We all love being wrapped up in the drama of a ‘who dunnit?’ or a good mystery that keeps you guessing. There is nothing better than when the person that solves the crime is an ordinary person that we can identify with, and for children, the child outwitting the adults. Harry Potter, Ruby Redfort, Daisy Wells, Alex Rider, Ottoline and Enola Holmes take young readers on a journey of curiosity and mystery, facing dangers and overcoming evil on many occasions. During their madcap adventures, the characters are problem solving, finding solutions, often pitting their wits against an arch villain.
Problem-solving is a core life skill that organisations like UNICEF, believe is “crucial for personal growth and active citizenship.” It is the art of thinking about and finding solutions to issues or challenges. It can apply to any area of your child’s life, from their studies to their interpersonal relationships, so it is worth thinking of ways you can encourage them to problem solve in different situations. What better way to learn than immersing yourself in a fun activity, like a mystery, where the learning is often hidden.
In the classroom, however, do our children throw themselves into problem-solving in the same way? Are they willing to risk a wrong answer or a creative method to solve the maths word problem or the historical opinion being sought? Girls, in particular, need to be given the opportunity to explore and express their own ideas freely. A recent study has linked gender differences in problem-solving to girls being socialised to conform more than boys and because they are more likely to be people-pleasing; not risking upsetting others, and not championing their own ideas.
Being robust, collaborating through effective communication, leading when needed and being a team player are all aspects of our learner profile and feed into being an active problem solver. If children do not have these skills, they are more likely to give up when they encounter difficulties, and so we embed these aspects into their learning.
We have found that girls prefer a defined end to their task. Whilst building and programming robots, we have noticed that our pupils thrive when given a mission to complete or when given instructions. Given the option to be creative and explore, they can become lost. Conversely, we have observed boys in the same setting applying a more experimental approach. Is there a gender difference, and does it matter in our classrooms? Yes, of course it does! In the real world, we often problem-solve without realising it. At Redmaids’ High Juniors, we encourage our girls to be bold with their ideas, be creative and embrace problems with no obvious solution. Making the learning fun along the way always helps!
Calling all problem-solvers...Join the Redmaids’ High Detectives to solve the mystery of the missing chocolate bars at our Saturday 8 November Open Morning. Click here to book your place.