What To Do...When Children Get Stuck

I'm often asked, "How do you respond when children get stuck?" While each situation presents unique challenges in guiding children through moments of difficulty, there are several tried-and-true strategies I consistently rely on.

I firmly believe that encountering obstacles in our thinking is a crucial aspect of developing our mathematical identity. It's our responsibility as educators to present children with challenging tasks where they're bound to encounter obstacles.

Math class serves as a reflection of real-life scenarios, where we often find ourselves without immediate answers or unsure where to begin.

By reflecting this reality in our math classrooms, we better equip our children to become adept problem solvers both within and beyond mathematical contexts.

Here's my model for addressing frustration:

• Validation
• Curiosity
• Confirmation
• Invitation

Validation:

When children encounter obstacles, I first validate their feelings and acknowledge their situation. Feeling stuck can be disheartening, so I avoid immediately conveying messages like "you can do it" and instead meet the child where they are in their frustration. This typically involves phrases such as "It can be frustrating to encounter challenges in math" or "I see you're feeling a bit frustrated - math can be tricky at times!"

Curitosity and Confirmation:

Next, I express curiosity about their experience and inquire about what specifically is causing frustration. I aim to get into their thought process to understand where and why they're encountering difficulties. Once I've explored some of their frustrations (though not all), I initiate an examination of what they do understand. I encourage them to confirm their current understanding, often by asking questions like "Can you walk me through what you've figured out so far?" or "What parts of the problem have you been able to solve?" During this phase, I frequently paraphrase their responses to help them solidify their own thinking. Sometimes, I'll also seek their permission to record their ideas to provide a concrete visual of their progress thus far.

The Invitation:

Finally, I extend an invitation, transitioning from confirmation to instilling belief in the child's problem-solving abilities. I might suggest, "I noticed that ___ has been exploring similar challenges. Would you like to discuss your ideas with them?" or "After modeling this together, you might have some fresh insights or approaches to try out. I'll leave you to explore further and see what unfolds next."

Thoughts on Obstacles... 

Sometimes, when children encounter obstacles, they need us to believe in their abilities to solve the problem before they can believe in themselves. This is where cultivating a positive math mindset becomes crucial. We must be cautious not to solve the problem for them or guide them toward our own solutions or ways of solving the problem, as doing so may foster learned helplessness and discourage independent problem-solving in the future.

For children who frequently encounter obstacles, I work with them to reflect on our past experiences with similar challenges, enabling them to internalize their progress and cultivate independence in problem-solving.

In addition to providing individual support, I also collaborate with children to co-create an anchor chart titled "What to Do When You Get Stuck." By incorporating this chart into our classroom culture, children learn to independently select strategies for overcoming obstacles when they encounter difficulties.