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14 Sports Psychology Techniques & Tips for Coaching Athletes

At present, more than 20 U.S. runners break that same barrier every year (Stulberg & Magness, 2017). Performance gains have been found in both physical and mental training.

Whether competing with elite athletes or as an amateur, hanging in and being calm under pressure, remaining focused, and maintaining self-belief are all vital aspects needed to push personal limits (Sheard, 2013).

This article explores sports psychologists’ techniques and tips that can help improve athletes’ game, overcome the obstacles they face, and deliver consistently high performances.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

This Article Contains:

14 skills of effective sports psychologists & coaches, 4 sports psychology techniques to apply, motivation in sports psychology: 4 interventions & techniques, top 6 worksheets & exercises, using imagery and visualization: 6 tips, 3 questionnaires & 128 questions to ask clients, top 4 videos on the topic, helpful positivepsychology.com tools & resources, a take-home message.

Typically, sports psychologists’ activities fall into three major categories, each with its specific skills (Moran, 2012):

Enhance sporting performance
Cope with the pressure of competition
Recover from injuries
Maintain exercise programs
Education , involving teaching athletes, coaches, students, and even businesspeople about the principles and methods behind sports psychology .
Research , finding evidence-led answers to the obstacles and challenges found within sporting success.

The following coaching skills are crucial to be effective in an applied role, coaching individuals or teams of athletes:

Counseling skills , such as active listening
Ability to be nonjudgmental
Detailed knowledge of psychology theory and techniques
Ability to understand people’s responses
Understanding and sensitivity
Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills
Patience, understanding, and the ability to motivate others
Ability to work under pressure and cope with stressful situations
Active interest in sports
Flexibility to work with different clients across multiple settings
Problem-solving and decision-making skills
Commitment to ongoing professional development
Methodological approach to work
Good IT skills

While there is still much within the field of sports psychology to explore, there are many established practices that sports psychologists can adopt with confidence that will benefit their clients , including (Kremer et al., 2019; Strycharczyk & Clough, 2015):

Honesty is crucial to reflection. The sportsperson needs to identify and capture strengths and weaknesses to control their performance (Kremer et al., 2019).

Through creating a list and scoring (out of 10) where an athlete is now (see ‘Now’ in the table below) and where they want to get to (See ‘Future’ in the table below), it is possible to focus mental energy and direct training, development, and growth.

For example, a marathon runner may have identified the following areas for improvement:

Understanding what has to be improved makes it possible to increase the perception of control and start creating motivating, action-focused goals.

2 Relaxation techniques

If an athlete is nervous about a competition, it is not necessarily a negative. It shows that the competition or event matters to them (Kremer et al., 2019).

However, when nerves take over and damage performance, it can be a problem for the competitor. The challenge is to maintain calm and remain relaxed, enjoy the challenge, and perform at their best.

First, it is important to distinguish between two approaches to coping:

Problem focused Used when preparing to face pressure within the athlete’s control, such as a race or a match. It is possible to form a plan of action to reduce the impact.
Emotion focused When the athlete changes how they interpret or react to a high-pressure situation.

Both problem-focused and emotion-focused approaches can be valuable in reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Here are two examples:

Meditation and mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are highly effective emotion-focused techniques that help the athlete restructure the pressure in their mind.

The Body Scan Meditation or entering a mindful state by exploring the Five Senses can be incredibly valuable and convenient forms of self-directed relaxation that can integrate into training and competition.

Pre-performance routines

Pre-performance routines are highly effective problem-focused techniques for reducing stress and promoting a calm state, ready for competition.

The athlete should create a script of actions they need to perform when getting ready for a game or a match.

“Routines are valuable because they take you from thinking about doing something to doing it” (Kremer et al., 2019).

While telling yourself (or receiving a shout from a coach) to concentrate may encourage you to try even harder, it doesn’t inform how to do it or what to focus on (Kremer et al., 2019).

Focusing must be specific to what you are doing and where you are and involves ignoring distractions. It helps to have a clear goal that you can break down into a set of actionable steps.

You can think of attention as a spotlight; its focus can attend to one of the following (Strycharczyk & Clough, 2015):

Narrow (one aspect of the gameplay) versus broad (the entire game)
Internal (attending to your performance) versus external (considering the environment)

Because the human capacity for focus is limited, we are almost always in one of the following combined states at any given time:

Each type of focus has its time. For example:

A broad/external focus is required to read play late in a team game.
A narrow/internal focus is necessary when digging in during the ultimate stages of a marathon.

Consider your particular sport. What focus applies and when? Imagine the situation and consider how you will direct and maintain that focus.

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Life is not orderly, and neither is our motivation (Kremer et al., 2019). We prioritize different motives depending on the time, situation, and our personal life choices.

However, countless studies have confirmed that intrinsic motivation (doing something for the sake of accomplishing a task) is more powerful at sustaining commitment than extrinsic motivation (for the sake of the ego or the rewards gained; Ryan & Deci, 2018).

Several approaches can help motivate athletes.

Goal setting

Goals focus attention, mobilize effort, enhance persistence, and encourage strategy development (Kremer et al., 2019).

Motivational self-talk improves endurance performance, increasing both power output and time to exhaustion (Meijen, 2019).

Athletes talking (out loud or internally) to themselves, saying things like “I can keep going” and “There is more in the tank,” boosts motivation.

Such verbal persuasion appears to influence the evaluation of a stressful situation, the experience of emotions, and the degree of self-belief.

Change the environment

Listening to great music in training and competition can be a quick way to boost your mood.

Create a list of tracks of varying intensities that will suit your mood at different points. For example, you may want something high energy before a game or a little slower after spending two hours on a long run (Afremow, 2014).

Growing intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation is not a given. The coach and athlete must find new (or change existing) environments to align with basic psychological needs. Fostering a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness can maintain and sustain motivation and allow the sportsperson to flourish (Ryan & Deci, 2018).

“Goal setting is widely recognized as an effective means to motivate individuals to achieve some valuable or important purpose,” say mental toughness experts Doug Strycharczyk and Peter Clough (2015).

Not only does goal setting provide meaning and direction, but it also fuels and energizes working toward objectives.

At times, the enormity of goals can be overwhelming. Instead, break them down into specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

Use the SMART goal-setting template to help athletes set and navigate goals that enable them to focus on the right thing at the right time.

Fostering mental toughness

Mental toughness is a valuable concept in determining wellbeing , behavior, and individual and team performance (Strycharczyk & Clough, 2015).

While there may be a degree of innateness, mental toughness can be developed for those wishing to do so.

Three factors that can help enhance mental toughness (Crust & Clough, 2011):

Providing a supportive yet challenging environment
Having an appropriate support network
Encouraging reflection and experiential learning

While there are several mental toughness interventions , including positive thinking, visualization , and goal setting , mental toughness is often more effectively learned rather than taught. Therefore, learning mental toughness is particularly suited to coaching.

According to Strycharczyk and Clough (2015), a coach can facilitate the growth of mental toughness through helping an athlete to:

Recognize what needs to be improved to develop performance
Overcome barriers that impede performance improvement
Sustain long-term positive changes
Develop strategies to maintain potential

The GROW Coaching Model (Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward) offers a useful and structured approach to implement process improvements.

Improving performance

Focus on what you want to happen.

“Focus on what you want to happen, not what you are afraid might happen,” says Jim Afremow (2014). If you take a shot and focus on what you are trying to avoid, you are not likely to hit your target.

Similarly, don’t try to perform without (or avoiding) fear; instead, try to perform with confidence, telling yourself “Stay on target” rather than “Don’t blow it” (Afremow, 2014).

The legendary tennis player Billie Jean King saw pressure as a privilege rather than a sign something was wrong. It is vital to reframe events as opportunities to do well, rather than catastrophes.

Training under pressure and practicing visualization provide useful opportunities to try out reframing by simulating the stress response and providing assurance of coping ability (Afremow, 2014).

Trust your talent

Overthinking can be dangerous, leading to the perils of perfectionism and paralysis-by-analysis syndrome . When there is a risk of this happening, change internal focus to external focus (Afremow, 2014).

Trust your talent and accept that you are well prepared. Follow the train it–trust it process (Rotella & Cullen, 2004):

Step one – Train your talent in practice. Step two – Trust your talent in competition. Step three – Keep repeating steps one and two.

While there is a degree of tongue-in-cheek in step three, it is an essential point: trust is vital for peak performance.

Dealing with anxiety

Gaining control of breathing can be a highly effective way to manage and reduce both general anxiety and anxiety specific to a forthcoming competition.

Controlled breathing can help you “relieve anxiety, improve circulation, concentration, and digestion and increase energy” (Strycharczyk & Clough, 2015).

Try the following controlled breathing exercise or our detailed 3 Steps to Deep Breathing worksheet.

Take a deep, slow breath.
Gently exhale fully.
Inhale again, this time counting 1 to 4.
Hold your breath, counting 1 to 4.
Exhale fully while counting from 1 to 8.
Repeat step 3 to 5 four times.

Visualization is closely linked to other positive thinking techniques and a surprisingly intuitive activity (Strycharczyk & Clough, 2015).

However, the challenge most of us face is that we typically imagine the negatives. For example, when we think of an exam or a presentation, we may begin by picturing what could go wrong.

Visualization is widely used and highly successful in sporting environments. The 100-meter sprinter imagines the race from gun to tape, and the tennis play pictures the perfect serve (Strycharczyk & Clough, 2015).

After all, inside our heads is one of the best (and safest) places to play through a difficult task or situation. The sportsperson can rehearse a tough set of movements to improve skills or a stressful situation to increase confidence all the way up to the podium.

Try it out:

See the environment: the pitch, track, and competitors.
Imagine yourself confident, relaxed, and in control.
See yourself prepared and ready.
Picture what it is like to make each movement successfully.
Imagine winning the race, match, or game.
Visualize how you look to your competitors: calm, confident, and committed.

The following are three of the most popular. The answers to the coaching questions highlight an athlete’s needs based on their mental toughness, personality, and motivation.

Measurement of mental toughness

The MTQ48 scores individuals on their mental toughness according to the four Cs: control, commitment, challenge, and confidence (Crust & Clough, 2005).

While there are other measures of mental toughness, the MTQ48 offers valuable insights into the mindset of the individual through a series of 48 self-rating statements such as (Sutton, 2019):

I generally feel in control.
I often wish my life was more predictable.
I don’t usually give up under pressure.

The MTQ48 is available for purchase.

Personality

Personality affects performance and the ability to handle pressure in sports (Sutton, 2019).

The Big Five Personality Inventory is a practical approach to scoring an athlete’s personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (John & Srivastava, 1999).

Individuals rates themselves on whether they agree with a series of 44 statements such as:

I am someone who…

… is talkative. … is reserved. … is full of energy.

The Big Five personality inventory is available for download .

Based on Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory , the General Causality Orientation Scale (GCOS) provides a well-validated tool for measuring intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation (Sutton, 2019).

Athletes rate themselves on a series of 36 statements based on a scene or situation, such as:

You have just received the results of a test you took, and you discovered that you did very poorly. Your initial reaction is likely to be:

“I can’t do anything right,” and I feel sad.
“I wonder how it is that I did so poorly,” and I feel disappointed.
“That stupid test doesn’t show anything,” and I feel angry .

The SDT GCOS is available for download.

Here are four of our favorite videos about sports psychology:

Sport psychology – inside the mind of champion athletes

Martin Hagger’s TEDx talk provides fantastic insights into the crucial role of sports psychology in helping athletes prepare for competition.

Athletes and mental health: The hidden opponent

Victoria Garrick was a volleyball champion in her freshman and sophomore years. Having experienced the pressure of being a celebrity athlete on campus, while also having to commit to studying, led to depression, anxiety and a binge-eating disorder.

Fortunately, with the help of a sports psychologist, she was able to improve her mental health and then made it her aim to educate others by sharing her experiences.

The psychology of a winner: Documentary on peak performance and sports psychology

The Psychology of a Winner is an inspiring documentary on peak performance and sports psychology.

What gives elite athletes the edge?

Janne Mortensen is an expert in sport psychology and mental training, having trained national teams and world-class athletes. She shares insights into developing the mind of a winner.

We have many tools and resources that can encourage athletes to explore their mindset for training and competition.

Self-Directed Speech Worksheet This is a simple worksheet to create internal sentences that reassure you when things get tough.
Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale This scale helps you understand how basic needs satisfaction relates to your life.
Self-Esteem Journal for Adults Journaling is a positive and practical approach to enhancing self-esteem.
Sports Psychology Books An excellent way to learn more about all aspects of sports psychology, is our article listing the top 20 Sports Psychology Books .
Sports Psychology Courses Last but not least, to find out where you can study Sports Psychology, this article shares 17 of the best Sports Psychology Degrees, Courses, & Programs .

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others reach their goals, this collection contains 17 validated motivation & goals-achievement tools for practitioners. Use them to help others turn their dreams into reality by applying the latest science-based behavioral change techniques.

17 Tools To Increase Motivation and Goal Achievement

These 17 Motivation & Goal Achievement Exercises [PDF] contain all you need to help others set meaningful goals, increase self-drive, and experience greater accomplishment and life satisfaction.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Once you get to a certain level of competency in sports, “the mental skills become as important as the physical skills,” writes Gary Mack, sports psychology consultant to Olympic athletes (Mack & Casstevens, 2001).

Activity is more likely when humans feel intrinsically motivated and have a sense of control over their behavior (Ryan & Deci, 2018).

Mentally tough athletes have an advantage over their opponents; they can cope with the demands of training, competition, relationships, and lifestyle (Connaughton & Hanton, 2010).

Sports psychologists can support competitors at all levels in handling the pressures of sports. They can use coaching techniques such as visualization, goal setting, focus, and self-talk to help athletes regain a sense of control and perform at their best under pressure.

Importantly, these techniques are useful within the context of sports as well as outside it. Try out some techniques mentioned above; the lessons are valuable for anyone pushing their performance limits.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free .

Afremow, J. A. (2014). The champion’s mind: How great athletes think, train, and thrive . Rodale Books.
Connaughton, D., & Hanton, S. (2010). The development and maintenance of mental toughness in the world’s best performers. The Sports Psychologist , 24 , 168–193.
Crust, L. & Clough, P. J. (2005). Relationship between mental toughness and physical endurance. Perceptual and Motor Skills , 100 , 92–194.
Crust, L., & Clough, P. J. (2011). Developing mental toughness: From research to practice. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action , 2 (1), 21–32.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of Research in Personality , 19 , 109–134.
John, O. P., & Srivastava, S. (1999). The Big-Five trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and theoretical perspectives. In L. A. Pervin & O. P. John (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (vol. 2) (pp. 102–138). Guilford Press.
Kremer, J., Moran, A. P., & Kearney, C. J. (2019). Pure sport: Practical sport psychology . Routledge.
Mack, G., & Casstevens, D. (2001). Mind gym: An athlete’s guide to inner excellence . McGraw-Hill.
Meijen, C. (2019). Endurance performance in sport: Psychological theory and interventions . Routledge.
Moran, A. P. (2012). Sport and exercise psychology: A critical introduction . Psychology Press.
Rotella, R. J., & Cullen, R. (2004). Golf is not a game of perfect . Simon & Schuster.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2018). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness . Guilford Press.
Sheard, M. (2013). Mental toughness: The mindset behind sporting achievement . Routledge.
Strycharczyk, D. &, Clough, P. (2015). Developing mental toughness: Coaching strategies to improve performance, resilience and wellbeing . Kogan Page.
Stulberg, B., & Magness, S. (2017). Peak performance: Elevate your game, avoid burnout, and thrive with the new science of success . Rodale Books.
Sutton, J. (2019). Psychological and physiological factors that affect success in ultra-marathoners (Doctoral thesis, Ulster University). Retrieved from https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/psychological-and-physiological-factors-that-affect-success-in-ul

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The Power of Play: How Athletic Activities Foster Leadership Skills in Children

Updated: May 31, 2023

As parents, we want our children to grow into confident and capable leaders who can tackle any challenge that comes their way. But how do we encourage such growth in our little ones? Believe it or not, the power of play can go a long way in fostering leadership skills in children. Specifically, athletic activities have been shown to teach valuable lessons about teamwork, communication, perseverance and more. So whether your child is dribbling on the basketball court or kicking around a soccer ball, they're gaining much more than just physical fitness - they're building essential qualities for future success.

What is the Power of Play?

In recent years, there has been a growing body of research that suggests that athletic activities can help children develop important leadership skills. For example, a study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that children who participated in sports were more likely to display qualities such as self-confidence and assertiveness than those who did not participate in sports.

Other studies have shown that children who engage in physical activity are more likely to exhibit problem-solving skills and cooperative behavior. Additionally, active children tend to be more resilient and adaptable than their sedentary peers.

The benefits of play extend beyond the development of leadership skills. Play also helps children build physical strength, coordination, and cardiovascular endurance. Moreover, play provides an opportunity for children to socialize and learn how to interact with others.

Active children tend to be happier and healthier than their sedentary counterparts. In fact, evidence suggests that a lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for obesity, heart disease, and other chronic health conditions.

So what does all this research tell us? The Power of Play is evident in the many ways it can help children grow into happy, healthy, and successful adults.

How Athletics Foster Leadership Skills in Children

Athletics provide children with opportunities to develop leadership skills. Through athletics, children learn how to work together as a team, set goals, and overcome obstacles. These experiences can help children become better leaders in their future lives.

Athletics also teach children the importance of hard work and dedication. Children who are successful in athletics learn that they need to put in the time and effort to achieve their goals. This work ethic can carry over into other areas of their lives, such as academics and their future careers.

Lastly, athletics provide a chance for children to build confidence. Children who participate in athletics learn that they can succeed if they believe in themselves and put forth their best effort. This confidence can help them in all aspects of their lives.

1. Self-Confidence

Self-confidence is one of the most important traits that a leader can have. Athletic activities are a great way to foster this trait in children. Through sports, kids learn how to set goals and achieve them. They also learn how to overcome obstacles and handle disappointment. These skills are essential for anyone who wants to be a successful leader.

Athletic activities also teach children the importance of teamwork. In order to be successful, leaders need to be able to work well with others. Sports teach kids how to cooperate and communicate with their teammates. They also learn how to resolve conflicts and build relationships. These are all vital skills that will serve them well as leaders in the future.

2. Social Interactions

Most adults view playing sports as a fun pastime, but for kids, participating in sports has much more value. Playing sports gives children the opportunity to develop essential social skills. Through teamwork, children learn how to cooperate with others and resolve conflicts. They also learn how to communicate effectively and manage their emotions.

In addition to developing social skills, playing sports also helps children build confidence and become leaders. Children who are successful in athletics often have high self-esteem and are better able to handle disappointment. They also tend to be natural leaders, both on and off the field. By instilling a love of play in children, we can help them develop into well-rounded adults.

3. Goal Setting and Achieving Big Dreams

It's no secret that playing sports can teach children valuable life lessons. After all, sports are all about goal setting and achieving big dreams. From a young age, children are taught how to set goals and work hard to achieve them. They're also taught the importance of teamwork and how to be a good sport. All of these skills are essential for leadership.

In addition to teaching children valuable life lessons, playing sports can also foster their physical development. For example, running and jumping help improve coordination and balance. Playing team sports can also promote social development by teaching children how to interact with others and work together towards a common goal.

So whether your child is shooting hoops in the driveway or scoring goals on the soccer field, know that they're not just having fun – they're also learning important skills that will help them in life.

4. Learning to Lead by Example

In order to teach children the importance of leadership, it is important to lead by example. Setting a positive example for children to follow is one of the best ways to nurture their leadership skills. By being a role model, you can show children how to be responsible and display good character traits. Additionally, leading by example also demonstrates the power of teamwork and how working together can help achieve success.

Athletic activities are an excellent platform for teaching leadership skills as they require cooperation and communication among teammates. Through these activities, children can learn how to be leaders on and off the playing field. For example, soccer requires players to strategize and work together in order to score goals. This type of team play can teach children the importance of planning and execution in order to achieve a common goal. Basketball requires players to hustle and motivate each other in order to win games. This sport can teach children the value of perseverance and dedication when working towards a goal.

Ultimately, leading by example is one of the most effective ways to foster leadership skills in children. Athletic activities provide a great opportunity for children to learn

Implementing Sports into Your Child’s Life

While some parents may view sports as a frivolous activity, research has shown that there are many benefits to children participating in sports. Studies have shown that children who play sports have higher grades and are more likely to graduate from college. In addition, children who play sports are less likely to use drugs or alcohol and are less likely to become involved in gangs or other delinquent behavior.

Sports also teach children important life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and how to handle winning and losing . These skills will help them be successful in whatever they choose to do in life. Participating in sports can also help build self-confidence and improve physical health.

So don’t wait until your child is a teenager to get them involved in sports. Start early and expose them to a variety of different activities. by doing so, you’ll give them a leg up on the competition – both in their future academic and career pursuits.

Overall, it’s clear that athletic activities can have a major impact on developing leadership skills in children. From building physical aptitude to learning important life lessons like communication and team work, there are countless ways that sports can help shape kids into leaders of the future. So if you want your child to become adept at taking charge and achieving their goals, why not give them the opportunity by enrolling them in an after-school sport or extracurricular activity?

At the EHT PAL Sportsplex , we offer a variety of sports leagues and programs for kids of all ages and interests. From Arena Soccer to Flag Football , Lacrosse , Dodgeball , Field Hockey and more, our programs are designed to be fun, engaging, and rewarding. To learn more about our sports offerings and how they can benefit your child, please visit the links above, or give us a call at (609) 645-8413. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to help your child become a leader on and off the field!

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How to Teach Kids Problem-Solving Skills

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Steps to Follow
Allow Consequences

Whether your child can't find their math homework or has forgotten their lunch, good problem-solving skills are the key to helping them manage their life.

A 2010 study published in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that kids who lack problem-solving skills may be at a higher risk of depression and suicidality. Additionally, the researchers found that teaching a child problem-solving skills can improve mental health .

You can begin teaching basic problem-solving skills during preschool and help your child sharpen their skills into high school and beyond.

Why Problem-Solving Skills Matter

Kids face a variety of problems every day, ranging from academic difficulties to problems on the sports field. Yet few of them have a formula for solving those problems.

Kids who lack problem-solving skills may avoid taking action when faced with a problem.

Rather than put their energy into solving the problem, they may invest their time in avoiding the issue. That's why many kids fall behind in school or struggle to maintain friendships .

Other kids who lack problem-solving skills spring into action without recognizing their choices. A child may hit a peer who cuts in front of them in line because they are not sure what else to do.

Or, they may walk out of class when they are being teased because they can't think of any other ways to make it stop. Those impulsive choices may create even bigger problems in the long run.

The 5 Steps of Problem-Solving

Kids who feel overwhelmed or hopeless often won't attempt to address a problem. But when you give them a clear formula for solving problems, they'll feel more confident in their ability to try. Here are the steps to problem-solving:

Identify the problem . Just stating the problem out loud can make a big difference for kids who are feeling stuck. Help your child state the problem, such as, "You don't have anyone to play with at recess," or "You aren't sure if you should take the advanced math class."
Develop at least five possible solutions . Brainstorm possible ways to solve the problem. Emphasize that all the solutions don't necessarily need to be good ideas (at least not at this point). Help your child develop solutions if they are struggling to come up with ideas. Even a silly answer or far-fetched idea is a possible solution. The key is to help them see that with a little creativity, they can find many different potential solutions.
Identify the pros and cons of each solution . Help your child identify potential positive and negative consequences for each potential solution they identified.
Pick a solution. Once your child has evaluated the possible positive and negative outcomes, encourage them to pick a solution.
Test it out . Tell them to try a solution and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, they can always try another solution from the list that they developed in step two.

Practice Solving Problems

When problems arise, don’t rush to solve your child’s problems for them. Instead, help them walk through the problem-solving steps. Offer guidance when they need assistance, but encourage them to solve problems on their own. If they are unable to come up with a solution, step in and help them think of some. But don't automatically tell them what to do.

When you encounter behavioral issues, use a problem-solving approach. Sit down together and say, "You've been having difficulty getting your homework done lately. Let's problem-solve this together." You might still need to offer a consequence for misbehavior, but make it clear that you're invested in looking for a solution so they can do better next time.

Use a problem-solving approach to help your child become more independent.

If they forgot to pack their soccer cleats for practice, ask, "What can we do to make sure this doesn't happen again?" Let them try to develop some solutions on their own.

Kids often develop creative solutions. So they might say, "I'll write a note and stick it on my door so I'll remember to pack them before I leave," or "I'll pack my bag the night before and I'll keep a checklist to remind me what needs to go in my bag."

Provide plenty of praise when your child practices their problem-solving skills.

Allow for Natural Consequences

Natural consequences may also teach problem-solving skills. So when it's appropriate, allow your child to face the natural consequences of their action. Just make sure it's safe to do so.

For example, let your teenager spend all of their money during the first 10 minutes you're at an amusement park if that's what they want. Then, let them go for the rest of the day without any spending money.

This can lead to a discussion about problem-solving to help them make a better choice next time. Consider these natural consequences as a teachable moment to help work together on problem-solving.

Becker-Weidman EG, Jacobs RH, Reinecke MA, Silva SG, March JS. Social problem-solving among adolescents treated for depression . Behav Res Ther . 2010;48(1):11-18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2009.08.006

Pakarinen E, Kiuru N, Lerkkanen M-K, Poikkeus A-M, Ahonen T, Nurmi J-E. Instructional support predicts childrens task avoidance in kindergarten . Early Child Res Q . 2011;26(3):376-386. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2010.11.003

Schell A, Albers L, von Kries R, Hillenbrand C, Hennemann T. Preventing behavioral disorders via supporting social and emotional competence at preschool age . Dtsch Arztebl Int . 2015;112(39):647–654. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2015.0647

Cheng SC, She HC, Huang LY. The impact of problem-solving instruction on middle school students’ physical science learning: Interplays of knowledge, reasoning, and problem solving . EJMSTE . 2018;14(3):731-743.

Vlachou A, Stavroussi P. Promoting social inclusion: A structured intervention for enhancing interpersonal problem‐solving skills in children with mild intellectual disabilities . Support Learn . 2016;31(1):27-45. doi:10.1111/1467-9604.12112

Öğülmüş S, Kargı E. The interpersonal cognitive problem solving approach for preschoolers . Turkish J Educ . 2015;4(17347):19-28. doi:10.19128/turje.181093

American Academy of Pediatrics. What's the best way to discipline my child? .

Kashani-Vahid L, Afrooz G, Shokoohi-Yekta M, Kharrazi K, Ghobari B. Can a creative interpersonal problem solving program improve creative thinking in gifted elementary students? . Think Skills Creat . 2017;24:175-185. doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2017.02.011

Shokoohi-Yekta M, Malayeri SA. Effects of advanced parenting training on children's behavioral problems and family problem solving . Procedia Soc Behav Sci . 2015;205:676-680. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.09.106

By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time.

Developing Life Skills Through Sports and Its Benefits

In the current fast-paced and competitive world, the significance of developing life skills has never been more crucial. One avenue that stands out in fostering these essential skills is through sports. The journey of developing life skills through sports is a dynamic and transformative process that goes beyond the confines of the playing field.

This article explores the profound impact of engaging in sports activities on personal growth and the multitude of benefits it brings.

What Are Life Skills?

Life skills are a set of abilities that enable individuals to navigate the challenges and complexities of everyday life effectively. These skills encompass a broad range of capabilities that extend beyond academic or technical knowledge.

Life skills are practical, adaptive, and can be applied in various situations, contributing to an individual's overall competence and resilience. Here are five the most common key life skills:

This involves treating others with consideration, valuing diversity, and acknowledging the opinions and boundaries between people.

It is characterized by truthfulness, integrity, and transparency in communication and actions.

3. Teamwork

These life skills emphasize collaboration, cooperation, and effective communication within a group to achieve common goals.

4. Emotional Regulation

It involves the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one's own emotions in a healthy and constructive manner.

5. Perseverance

This skill centered on maintaining determination, resilience, and commitment in the face of challenges and setbacks.

What Are The Benefits Of Participating In Sport?

Participating in sports offers various benefits that extend far beyond physical activity . Beyond the obvious physical advantages of improved fitness and health, engagement in sports fosters essential life skills. Here are some of the main benefits:

1. Cooperation and Teamwork

Participation in sports instills the value of cooperation and teamwork. Children learn to work harmoniously with their peers towards a common goal. It fosters a sense of unity and shared achievement.

2. Reduced Selfishness

Sports teach children to think beyond individual interests. Through team dynamics, they understand the importance of considering others, promoting a mindset that is less selfish and more attuned to collective success.

3. Improved Communication Skills

Engaging in sports requires effective communication. Children learn to listen to their teammates, follow instructions from coaches, and express their ideas. These enhanced communication skills extend beyond the playing field into everyday interactions.

4. Expanded Social Circle

Sports provide a platform for children to make new friends outside the school setting. The shared experiences of training and competition create lasting bonds, broadening their social circle and exposing them to diverse perspectives.

5. Acceptance of Discipline

Sports often come with rules and regulations that require disciplined adherence. Children have to learn to accept and respect these guidelines. It also fosters a sense of discipline that can positively impact their behavior in various aspects of life.

6. Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills

The challenges presented in sports help children develop effective problem-solving skills since they have to learn the strategy in overcoming obstacles. These skills become transferable to academic and real-life situations.

7. Leadership Skills

Within a sports team, opportunities arise for children to take on leadership roles. Whether as a team captain or a supportive teammate, these experiences foster the development of leadership qualities that extend beyond the sports arena.

8. Increased Physical Fitness

Participation in sports contributes to improved physical health. Regular physical activity helps children maintain a healthy weight, develop strong muscles and bones, and establish habits that support a lifelong commitment to fitness.

9. Enhanced Emotional Wellbeing

Participation in sports has been linked to improved emotional wellbeing in children. Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, often referred to as " feel-good " hormones, which can help alleviate stress, anxiety, and promote a positive mood.

10. Increased Confidence

Sports provide a platform for children to set and achieve goals, whether individually or as part of a team. These accomplishments contribute to a sense of competence and self-efficacy, ultimately boosting a child's confidence in their abilities both on and off the playing field.

How Does Sports Enhance Children's Development?

Participation in sports plays a pivotal role in enhancing children's development by offering a multifaceted platform for growth. Beyond the physical benefits, engagement in sports equips children with invaluable life skills that contribute to their overall well-being. Here are how sports can enhance children’s development:

1. Emotional Regulation

Engaging in sports teaches children to manage their emotions effectively. Through wins and losses, they experience the highs and lows of competition, so they can learn to navigate success and disappointment with resilience.

2. Positive Channeling of Emotions

Sports provide a constructive outlet for children to channel negative feelings. Instead of expressing frustration or anger in harmful ways, they can redirect these emotions into the game and foster a healthier emotional release.

3. Patience and Persistence

Children develop patience as they come to understand that skill improvement is a gradual process. The repetitive nature of practice in sports instills the value of persistence, teaching them that consistent effort over time leads to progress.

Ready To Transform Your Life Through Sports?

The benefits of developing life skills through sports are multifaceted and enduring. Encouraging participation in sports is an investment in the overall well-being and development of children. It also prepares them to navigate the complexities of life with confidence and resilience.

At Rockstar Academy, we pride ourselves on being a premier Sports & Performing Arts Academy dedicated to fostering holistic development through a unique blend of education and physical activity. If you're curious about how our programs can benefit your child, don't hesitate to contact Rockstar Academy .

We understand the importance of ensuring the right fit for your child, which is why we offer a free trial at Rockstar Academy . This way, you can experience firsthand the enriching environment and tailored activities that contribute to the overall growth and well-being of your child. Join us in empowering your child to become a true rockstar in life!

1. How would playing sports help in developing life skills?

Engaging in sports provides a dynamic platform for honing various life skills. Team sports, for instance, promote teamwork, communication, and cooperation, while individual sports foster discipline, self-motivation, and goal-setting.

2. Why is it important to improve skills in sports?

Improving skills in sports extends beyond athletic prowess. It is crucial for personal growth as it cultivates discipline, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. Moreover, developing skills in sports contributes to enhanced self-esteem and confidence, positively impacting an individual's mental well-being.

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Teaching problem solving: Let students get ‘stuck’ and ‘unstuck’

Subscribe to the center for universal education bulletin, kate mills and km kate mills literacy interventionist - red bank primary school helyn kim helyn kim former brookings expert @helyn_kim.

October 31, 2017

This is the second in a six-part blog series on teaching 21st century skills , including problem solving , metacognition , critical thinking , and collaboration , in classrooms.

In the real world, students encounter problems that are complex, not well defined, and lack a clear solution and approach. They need to be able to identify and apply different strategies to solve these problems. However, problem solving skills do not necessarily develop naturally; they need to be explicitly taught in a way that can be transferred across multiple settings and contexts.

Here’s what Kate Mills, who taught 4 th grade for 10 years at Knollwood School in New Jersey and is now a Literacy Interventionist at Red Bank Primary School, has to say about creating a classroom culture of problem solvers:

Helping my students grow to be people who will be successful outside of the classroom is equally as important as teaching the curriculum. From the first day of school, I intentionally choose language and activities that help to create a classroom culture of problem solvers. I want to produce students who are able to think about achieving a particular goal and manage their mental processes . This is known as metacognition , and research shows that metacognitive skills help students become better problem solvers.

I begin by “normalizing trouble” in the classroom. Peter H. Johnston teaches the importance of normalizing struggle , of naming it, acknowledging it, and calling it what it is: a sign that we’re growing. The goal is for the students to accept challenge and failure as a chance to grow and do better.

I look for every chance to share problems and highlight how the students— not the teachers— worked through those problems. There is, of course, coaching along the way. For example, a science class that is arguing over whose turn it is to build a vehicle will most likely need a teacher to help them find a way to the balance the work in an equitable way. Afterwards, I make it a point to turn it back to the class and say, “Do you see how you …” By naming what it is they did to solve the problem , students can be more independent and productive as they apply and adapt their thinking when engaging in future complex tasks.

After a few weeks, most of the class understands that the teachers aren’t there to solve problems for the students, but to support them in solving the problems themselves. With that important part of our classroom culture established, we can move to focusing on the strategies that students might need.

Here’s one way I do this in the classroom:

I show the broken escalator video to the class. Since my students are fourth graders, they think it’s hilarious and immediately start exclaiming, “Just get off! Walk!”

When the video is over, I say, “Many of us, probably all of us, are like the man in the video yelling for help when we get stuck. When we get stuck, we stop and immediately say ‘Help!’ instead of embracing the challenge and trying new ways to work through it.” I often introduce this lesson during math class, but it can apply to any area of our lives, and I can refer to the experience and conversation we had during any part of our day.

Research shows that just because students know the strategies does not mean they will engage in the appropriate strategies. Therefore, I try to provide opportunities where students can explicitly practice learning how, when, and why to use which strategies effectively so that they can become self-directed learners.

For example, I give students a math problem that will make many of them feel “stuck”. I will say, “Your job is to get yourselves stuck—or to allow yourselves to get stuck on this problem—and then work through it, being mindful of how you’re getting yourselves unstuck.” As students work, I check-in to help them name their process: “How did you get yourself unstuck?” or “What was your first step? What are you doing now? What might you try next?” As students talk about their process, I’ll add to a list of strategies that students are using and, if they are struggling, help students name a specific process. For instance, if a student says he wrote the information from the math problem down and points to a chart, I will say: “Oh that’s interesting. You pulled the important information from the problem out and organized it into a chart.” In this way, I am giving him the language to match what he did, so that he now has a strategy he could use in other times of struggle.

The charts grow with us over time and are something that we refer to when students are stuck or struggling. They become a resource for students and a way for them to talk about their process when they are reflecting on and monitoring what did or did not work.

For me, as a teacher, it is important that I create a classroom environment in which students are problem solvers. This helps tie struggles to strategies so that the students will not only see value in working harder but in working smarter by trying new and different strategies and revising their process. In doing so, they will more successful the next time around.

Center for Teaching

Teaching problem solving.

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Tips and Techniques

Expert vs. novice problem solvers, communicate.

