Growing Through Challenges

Overview

This 30-minute session invites preschoolers to engage in productive struggle by solving simple, open-ended challenges that require persistence and exploration. The activities are designed to foster problem-solving skills, resilience, and critical thinking, aligned with the Common Core Standards for Preschool in the Early Learning Guidelines and Foundations.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate perseverance and willingness to try new strategies when faced with a challenge (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.PK.CCR.PERSIST).
• Engage in simple problem-solving tasks by exploring multiple options (CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.PK.MD.A.1 - Describe and compare measurable attributes).
• Communicate thinking and reasoning through words and gestures with teacher support (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.PK.1).
• Listen and respond to peers' ideas when sharing strategies (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.PK.2).

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Materials

• Puzzle sets with large pieces (e.g., 4-6 piece wooden puzzles, shape puzzles)
• Pattern blocks or large geometric shapes
• Clear sorting bowls or trays
• Picture cards showing different ways to build simple towers with blocks
• Chart paper with a ‘Thinking and Trying’ reflection poster (smiley faces to indicate feelings)
• Timer or sand timer (1-2 minutes)
• Stickers or small rewards for encouragement (optional)

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Introduction (5 minutes)

1. Greeting and Set the Stage
   Gather children in a circle. Briefly introduce the idea of a “challenge” and that sometimes, things take time and trying lots of ideas before we get it right. Use simple language:

   • “Sometimes when we try something new, it might feel hard or tricky. That’s okay! That means our brain is learning.”

2. Discuss “Trying and Trying”
   Show a picture card of a child working on a puzzle, looking thoughtful or concentrating. Explain that trying again and again helps us grow. Ask:

   • “What do we do when something is tricky?”
     Validate answers like “keep trying”, “ask for help”, or “think of a new way.”

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Guided Activity 1: Puzzle Exploration (10 minutes)

1. Activity Setup
   Split the class into small groups of 3-4 children, each group at a table with a different puzzle set.

2. Instructions
   Invite the children to solve the puzzle by themselves. Do NOT give answers or help immediately. Instead, use encouraging prompts:

   • “What do you notice?”
   • “What can you try next?”

3. Teacher Role
   Circulate between groups, observing persistence and gently prompting:

   • “I see you’re trying a new piece – what happens if you turn it the other way?”
   • “It’s okay if it doesn’t fit right now, what will you do next?”

4. Encourage Sharing
   Invite children to share their strategies with their group or with you briefly.

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Guided Activity 2: Building Challenge (10 minutes)

1. Task Description
   Using pattern blocks and picture cards showing different towers, challenge children to build a tower using 3-5 blocks. However, some blocks don’t fit as expected if placed wrong.

2. Encouragement of Productive Struggle
   Encourage children to figure out how to balance or place blocks to build the tallest stable tower they can.

3. Teacher Prompts

   • “What might happen if we put this block here instead?”
   • “It fell down! What can we do differently?”

4. Support without Solutions
   Avoid giving direct answers; instead repeat back their reasoning, e.g., “You tried stacking the big block on a small block. What else can you think to do?”

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Reflection and Closing (5 minutes)

1. Group Discussion
   Gather children back in a circle. Use the “Thinking and Trying” poster with smiley faces or thumbs-up/down icons. Ask:

   • “How did you feel when the puzzle or tower was tricky?”
   • “What did you do when it was hard?”
   • “Who helped you?” or “Did you try a new way?”

2. Celebrate Effort
   Share positive affirmations focused on effort, e.g., “I’m proud of you for trying many ways!” Consider giving a sticker for ‘Best Try’.

3. Closing Statement
   Reinforce that struggling and thinking hard helps our brains grow:
   “Every time we try and don’t give up, we get smarter and stronger!”

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Assessment/Evidence of Learning

• Teacher observations noting children's ability to persist and try new strategies during puzzle and building activities.
• Child participation in reflection conversation, sharing feelings and strategies verbally or through gestures.
• Informal assessment of problem-solving documented in anecdotal notes regarding children’s responses to challenges.

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Alignment with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.PK.1: Participate in collaborative conversations about preschool topics with peers.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.PK.2: Confirm understanding by asking and answering questions.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.PK.MD.A.1: Describe measurable attributes of objects (size, length), helpful in building and puzzle activities.
• Approaches to Learning (Foundations): Competency in persistence and problem-solving through exploratory play, fostering resilience.

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This lesson instills early executive function skills by modeling how to embrace and work through challenges—building persistence at the foundation of lifelong learning. The teacher’s role as facilitator encourages independence while providing emotional support, perfectly embodying the concept of productive struggle for young learners.