One-hour Training 1

IntroducingI Can Problem Solve

One-hour Training 2

Goal of ICPS

• To teach children thinking skills that can be used to help resolve or prevent “people” problems.

One-hour Training 3

Focus of ICPS• Teaches children how to think,

not what to think

• Guides children in thinking for themselves

• Teaches children how to evaluate their own ideas

• Encourages children to come up with solutions to problems on their own

One-hour Training 4

ICPS Target Audience

• Manuals focus on 3 specific age groups:– Preschoolers (ages 3 to 5)– Kindergarten and Primary Grades (K-2nd)– Intermediate Elementary Grades (3rd–6th)

There are also parenting resources:

- Raising a Thinking Child

- Raising a Thinking Preteen

One-hour Training 5

ICPS…

• Is a tool to help address existing

classroom problems.

• Gives teachers and students skills to learn to resolve problems and hopefully prevent future problems.

One-hour Training 6

Benefits for ChildrenBuilds self-confidence and listening skills

Encourages thinking about new and different solutions to problems

Encourages positive social interaction with peers

ability to wait ability to cope with frustration

impulsivity social withdrawal

One-hour Training 7

Benefits for Teachers

• Reinforces curriculum goals

• Creates a more positive classroom atmosphere

• Decreases time spent handling conflicts

• Enhances teachers’ own problem-solving skills

• Deepens insight into children’s thoughts and feelings

One-hour Training 8

Key Components of ICPS

• Vocabulary Words (Is, Is Not, Or, And, Some, All, If, Then, Same, Different, Before, After, Now, Later, Might, Maybe, Why, Because)

• Feelings - most important question in dialoguing: “how do you feel when…?”

• Alternatives - coming up with solutions: “can you think of something different to do when…?”

• Consequences - develops empathy through awareness of other’s feelings: “what might happen if…?”, “Is _____ a good idea or not a good idea?”

One-hour Training 9

ICPS Method

• Teaches skills through the use of games, stories, puppets, and role-playing

• Guides the use of skills in real-life situations

• Integrates ideas into standard curriculum

One-hour Training 10

What is dialoguing?

• Teacher/adult guides the child in applying ICPS concepts to solve a real-life problem.

• Helps children try again if their first attempt to solve a problem fails

• Helps children learn to cope with frustration when they don’t get what they want immediately

Dialoguing is a communication skill

One-hour Training 11

The ICPS Dialogue Ladder

One-hour Training 12

ICPS Dialoguing Procedures

• The nature of the problem that arises will determine the exact procedures for dialoguing.

• Teachers do not need to memorize a set of specific questions.

• Five basic principles are a guide in ICPS dialoguing.

One-hour Training 13

Basic Principles of ICPS Dialoguing

1. Child and teacher/adult must identify the real problem.

2. Each must understand and deal with the problem.

3. Once the real problem is identified, the teacher/adult must not alter it to meet his/her own needs.

4. The child, not the teacher/ adult, must solve the problem.

5. The focus is on how the child thinks, not what he/she thinks.

One-hour Training 14

ICPS Dialoguing Procedures

• Child-Child Problems

• Teacher-Child Problems

One-hour Training 15

When not to dialogue

• It is not possible or even necessary to dialogue every problem.

– Always remove children from harm

– Sometimes a crying child just needs to cry or an angry child just needs to be angry.

One-hour Training 16

Conclusion

• Questions, Discussion

• Next Steps

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any policies, practices, or procedures and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.