Have students identify specific problems, difficulties, or confusions . Don’t waste time working through problems that students already understand.
If students are unable to articulate their concerns, determine where they are having trouble by asking them to identify the specific concepts or principles associated with the problem.
In a one-on-one tutoring session, ask the student to work his/her problem out loud . This slows down the thinking process, making it more accurate and allowing you to access understanding.
When working with larger groups you can ask students to provide a written “two-column solution.” Have students write up their solution to a problem by putting all their calculations in one column and all of their reasoning (in complete sentences) in the other column. This helps them to think critically about their own problem solving and helps you to more easily identify where they may be having problems. Two-Column Solution (Math) Two-Column Solution (Physics)

Encourage Independence

Model the problem solving process rather than just giving students the answer. As you work through the problem, consider how a novice might struggle with the concepts and make your thinking clear
Have students work through problems on their own. Ask directing questions or give helpful suggestions, but provide only minimal assistance and only when needed to overcome obstacles.
Don’t fear group work ! Students can frequently help each other, and talking about a problem helps them think more critically about the steps needed to solve the problem. Additionally, group work helps students realize that problems often have multiple solution strategies, some that might be more effective than others

Be sensitive

Frequently, when working problems, students are unsure of themselves. This lack of confidence may hamper their learning. It is important to recognize this when students come to us for help, and to give each student some feeling of mastery. Do this by providing positive reinforcement to let students know when they have mastered a new concept or skill.

Encourage Thoroughness and Patience

Try to communicate that the process is more important than the answer so that the student learns that it is OK to not have an instant solution. This is learned through your acceptance of his/her pace of doing things, through your refusal to let anxiety pressure you into giving the right answer, and through your example of problem solving through a step-by step process.

Experts (teachers) in a particular field are often so fluent in solving problems from that field that they can find it difficult to articulate the problem solving principles and strategies they use to novices (students) in their field because these principles and strategies are second nature to the expert. To teach students problem solving skills, a teacher should be aware of principles and strategies of good problem solving in his or her discipline .

The mathematician George Polya captured the problem solving principles and strategies he used in his discipline in the book How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method (Princeton University Press, 1957). The book includes a summary of Polya’s problem solving heuristic as well as advice on the teaching of problem solving.

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How Sports Help Kids Develop Life Skills

Children need more influence in their lives besides what they get from their phones. The internet can obscure a child’s reality and identity. They can create poor social skills, inability to communicate, bad behavior, low self-esteem, aggressiveness, cognitive issues, trouble concentrating, depression, etc.

Kids can become more obsessed with other people’s lives, tweets, and likes rather than their own or learning to score a game-winning goal. The influence is too easy. However, sports and physical activity can make a cloudy day turn sunny.

Sport and physical activity positively impact the social, emotional, and academic performance of kids.

Calm an overactive mind to be more focused.
Relax aggressive behavior to understand that there is another side.
Help kids gain self-esteem.
Releasing endorphins in the body, the body’s feel-good chemicals.
Improve concentration

How Sport And Physical Activity Alter Your Brain

Sport and physical activity alter your brain positively and progressively. The front of your brain is the part of your brain that controls your emotions, ability to socialize, and cognitive skills. Sports and physical activity increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain and cause endorphins and hormones to be released that create a better mood, well-being, and positive feelings. Sport and physical activity also create new nerve cells in the brain that bridge and influence other parts of the brain’s connections. Playing sports and physical activity helps your brain to function better. When all of this comes into play, it produces a more rational, logical, and empathetic mind that leads to other great qualities. When you develop one, you begin to unlock the others.

Sports Develop Life Skills

Life skills are important because they are the foundation that causes other skills to blossom and flourish and how a child will integrate with the world. Playing sports creates self-awareness, and self-awareness leads to good decision-making, problem-solving, and the ability to communicate effectively. The ability to communicate through self-awareness creates empathy and understanding and builds positive relationships and friendships. Sports also instills assertiveness, positivity, and self-confidence; to do and accomplish and not be afraid to do it.

Sports Develop Academic Skills

Academia is important to develop a child’s mind. It will depend on life skills because the child must integrate and interface with the school. Sports help children be assertive, aware, and curious and, develop initiative. These skills influence critical thinking and imagination. In sports, you are often given a specific position to play. Learning to play that specific position teaches children accountability, follow instructions and organizational skills. These skills transfer into good study habits and better concentration.

Sport Develop Social And Emotional Skills

Social and emotional skills are important. They help children to stay calm and have the self-control to think rather than react. Self-control leads to expressing feelings, listening to others, and being aware of other people’s feelings. Sports give children a chance to develop a positive self-image, feel proud, and show affection.

Sports Develop Career Skills

Playing sports throughout life ingrains life, social and emotional skills. As children become older and enter the workforce, they will understand teamwork and work as a team. Working as a team will further develop their commitment, responsibility, and people skills in a more advanced way. However, having the foundation to function as a team is essential. When the going gets tough, the tough get going will access their perseverance, determination, and ability to handle the pressure. All of the aforementioned prepares them to be the “cream of the crop” and the ability to obtain leadership and management positions.

Life Is Just Like A Sport

Researchers today now know that sport, physical activity, even recess are just as essential as learning a subject like math in school because of their positive development and unparalleled effects. There are schools in Finland that teach through constant recess. Their results show better behaviors, improved academic retention, and the willingness to want to learn. The kids also learned respect, responsibility, compassion to help each other and had better self-esteem.

Sport and physical activity are not just useful to improve and transform the body. It is excellent at developing the brain too! Believe it or not, when kids, even adults, play sports, do physical activity or move and play, it is developing their mind-body connection. It wires their brain to become more aware and mindful. And, it can rewire a brain to do the same too! Sport and physical activity have an incredibly positive effect, and kids need to be given this opportunity to develop. Furthermore, when children start at a young age, they are more likely to continue staying healthy and more active as they become older.

Social media, video games, and TV do serve as building blocks for development. It is not about taking it all away from children. It is about guiding, educating, and showing them the positives without abusing them. In this day and age, children must learn and know the difference between life and the internet and that it is not a replacement for physical contact and communication.

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7 Valuable Life Skills Kids Can Learn Through Team Sports

May 23, 2022

Kids can learn many valuable life skills through playing team sports. These skills can help them in all areas of their lives, from academics to relationships.

Studies show that participation in team sports benefits mental, emotional, social, and physical health while endowing kids with essential life skills. In fact, the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (PCSFN ) recently released a report that detailed the many advantages of team sports. Read on to learn how things like teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship can help kids in all aspects of their lives, from academics to their future careers.

Health Benefits of Youth Sports Participation

Participation in team sports yields both short and long-term benefits for kids and communities. The PCSFN data showed that team sport involvement:

Reduced the occurrence of anxiety and depression
Lowered stress levels
Boosted self-esteem and confidence
Decreased suicide risks
Cut-down on the incidence of substance abuse
Bettered cognitive performance
Ignited creativity
Enhanced life enjoyment and psychological well-being
Augmented bone health
Lowered obesity and fat percentages
Increased cardio and muscular fitness
Lowered cancer and diabetes risks

7 Key Life Skills Kids Can Learn from Youth Sports

Playing team sports is a great way to develop life skills while teaching kids how to deal with both victory and defeat. Ultimately, team sports provide kids with a valuable learning environment that endows them with the following essential abilities:

1. Kids Can Learn Teamwork Through Sports

Teamwork is key in team sports. Kids learn how to work together to achieve a common goal. Playing as part of a team can also help individuals learn important life skills such as cooperation and communication. This teamwork skill can be applied in all areas of life, from the classroom to the workplace.

Children who participate in team sports learn how to be good teammates. They develop a sense of responsibility to the group and understand that their actions influence others. This is an important lesson that carries over into many facets of life. When people can work together towards a common goal, the results are impressive.

Sharing the load with a team makes workloads easier to manage. It allows kids to learn from the strengths and weaknesses of others and become a more well-rounded individual. Teamwork also allows your children to build relationships. Working together with others allows them to form strong bonds and friendships that can last a lifetime.

2. Kids Can Learn Discipline Through Sports

One of the many benefits of playing team sports is that they teach discipline. This is because to be successful, players need to follow the coach’s instructions and work together as a team.

If someone doesn’t adhere to the rules or starts behaving selfishly, it can disrupt the whole team’s performance. As a result, players learn the importance of discipline and how to be accountable for their actions.

3. Kids Learn Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is another important life skill that kids can learn through team sports. This skill teaches kids how to be respectful and fair to their opponents. It can help kids develop positive relationships with others, both in and out of the classroom or workplace.

Sportsmanship is about being a good role model both on and off the field.. It is a vital life skill that teaches kids how to act with grace and respect towards others, whether they are winning or losing.

4. Sports Teach Kids How To Turn a Setback into a Step Forward

Team sports also help children learn how to deal with disappointment. Not every game goes the way we want it to and not every player gets to be in the spotlight. Learning how to cope with these setbacks and still be a part of the team is an important life skill.

5. Sports Help Kids Learn Communication Skills

There are many benefits of team sports, but one of the most important is the development of communication skills. Playing on a team teaches children how to compromise, cooperate, and problem solve with others. This valuable experience helps them in all aspects of life, from school to work.

Good communication is essential in any successful relationship. When everyone is on the same page, tasks become easier and are done with fewer misunderstandings. The skills learned while playing team sports carry over into all aspects of life, from work teams to families.

6. Kids Learn Problem Solving Through Playing Sports

The more you practice problem solving, the better kids become at it. This is true for any skill, but it’s especially important in team sports. The more time your kids spend working on strategies with their teammates, the better they get at implementing them when it matters most.

This practice of problem solving helps kids learn how to think on their feet and make decisions under pressure. It also allows them to listen to different perspectives as they problem solve to come up with better solutions as a team.

7. Patience Can be Taught Through Youth Sports

To be successful in a team sport, players must learn how to be patient and wait for their chance to contribute. This can be difficult, especially when athletes are eager to make an impact. However, if players try to do too much, they may end up making mistakes and costing the team a victory.

Practicing patience on the field helps kids learn to stay patient under pressure off the field as well. This will help as they grow into adulthood and experience more stressful situations such as college exams or an important presentation at work.

How to Get Started with Your Local Kids’ Sports Leagues

Team sports provide a great opportunity for kids to learn important life skills. These skills can help them in all aspects of their lives, from academics to their future careers. Kids who participate in team sports are more likely to be successful in life.

i9 Sports is the nation’s largest multi-sport provider dedicated to offering high-quality, community-based kids sports leagues. Contact us today to find a program near you!

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7 Problem-Solving Skills That Can Help You Be a More Successful Manager

Discover what problem-solving is, and why it's important for managers. Understand the steps of the process and learn about seven problem-solving skills.

[Featured Image]: A manager wearing a black suit is talking to a team member, handling an issue utilizing the process of problem-solving

1Managers oversee the day-to-day operations of a particular department, and sometimes a whole company, using their problem-solving skills regularly. Managers with good problem-solving skills can help ensure companies run smoothly and prosper.

If you're a current manager or are striving to become one, read this guide to discover what problem-solving skills are and why it's important for managers to have them. Learn the steps of the problem-solving process, and explore seven skills that can help make problem-solving easier and more effective.

What is problem-solving?

Problem-solving is both an ability and a process. As an ability, problem-solving can aid in resolving issues faced in different environments like home, school, abroad, and social situations, among others. As a process, problem-solving involves a series of steps for finding solutions to questions or concerns that arise throughout life.

The importance of problem-solving for managers

Managers deal with problems regularly, whether supervising a staff of two or 100. When people solve problems quickly and effectively, workplaces can benefit in a number of ways. These include:

Greater creativity

Higher productivity

Increased job fulfillment

Satisfied clients or customers

Better cooperation and cohesion

Improved environments for employees and customers

7 skills that make problem-solving easier

Companies depend on managers who can solve problems adeptly. Although problem-solving is a skill in its own right, a subset of seven skills can help make the process of problem-solving easier. These include analysis, communication, emotional intelligence, resilience, creativity, adaptability, and teamwork.

1. Analysis

As a manager , you'll solve each problem by assessing the situation first. Then, you’ll use analytical skills to distinguish between ineffective and effective solutions.

2. Communication

Effective communication plays a significant role in problem-solving, particularly when others are involved. Some skills that can help enhance communication at work include active listening, speaking with an even tone and volume, and supporting verbal information with written communication.

3. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage emotions in any situation. People with emotional intelligence usually solve problems calmly and systematically, which often yields better results.

4. Resilience

Emotional intelligence and resilience are closely related traits. Resiliency is the ability to cope with and bounce back quickly from difficult situations. Those who possess resilience are often capable of accurately interpreting people and situations, which can be incredibly advantageous when difficulties arise.

5. Creativity

When brainstorming solutions to problems, creativity can help you to think outside the box. Problem-solving strategies can be enhanced with the application of creative techniques. You can use creativity to:

Approach problems from different angles

Improve your problem-solving process

Spark creativity in your employees and peers

6. Adaptability

Adaptability is the capacity to adjust to change. When a particular solution to an issue doesn't work, an adaptable person can revisit the concern to think up another one without getting frustrated.

7. Teamwork

Finding a solution to a problem regularly involves working in a team. Good teamwork requires being comfortable working with others and collaborating with them, which can result in better problem-solving overall.

Steps of the problem-solving process

Effective problem-solving involves five essential steps. One way to remember them is through the IDEAL model created in 1984 by psychology professors John D. Bransford and Barry S. Stein [ 1 ]. The steps to solving problems in this model include: identifying that there is a problem, defining the goals you hope to achieve, exploring potential solutions, choosing a solution and acting on it, and looking at (or evaluating) the outcome.

1. Identify that there is a problem and root out its cause.

To solve a problem, you must first admit that one exists to then find its root cause. Finding the cause of the problem may involve asking questions like:

Can the problem be solved?

How big of a problem is it?

Why do I think the problem is occurring?

What are some things I know about the situation?

What are some things I don't know about the situation?

Are there any people who contributed to the problem?

Are there materials or processes that contributed to the problem?

Are there any patterns I can identify?

2. Define the goals you hope to achieve.

Every problem is different. The goals you hope to achieve when problem-solving depend on the scope of the problem. Some examples of goals you might set include:

Gather as much factual information as possible.

Brainstorm many different strategies to come up with the best one.

Be flexible when considering other viewpoints.

Articulate clearly and encourage questions, so everyone involved is on the same page.

Be open to other strategies if the chosen strategy doesn't work.

Stay positive throughout the process.

3. Explore potential solutions.

Once you've defined the goals you hope to achieve when problem-solving , it's time to start the process. This involves steps that often include fact-finding, brainstorming, prioritizing solutions, and assessing the cost of top solutions in terms of time, labor, and money.

4. Choose a solution and act on it.

Evaluate the pros and cons of each potential solution, and choose the one most likely to solve the problem within your given budget, abilities, and resources. Once you choose a solution, it's important to make a commitment and see it through. Draw up a plan of action for implementation, and share it with all involved parties clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. Make sure everyone understands their role for a successful conclusion.

5. Look at (or evaluate) the outcome.

Evaluation offers insights into your current situation and future problem-solving. When evaluating the outcome, ask yourself questions like:

Did the solution work?

Will this solution work for other problems?

Were there any changes you would have made?

Would another solution have worked better?

As a current or future manager looking to build your problem-solving skills, it is often helpful to take a professional course. Consider Improving Communication Skills offered by the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera. You'll learn how to boost your ability to persuade, ask questions, negotiate, apologize, and more.

You might also consider taking Emotional Intelligence: Cultivating Immensely Human Interactions , offered by the University of Michigan on Coursera. You'll explore the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills common to people with emotional intelligence, and you'll learn how emotional intelligence is connected to team success and leadership.

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Article sources

Tennessee Tech. “ The Ideal Problem Solver (2nd ed.) , https://www.tntech.edu/cat/pdf/useful_links/idealproblemsolver.pdf.” Accessed December 6, 2022.

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How Sports Can Help Develop Your Creativity and Writing Skills

Engaging in sports can help develop your creativity and writing skills by providing an outlet to release stress and increase brain activity. Sports teach problem-solving skills at all ages and help develop the ability to think on your feet, translating into better writing skills.

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Engaging in sports activities has been shown to positively impact creativity and writing skills across all age groups. Experts believe that participating in sports helps stimulate the brain and promote cognitive function, leading to increased creativity and enhanced writing skills.

Engaging in sports can help older adults maintain mental acuity and prevent cognitive decline. Studies have shown that regular exercise can increase brain volume and improve cognitive function, translating into enhanced creativity and writing skills. Additionally, participating in sports provides an opportunity to engage with others, fostering social connections and providing a sense of community, which can inspire writing.

For children and adolescents, sports provide an outlet for creative expression and exploration. Through team sports, young people learn to collaborate, communicate effectively, and develop critical thinking skills, all essential for creative writing. Additionally, physical activity has been linked to increased blood flow to the brain, which can enhance cognitive function and improve writing abilities.

There are students of all ages today, and writing is a vital part of education. Plus, many people, especially as they age, write for enjoyment or blogs for online expression.

It's a common situation when someone has to write an article, essay, or other assignment, but instead of making progress, they feel stuck and need help to get started.

The reasons for this can be varied, such as a lack of inspiration, a crisis of genre, a bad mood, or stress. During such moments, many people turn to special writing services for assistance, which is understandable.

If you find a good service with professional writers, you can be guaranteed a passing grade or praise from your professor. If you are writing a blog, you can engage your audience and get to interact with your content.

However, the most crucial thing when considering a writing service is distinguishing a good service from a bad one. We recommend reading reviews and checking the ratings of the company whose services you plan to use before making your final decision.

For example, just check the ratings of customwritings.com at scamfighter.net , and you'll find companies with better reputations.

However, there are always those workaholics who want to keep going and want to avoid paying for professional writing assistance. They want to do everything themselves, and this approach should be encouraged by professors and teachers. So, what can be done? How can we free our brains and writing skills from the trap of writer's block? We recommend changing activities.

Engaging in physical exercise can help our brains function more efficiently, forget about the difficulties we face, and start writing without feeling exhausted. Despite sounding strange, we suggest incorporating sports into your routine. Before you dismiss this idea, please read on, follow our advice, and enjoy the results.

