English Language Arts · Kindergarten

Active learning ideas

Identifying Story Problems and Solutions

Active learning works well for this topic because young children understand problems and solutions best when they can see, touch, and act them out. Movement and discussion make abstract story elements concrete, helping students connect classroom ideas to their own experiences and feelings.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.K.3

• 15–25 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 20 min · Small Groups

Drama: Problem-Solution Freeze Frames

Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one story moment: the problem, a failed attempt, or the solution. Groups create a frozen tableau of their moment and hold it while the rest of the class guesses which part of the story is being shown. Each group then narrates their moment in one sentence.

Explain how a character's actions contribute to solving the story's problem.

Facilitation Tip

During Problem-Solution Freeze Frames, give each group only one prop to use so they focus on the specific problem the character faces.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture from a familiar story. Ask them to draw a line from the character to the problem and then draw a picture of the solution the character found.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: What Would You Do?

The teacher pauses the read-aloud just before the character finds a solution and asks students what they would do if they had the same problem. Each student tells a partner their idea and gives one reason for it. After sharing, the class finishes the book and compares their proposed solutions to what the character actually did.

Compare different solutions characters use to overcome challenges.

Facilitation Tip

During What Would You Do?, pause after each turn-and-talk to call on students who haven’t shared yet to build confidence.

What to look for

Read a short story aloud. Ask: 'What was the main problem for [character's name]?' Then ask, 'What did [character's name] do to solve the problem? How did that action help?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 15 min · Pairs

Sorting Activity: Problem or Solution?

Students receive picture cards showing scenes from a just-read story and sort them into two labeled boxes: Problem and Solution. Partners check each other's sorting and discuss any card they disagree on before sharing with the class.

Design an alternative solution to a story's problem and justify its effectiveness.

Facilitation Tip

During Problem or Solution?, place the yes/no cards on opposite sides of the room so students move their bodies while they sort.

What to look for

Hold up two different objects that could solve a simple problem (e.g., an umbrella and a raincoat for rain). Ask students to choose one and explain why it is a good solution for staying dry.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 25 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Story Structure Wall

Post large paper at stations around the room, each labeled with a different familiar story. Students rotate and draw or write the problem and solution for each story. The class then tours the wall together and discusses any responses that surprised them.

Explain how a character's actions contribute to solving the story's problem.

Facilitation Tip

During Story Structure Wall, provide sticky notes in two colors so students visually mark problems and solutions as they walk around.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture from a familiar story. Ask them to draw a line from the character to the problem and then draw a picture of the solution the character found.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often begin by modeling with a familiar story, thinking aloud about the problem and how the character solves it. Avoid jumping to the end too quickly; instead, pause to show how the problem grows or changes. Research suggests children benefit from repeated practice with the same story across days, which builds confidence and depth of understanding.

Successful learning looks like students identifying and explaining the problem and solution with clear language, using gestures or props to show their thinking, and listening to peers with focused attention. They should connect the character’s actions to the outcome in the story.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Problem-Solution Freeze Frames, watch for students who say every action is either a problem or a solution.

  Use the freeze frames to model how some actions are attempts that don’t work right away, so students see the problem can shift before it is solved.

• During What Would You Do?, watch for students who say the problem is solved in a single step.

  Ask them to describe what happens after each suggestion and whether the problem is fully resolved or just starting to be fixed.

• During Problem or Solution?, watch for students who think help from others means the character didn’t really solve the problem.

  Point to examples where characters work together and ask, 'How did the teamwork help the problem go away?' to reinforce collaborative solutions.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk