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<p>Problem-solving is a crucial 21st century skill, enabling young children to adapt to new challenges of the fast-paced and ever-changing world. Given that the early years are a critical period for laying the foundation, teacher facilitation is crucial in supporting children’s development during play. In particular, loose parts play (LPP) offers multiple opportunities for problem-solving to emerge during the construction process due to the open-ended nature of materials. However, there is limited empirical research on this topic in Singapore. This study thus aimed to explore how the teacher can use both open-ended and closed-ended questions to better support children’s problem-solving skills during indoor loose-parts play (LPP). Conducted in a Singapore childcare centre, the teacher research involved four children, aged 3 to 4 years, who participated in three phases of LPP sessions over a period of six weeks in 2022. The study yielded two key findings – (1) open-ended questioning promotes problem-solving in young children, particularly persistent thinking, and (2) close-ended questioning and teacher modelling required to guide children’s thinking before open-ended questioning becomes effective. Thus, this small-scale qualitative study offers further insights into strategies to better facilitate children’s problem-solving during indoor LPP.</p>

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Strengthening Young Children’s Problem-Solving Skills through Questions during Loose-Parts Play: Findings from a Teacher Inquiry Project

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月4日

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  • Qian Yin Tay,
  • G Kaveri

摘要

Problem-solving is a crucial 21st century skill, enabling young children to adapt to new challenges of the fast-paced and ever-changing world. Given that the early years are a critical period for laying the foundation, teacher facilitation is crucial in supporting children’s development during play. In particular, loose parts play (LPP) offers multiple opportunities for problem-solving to emerge during the construction process due to the open-ended nature of materials. However, there is limited empirical research on this topic in Singapore. This study thus aimed to explore how the teacher can use both open-ended and closed-ended questions to better support children’s problem-solving skills during indoor loose-parts play (LPP). Conducted in a Singapore childcare centre, the teacher research involved four children, aged 3 to 4 years, who participated in three phases of LPP sessions over a period of six weeks in 2022. The study yielded two key findings – (1) open-ended questioning promotes problem-solving in young children, particularly persistent thinking, and (2) close-ended questioning and teacher modelling required to guide children’s thinking before open-ended questioning becomes effective. Thus, this small-scale qualitative study offers further insights into strategies to better facilitate children’s problem-solving during indoor LPP.