Problem Solving Mat- Teaching Kids Today to Communicate
by Kristy King
Kids today are born with immediate exposure to cell phones, iPads, social media, and a fast-paced way of life. Add Covid to that mix and you have a crisis of a full generation of kids that spent two years learning online and not interacting with peers. Parents had to find a way to work and have kids attend school in their house, which meant many kids were left alone to figure out school. Moreover, mental health is more of a concern today than ever before. Kids come to school not knowing how to cope with high emotions. Combine them with other similar kids and you have a lot of arguing and acting out physically in the classroom. Teaching children how to communicate their feelings to their families and playmates is not as easy as it used to be. How can children learn valuable communication skills that they need at home and school?
A teacher in South Pasadena has developed a solution to this problem. Christina Torres, a veteran kindergarten teacher struggled with needing a simple process to teach children to communicate effectively. After creating a prototype on paper, she tested it on her students. She called it “The Problem Solving Mat”. This social-emotional tool is a three-step, self-guided mat for conflict resolution that students, teachers, and parents can use in their classrooms and homes. The best part is that kids love it and it helps them build strong relationships with each other that lets them feel heard. It transforms problems into teachable moments and allows kids to handle their problems independently.
How does it work? Let’s say that two children are fighting over a ball at recess. One of the children reports the situation to the teacher. The teacher will say, “Do you want to go to the mat?” If both kids agree, the children go to the mat and start at step one: What is the problem? Both children take turns explaining their version of the story. When both children have heard one another it’s time to move to step two: How do you feel? This is where children can choose to use their words to explain their feelings or use the emoji’s on the mat to show how they are feeling. When both kids have done this, they move to the final step: How do we solve this problem? This step gives the children a chance to come up with a way to solve the problem that will help them resolve the situation.
Teachers who have tried the Problem Solving Mat in their classroom have noticed big changes in the way their children learn to communicate. Mr. Jack Hall, an 18-year veteran Kindergarten teacher says, “My students have been empowered with solving their own problems. The students who are not as verbal have benefitted from using the pictures on the mat to express their feelings.” His observations show how this one tool can improve social-emotional learning and academics as well. Mrs. Elisabeth Nandy, first-grade teacher says,” We have more social interaction challenges today than in all my years in teaching. The mat is developmentally appropriate, allows for healthy interactions, and helps them put their feelings into words.” After a full year of using the Problem Solving Mat in the classroom, teachers across the nation agree that their students were overall less physically aggressive and more communicative.
Ultimately, it is up to us as parents and educators to help kids find value in face-to-face communication. The Problem Solving Mat is on its way to solving kids’ problems all over the world. It has now been translated into four languages and has been sold to parents and educators nationwide. Want to give the Problem Solving Mat a try? Visit www.thinkingmats.com and get a Problem-Solving mat for your home or classroom. Once you see the Problem-Solving Mat in action you will believe it has the power to change the way future generations assimilate with each other.
s, teachers, and parents can use it in their classrooms and homes.