¿Esta llave cabe en esta cerradura o en esta otra? ¿Cómo manejo mi andador en esta esquina? Cada día es una aventura para los andarines. Con el aumento de la confianza en sí mismos y el instinto, superan los obstáculos y desarrollan patrones de pensamiento para resolver problemas en el futuro. Aliente en su niño la búsqueda de respuestas y la diversión de descubrir con estos Consejitos para Jugar.
To your one-year-old, a problem is any challenge or obstacle, big or small, that needs an answer. "How do I move the spoon to get applesauce in my mouth? Why doesn't the puzzle piece fit here? Where does the peg go when I hammer it down? Why can't I get my foot in the sock?" Young children are determined to figure out how to do what they want to do. Appreciate the "problems" your child faces daily. Give your child time and patience to figure them out alone, or with a little help if needed. Your child is building thinking skills and gaining assurance for future challenges. Don't be surprised if your toddler's persistence rubs off on you!
When you offer a new toy that invites your child to find answers, keep in mind that any solution represents an accomplishment. So if your child puts parts in the "wrong" places, resist supplying "correct" answers. Eventually, as your child grows more observant and adept, the "correct" answers will come. You might demonstrate a toy once, for example, then turn it over to your child. If your child hesitates, you might say, "Show me how you think you can do that." The more problem-posing opportunities you provide, the more skilled your child will become in problem solving. When children think through their own solutions, brain connections form and become the catalyst for future problem solving.
If you're wondering whether it's too early to introduce a counting or letters toy, take a look at the range of other challenges the toy provides. Often toys will include simple challenges for younger children, such as putting in and taking out objects, stacking or fitting—all basic problem-solving activities. Exposure to letters is the beginning of literacy, and your child may attempt to name or point to alphabet pictures long before recognizing ABCs. Likewise, your child can have fun counting without reading numbers. By encouraging play at your child's level of understanding, you'll be posing "problems" that prepare your child's mind for more complex learning.
Ejemplos de juguetes que estimulan la solución de problemas en niños de uno y dos años:
Cajas de actividades con botones y palancas
Bloques para construir
Juguetes apropiados que estimulen diferentes soluciones
Juguetes para parear, contar y comenzar con el ABC
Banco para martillar
Recipientes para llenar con objetos y vaciarlos
Figuras para clasificar
Juguetes de llaves y cerraduras
Conos con aros apilables
Juguetes encajables
Juguetes fáciles de activar para que aparezcan objetos
Cuentas plásticas grandes para insertar
Rompecabezas con agarradera o unas cuantas piezas grandes
When you offer a new toy that invites your child to find answers, keep in mind that any solution represents an accomplishment. So if your child puts parts in the "wrong" places, resist supplying "correct" answers. Eventually, as your child grows more observant and adept, the "correct" answers will come. You might demonstrate a toy once, for example, then turn it over to your child. If your child hesitates, you might say, "Show me how you think you can do that." The more problem-posing opportunities you provide, the more skilled your child will become in problem solving. When children think through their own solutions, brain connections form and become the catalyst for future problem solving.
