How to Teach Problem and Solution in First Grade

In this episode of The Education Connection, we're continuing our Writing About Reading series by looking at how to introduce problem and solution to our youngest readers and writers.

First graders are expected to understand plot, retell stories, and identify important events. Learning to recognize a story's problem and how it is solved can help build that understanding.

And first grade doesn't always have to be about mastery. Sometimes we're planting seeds for learning that students will continue to develop in the years ahead.

Using the familiar story The Three Little Pigs, we'll walk through a simple progression for teaching problem and solution:

Model it → Talk about it → Identify it together → Write it together → Try it independently

We'll also talk about keeping the writing expectation developmentally appropriate. For beginning writers, it can be as simple as:

The problem is _____.

The solution is _____.

You'll hear ideas for using anchor charts, illustrations, oral discussion, gradual release, and informal formative assessment without turning this introductory skill into another formal test.

We'll also talk about why sometimes our job in first grade is simply to plant the seed. We may not always see the finished product of what we're teaching, but the understanding we're building today can become the foundation for learning tomorrow.

🎧 Join me for How to Teach Problem and Solution in First Grade as we continue giving young students the tools they need to think about—and eventually write about—what they read.

Grab the FREE Problem and Solution Graphic Organizer that accompanies this episode!

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Happy teaching, Robin

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