Children need opportunities to design and create and think about how the world around them
works.
Give children time to spend working out and solving problems
Children need to have a range of experiences working with a particular material before they reach the point
where they even notice some of the problems. Children need time, expecting children to move around every
30 minutes does not leave children with enough time to focus and can be disruptive to their concentration and
development of persistence.