To be a good writer, you need to be able to convey emotions effectively. You must be able to show, describe, understand, and provoke emotions. Essaypro company ratings is a reputable writing service that has received high ratings and positive reviews for their ability to effectively convey emotions through their writing.

What better way to improve your emotional intelligence than through dancing? Yes, don't dismiss the idea. Dancing with a partner can teach you how to interpret body language, facial expressions, and gestures without using words. It's one of the best ways to evoke emotions in a person. Dancing with a partner can also teach you how to listen and understand someone's expectations without using words. These skills can help you better understand your readers' or professors' expectations.

If you dance in a contemporary style, every move can be an improvisation, expressing your wishes and desires with your body language. If you can convey happiness or sorrow without using words, then you will have an easier time finding the right words to express yourself in your writing. So, dance and become a more creative writer.

It is a common prejudice that soccer players are not very intelligent. However, this is far from the truth. While it is true that some players may not have an IQ like Einstein, this is not unique to the sport. What's more, playing soccer at any age requires a high level of skill, strategy, and intelligence. Consider this: it's not just twenty-two players kicking a ball around. It's twenty-two individuals who can control a small, round object with their feet with incredible precision and ease. This is a remarkably difficult task, even for those who are skilled in throwing a ball with their hands.

Playing soccer requires the use of motor and cognitive skills that we may not typically use. Controlling a ball with your feet is not something that our brains are accustomed to doing. Therefore, playing soccer can help build new neural connections in the brain. These neural connections can improve cognitive function, including writing abilities. So, playing soccer can be a great way to improve your physical health and enhance your writing skills.

Watching and playing tennis can help develop your creativity. You might have heard someone saying that tennis is too dull, with long matches that are not exciting. However, it is wrong to assume that tennis is not a creative sport. In fact, tennis is an exciting and beautiful sport, almost like chess in motion.

In this game, not everything can be decided by techniques alone; you must be creative and know how to deal with unexpected situations. Look at great tennis players like Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer. It's impossible to predict their next move, and they demonstrate what creativity really is. If you lack this quality, then start playing or at least watching tennis, and you will soon notice the progress.

Tennis requires you to be creative in your shots and think outside the box, which can also translate to your writing skills. Therefore, watching or playing tennis can help you develop your creativity, especially when dealing with unexpected situations. This sport teaches you to think on your feet, and you need to devise a strategy to win the game.

Just like in tennis, you need to come up with new ideas and be creative in your writing to make it stand out. So, watching or playing tennis is an excellent place to start if you want to boost your creativity.

Horseback Riding

Riding horses is a beautiful activity for enhancing elegance and style. Moreover, it can positively impact your writing skills by teaching you to be less reserved and helping you eliminate negativity. In fact, horseback riding has been known to be an effective method for treating autism spectrum disorders in children, making it an excellent hobby and fear-reducing activity for people of all ages.

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Why Every Educator Needs to Teach Problem-Solving Skills

Strong problem-solving skills will help students be more resilient and will increase their academic and career success .

Want to learn more about how to measure and teach students’ higher-order skills, including problem solving, critical thinking, and written communication?

Problem-solving skills are essential in school, careers, and life.

Problem-solving skills are important for every student to master. They help individuals navigate everyday life and find solutions to complex issues and challenges. These skills are especially valuable in the workplace, where employees are often required to solve problems and make decisions quickly and effectively.

Problem-solving skills are also needed for students’ personal growth and development because they help individuals overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. By developing strong problem-solving skills, students can improve their overall quality of life and become more successful in their personal and professional endeavors.

Problem-Solving Skills Help Students…

develop resilience.

Problem-solving skills are an integral part of resilience and the ability to persevere through challenges and adversity. To effectively work through and solve a problem, students must be able to think critically and creatively. Critical and creative thinking help students approach a problem objectively, analyze its components, and determine different ways to go about finding a solution.

This process in turn helps students build self-efficacy . When students are able to analyze and solve a problem, this increases their confidence, and they begin to realize the power they have to advocate for themselves and make meaningful change.

When students gain confidence in their ability to work through problems and attain their goals, they also begin to build a growth mindset . According to leading resilience researcher, Carol Dweck, “in a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”

Set and Achieve Goals

Students who possess strong problem-solving skills are better equipped to set and achieve their goals. By learning how to identify problems, think critically, and develop solutions, students can become more self-sufficient and confident in their ability to achieve their goals. Additionally, problem-solving skills are used in virtually all fields, disciplines, and career paths, which makes them important for everyone. Building strong problem-solving skills will help students enhance their academic and career performance and become more competitive as they begin to seek full-time employment after graduation or pursue additional education and training.

Resolve Conflicts

In addition to increased social and emotional skills like self-efficacy and goal-setting, problem-solving skills teach students how to cooperate with others and work through disagreements and conflicts. Problem-solving promotes “thinking outside the box” and approaching a conflict by searching for different solutions. This is a very different (and more effective!) method than a more stagnant approach that focuses on placing blame or getting stuck on elements of a situation that can’t be changed.

While it’s natural to get frustrated or feel stuck when working through a conflict, students with strong problem-solving skills will be able to work through these obstacles, think more rationally, and address the situation with a more solution-oriented approach. These skills will be valuable for students in school, their careers, and throughout their lives.

Achieve Success

We are all faced with problems every day. Problems arise in our personal lives, in school and in our jobs, and in our interactions with others. Employers especially are looking for candidates with strong problem-solving skills. In today’s job market, most jobs require the ability to analyze and effectively resolve complex issues. Students with strong problem-solving skills will stand out from other applicants and will have a more desirable skill set.

In a recent opinion piece published by The Hechinger Report , Virgel Hammonds, Chief Learning Officer at KnowledgeWorks, stated “Our world presents increasingly complex challenges. Education must adapt so that it nurtures problem solvers and critical thinkers.” Yet, the “traditional K–12 education system leaves little room for students to engage in real-world problem-solving scenarios.” This is the reason that a growing number of K–12 school districts and higher education institutions are transforming their instructional approach to personalized and competency-based learning, which encourage students to make decisions, problem solve and think critically as they take ownership of and direct their educational journey.

Problem-Solving Skills Can Be Measured and Taught

Research shows that problem-solving skills can be measured and taught. One effective method is through performance-based assessments which require students to demonstrate or apply their knowledge and higher-order skills to create a response or product or do a task.

What Are Performance-Based Assessments?

With the No Child Left Behind Act (2002), the use of standardized testing became the primary way to measure student learning in the U.S. The legislative requirements of this act shifted the emphasis to standardized testing, and this led to a decline in nontraditional testing methods .

But many educators, policy makers, and parents have concerns with standardized tests. Some of the top issues include that they don’t provide feedback on how students can perform better, they don’t value creativity, they are not representative of diverse populations, and they can be disadvantageous to lower-income students.

While standardized tests are still the norm, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is encouraging states and districts to move away from traditional multiple choice and short response tests and instead use performance-based assessment, competency-based assessments, and other more authentic methods of measuring students abilities and skills rather than rote learning.

Performance-based assessments measure whether students can apply the skills and knowledge learned from a unit of study. Typically, a performance task challenges students to use their higher-order skills to complete a project or process. Tasks can range from an essay to a complex proposal or design.

Preview a Performance-Based Assessment

Want a closer look at how performance-based assessments work? Preview CAE’s K–12 and Higher Education assessments and see how CAE’s tools help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and written communication skills.

Performance-Based Assessments Help Students Build and Practice Problem-Solving Skills

In addition to effectively measuring students’ higher-order skills, including their problem-solving skills, performance-based assessments can help students practice and build these skills. Through the assessment process, students are given opportunities to practically apply their knowledge in real-world situations. By demonstrating their understanding of a topic, students are required to put what they’ve learned into practice through activities such as presentations, experiments, and simulations.

This type of problem-solving assessment tool requires students to analyze information and choose how to approach the presented problems. This process enhances their critical thinking skills and creativity, as well as their problem-solving skills. Unlike traditional assessments based on memorization or reciting facts, performance-based assessments focus on the students’ decisions and solutions, and through these tasks students learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Performance-based assessments like CAE’s College and Career Readiness Assessment (CRA+) and Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) provide students with in-depth reports that show them which higher-order skills they are strongest in and which they should continue to develop. This feedback helps students and their teachers plan instruction and supports to deepen their learning and improve their mastery of critical skills.

Explore CAE’s Problem-Solving Assessments

CAE offers performance-based assessments that measure student proficiency in higher-order skills including problem solving, critical thinking, and written communication.

College and Career Readiness Assessment (CCRA+) for secondary education and
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We can help you create a program to build students’ problem-solving skills that includes:

Measuring students’ problem-solving skills through a performance-based assessment
Using the problem-solving assessment data to inform instruction and tailor interventions
Teaching students problem-solving skills and providing practice opportunities in real-life scenarios
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Get started with our problem-solving assessment tools to measure and build students’ problem-solving skills today! These skills will be invaluable to students now and in the future.

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TrueSport and Disabled Sports USA Partner to Increase Education on Inclusivity in Youth Sports

“We join in partnership with TrueSport because we share a vision that sports should be an inclusive, positive, healthy, social experience for youth of all abilities,” said Glenn Merry, Executive Director of Disabled Sports USA.

