SHANNON WELBOURN Crabtree Publishing Company www crabtreebooks com
WHAT IS PROBLEM SOLVING There are more than 7 billion people in the world What is one thing we all have in common We all face problems Whether they are old young rich or poor everyone faces problems Problems are obstacles or challenges that get in the way of our goals and activities They may be small such as a computer game not working or much bigger such as getting lost in a new place When you encounter a problem you need to find a way around it That means you need to find a solution Problem solving is a skill that we gain and get better at over time We use it every day 4
You may also be faced with conflicts A conflict is what happens when two or more people have different points of view on what to do or how to do something You and some friends might be working on a puzzle when you disagree on where to fit a piece You think it belongs in the middle of the puzzle but your friend thinks it should fit at the top Resolving conflicts tests your problem-solving skills Finding a solution requires patience It takes skill to solve the problem so that everyone feels satisfied that the solution is fair 5
