4 Hour Training 1

I Can Problem SolveOverview

4 Hour Training 2

Goal of ICPS

To teach children thinking skills

that can be used to help resolve

or prevent “people” problems.

4 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

4 Hour Training 4

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.

4 Hour Training 5

Benefits for ChildrenBuilds self-confidence and listening skills

Encourages thinking about new and different solutions to problems

Encourages positive social interaction

ability to wait ability to cope with frustration

impulsivity social withdrawal

4 Hour Training 6

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

4 Hour Training 7

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

4 Hour Training 8

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

4 Hour Training 9

ICPS Lessons

• Implementing in the Classroom

• Lesson outlines

• Materials

• Lesson schedules

• Fidelity yet flexibility

4 Hour Training 10

Key Components of ICPS• Vocabulary Words

• 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—develop empathy through awareness of other’s feelings: “What might happen if…?”, “Is _____ a good idea or not a good idea?”

4 Hour Training 11

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

4 Hour Training 12

The ICPS Dialogue Ladder

4 Hour Training 13

Oprah says “Happy ICPSing!”

4 Hour Training 14

Vocabulary Words

• Is/Not• Or/And• Some/All• If/Then• Same/Different• Before/After• Now/Later

4 Hour Training 15

Vocabulary Words in Action

When a child interrupts:

• Can I talk to_____ AND to you at the SAME time?

• I am talking to_____NOW. I can talk to you LATER.

• I can talk to you AFTER I finish talking to______.

• Can you think of something DIFFERENT to do NOW?

4 Hour Training 16

Vocabulary Words in Action

When two children are arguing over a toy:

• IF someone else is playing with that toy NOW, THEN can you play with it BEFORE or AFTER she has a turn?

• IF you can NOT play with that toy NOW, THEN when can you play with it?

4 Hour Training 17

Vocabulary Words in Action

When a child disrupts the class:

• Are ALL of you OR are SOME of you (doing the math lesson)?

• Who IS doing the math lesson?

• IS______doing the SAME thing OR something DIFFERENT from the rest of you?

4 Hour Training 18

Vocabulary Words in the Classroom

Review of ICPS Words

•Pages 43-46 Preschool manual

•Pages 75-77 K-Primary Grades manual

4 Hour Training 19

ICPS Feeling Words

• Happy• Sad• Angry• Afraid• Proud• Frustrated• Impatient• Worried• Relieved

4 Hour Training 20

Vocabulary, Feelings, & Math• Teacher draws two clocks, one at

4:00 and the other at 6:00.

• Your mother said to come home at 4:00 and you come home at 6:00.

• Is 6:00 BEFORE or AFTER 4:00?

• How MIGHT your mother feel if you are NOT home when you are supposed to be and she does NOT know where you are? (WORRIED or HAPPY?)

4 Hour Training 21

Generating Alternative Solutions

• Can you think of a DIFFERENT way to solve this problem?

• What might happen IF?

• Can you think of something DIFFERENT to do?

4 Hour Training 22

Teacher-Child Problems• Can I talk to you AND _____

at the SAME time? (vocabulary)

• How do you think I feel when you _______? (feelings)

• Can you think of something DIFFERENT to do until ________? (generating alternative solutions)

4 Hour Training 23

Child-Child Problems

• What happened?

• How do you feel? How does ______ feel? (feelings)

• Can you think of a DIFFERENT way to solve this problem? (generating alternative solutions)

4 Hour Training 24

Finding More Solutions

Mini-dialogue: read through the child-child situation on p. 157 (lesson 34) of Preschool manual or

p. 267 (lesson 48) of K-Primary manual

NOTE how the teacher:

1. Helps the child identify the real problem.

2. Guides the child to think of alternative solutions.

4 Hour Training 25

Alternative Solutions

When dialoguing with children remember to…

• Get the child’s perspective of the problem “what happened?”

• Guide the child to think about feelings “how do you feel?”

• Guide the child to think of alternative solutions “what can you say or do?”

4 Hour Training 26

Key Component of ICPS Consequences

Develops empathy through awareness of other’s feelings

“What might happen if…?”“Is _____ a good idea or not a good idea?”

4 Hour Training 27

Adding Consequences

What might happen IF…

I take something that isn’t mine?

What else?

WHY would someone take it away?

BECAUSE______.

What else could someone do to________?

4 Hour Training 28

Adding Consequences

What might happen IF…Someone throws trash in the river?

What else?

Where is a GOOD place to throw trash?

4 Hour Training 29

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

4 Hour Training 30

The ICPS Dialogue Ladder

4 Hour Training 31

We want to help children, parents

and teachers

“move up the ladder”

4 Hour Training 32

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.

4 Hour Training 33

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.

4 Hour Training 34

Practice makes Perfect

Interaction in the Classroom

•Pages 177-178 (Preschool manual)

•Pages 245-247 (K-Primary manual)

4 Hour Training 35

Asking WHY…

•May diffuse a child’s anger in a problem situation.

•It can also reveal unexpected motivations.

•Encourage children to use this technique when another child hits, pushes, chases or name calls.

4 Hour Training 36

VIDEO

4 Hour Training 37

The ICPS Dialogue Ladder

4 Hour Training 38

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.

4 Hour Training 39

ICPS Dialoguing Procedures

• Child-Child Problems

• Teacher-Child Problems

4 Hour Training 40

Practice, Practice, Practice

4 Hour Training 41

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.

4 Hour Training 42

ICPS Lessons

• Implementing in the Classroom

• Lesson outlines

• Materials

• Lesson schedules

• Fidelity yet flexibility

4 Hour Training 43

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.