In addition to increasing disability awareness through the partnership, TrueSport will utilize DSUSA’s training and education resources to help its audience of coaches, parents, and young athletes learn how to interact with athletes with disabilities and help them plan for success in and out of sport. For example, DSUSA provides expert resources that explain what language and behaviors help create a positive environment and sport experience for people with different disabilities, including visual, speech, mobility, or hearing impairments.

Reinforcing the importance of these topics and the partnership, research shows that sports can have a positive impact for people with disabilities. A Harris Interactive research study of more than 1,000 adults with disabilities showed that those participating in Disabled Sports USA adaptive sports programs had higher employment rates, were happier, and enjoyed higher socialization than those not participating in adaptive sports.

“TrueSport wants to help the youth sports community facilitate a more positive and inclusive environment for all young athletes,” said Lisa Voight, TrueSport Business Development Manager. “We’re looking forward to developing new expert-researched articles, videos, and coaching handouts that incorporate practical and specific advice on how to create that fun and safe space for all athletes.”

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How eSports Help Students Cultivate Soft Skills

eSports is on a trajectory to become the largest sport in the world. According to Activate Technology and Media Outlook 2020 , the industry is expected hit $7 billion by 2023. However, for many eSports players, there are unexpected benefits in participating. Educators, parents, and eSports athletes themselves note that participating in eSports helps students build critical soft skills, from stronger communication to collaboration and teamwork skills. Here’s a closer look at some of the latest insights from the field and how an eSports program could help your school prepare your students for tomorrow’s most challenging academic and career opportunities.

On the Importance of Soft Skills

According to a recent piece in the Harvard Business Review , one of the most critical areas for skills development is soft skills. As many as 50% of jobs are likely to be automated by 2024. Today’s students can help prepare for the future of work by not only focusing on their technical and hard skills, but also on developing their soft skills.

As the authors note, “ In one survey , 93% of employers reported that ‘a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than his or her undergraduate major.’ In addition, employers seek candidates who have other sorts of ‘soft skills,’ such as being able to learn adaptively, to make good decisions and to work well with others. These sought-after abilities, of course, fit perfectly with the sorts of things that people can do well, but are and will continue to be difficult to automate.”

In other words, even the most sophisticated technology struggles to replicate factors such as emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and adapt decision-making changes to context, and creativity and collaboration. Students can develop important competitive advantages for their future academic and professional performance by focusing on the soft skills that eSports participation provides. The latest research and interviews with industry professionals suggests that eSports is a perfect training ground to let students test and develop these skills.

eSports Cultivates Teamwork

There are numerous studies on the benefits of teamwork, which have led traditional recommendations in the classroom that students participate in team sports. But for students with different interests or different physical capabilities, being signing up for the football team or joining Little League isn’t always a possibility. However, eSports relies primarily on technology and is a very inclusive option for a wider range of students. eSports helps develop teamwork skills that include communication, collaboration, and learning how to work effectively with others.

One study in The Sports Journal notes that researchers, “identified team dynamics and communication as potential barriers for esports players in achieving optimal performance. Contrary to stereotypical perception of gamers, esports players need to communicate with teammates effectively and operate as a team member. Furthermore, collective intelligence has been identified as a predictor for the performance of esports teams (Engel et al., 2017). It would seem that group dynamics plays a critical role in team performance for esports in a similar way it does for traditional sports.” Fostering these skills can help students in future academic endeavors, career, and transitioning to leadership roles.

Developing Strong Team-based Problem-Solving Skills

Another advantage that esports offers is the ability to help students develop problem-solving skills under pressure and working collaboratively with others. Dr. Mimi Ito, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at UC Irvine, has conducted research on how students engage with digital technology and notes that it takes significant hard work to excel at eSports.

In an interview with the North American Scholastic Esports Federation , Ito notes “eSports provides a way for young people to hang out with their friends in a really active and positive way… Students are engaged in 21st century skills and problem-solving, and they’re understanding how to connect their own problem-solving with a whole community of players.”

Success at eSports Fosters Self-confidence

Self-confidence is a soft skill that enables students to take on challenges and broaden their horizons. As ET notes, “Achieving and excelling at competitive gaming in a learning environment can do wonders for students who love gaming but may not show any particular interest in traditional curriculum sports and activities. By offering eSports as an alternative, students are given the choice of taking up something they truly enjoy which helps improve self-confidence in their own abilities.” Students that find success in eSports may be more willing to take risks, try new things, and believe in their ability to succeed at challenging endeavors.

Competition, Competitiveness, and Much More

It’s estimated that there are 125 varsity college teams participating in competitive eSports leagues today, and the number is increasing annually. By taking part in competitive activities, students are building a number of soft skills. Often, the popular eSports games rely on teams of players working together to win, rather than the prowess of individual players. Learning how to compete effectively supports an array of skills, from the importance of time management and developing a strong ethic to managing losses in a healthy way and rejoicing in their own success. If you need to build a strong case for hosting an esports team at your school, the effectiveness of cultivating soft skills can help. eSports have opened a new avenue of exploration and performance for students. From creating an inclusive environment for students with a wide ranges skills and abilities to helping cultivate stronger teamwork and collaboration, eSports fosters the vital soft skills that will help students be competitive in the future job market.

Liz Alton is a B2B technology and digital marketing writer and content strategist. She has worked with a variety of brands including Google, Twitter, Adobe, Oracle, and HP, and written for publications including Forbes. She is a regular contributor to Connected, Connection’s official blog.

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6 Tips for Teaching Math Problem-Solving Skills

Solving word problems is tougher than computing with numbers, but elementary teachers can guide students to do the deep thinking involved.

Photo of elementary school teacher with students

A growing concern with students is the ability to problem-solve, especially with complex, multistep problems. Data shows that students struggle more when solving word problems than they do with computation , and so problem-solving should be considered separately from computation. Why?

Consider this. When we’re on the way to a new destination and we plug in our location to a map on our phone, it tells us what lane to be in and takes us around any detours or collisions, sometimes even buzzing our watch to remind us to turn. When I experience this as a driver, I don’t have to do the thinking. I can think about what I’m going to cook for dinner, not paying much attention to my surroundings other than to follow those directions. If I were to be asked to go there again, I wouldn’t be able to remember, and I would again seek help.

If we can switch to giving students strategies that require them to think instead of giving them too much support throughout the journey to the answer, we may be able to give them the ability to learn the skills to read a map and have several ways to get there.

Here are six ways we can start letting students do this thinking so that they can go through rigorous problem-solving again and again, paving their own way to the solution.

1. Link problem-solving to reading

When we can remind students that they already have many comprehension skills and strategies they can easily use in math problem-solving, it can ease the anxiety surrounding the math problem. For example, providing them with strategies to practice, such as visualizing, acting out the problem with math tools like counters or base 10 blocks, drawing a quick sketch of the problem, retelling the story in their own words, etc., can really help them to utilize the skills they already have to make the task less daunting.

We can break these skills into specific short lessons so students have a bank of strategies to try on their own. Here's an example of an anchor chart that they can use for visualizing . Breaking up comprehension into specific skills can increase student independence and help teachers to be much more targeted in their problem-solving instruction. This allows students to build confidence and break down the barriers between reading and math to see they already have so many strengths that are transferable to all problems.

2. Avoid boxing students into choosing a specific operation

It can be so tempting to tell students to look for certain words that might mean a certain operation. This might even be thoroughly successful in kindergarten and first grade, but just like when our map tells us where to go, that limits students from becoming deep thinkers. It also expires once they get into the upper grades, where those words could be in a problem multiple times, creating more confusion when students are trying to follow a rule that may not exist in every problem.

We can encourage a variety of ways to solve problems instead of choosing the operation first. In first grade, a problem might say, “Joceline has 13 stuffed animals and Jordan has 17. How many more does Jordan have?” Some students might choose to subtract, but a lot of students might just count to find the amount in between. If we tell them that “how many more” means to subtract, we’re taking the thinking out of the problem altogether, allowing them to go on autopilot without truly solving the problem or using their comprehension skills to visualize it.

3. Revisit ‘representation’

The word “representation” can be misleading. It seems like something to do after the process of solving. When students think they have to go straight to solving, they may not realize that they need a step in between to be able to support their understanding of what’s actually happening in the problem first.

Using an anchor chart like one of these ( lower grade , upper grade ) can help students to choose a representation that most closely matches what they’re visualizing in their mind. Once they sketch it out, it can give them a clearer picture of different ways they could solve the problem.

Think about this problem: “Varush went on a trip with his family to his grandmother’s house. It was 710 miles away. On the way there, three people took turns driving. His mom drove 214 miles. His dad drove 358 miles. His older sister drove the rest. How many miles did his sister drive?”

If we were to show this student the anchor chart, they would probably choose a number line or a strip diagram to help them understand what’s happening.

If we tell students they must always draw base 10 blocks in a place value chart, that doesn’t necessarily match the concept of this problem. When we ask students to match our way of thinking, we rob them of critical thinking practice and sometimes confuse them in the process.

4. Give time to process

Sometimes as educators, we can feel rushed to get to everyone and everything that’s required. When solving a complex problem, students need time to just sit with a problem and wrestle with it, maybe even leaving it and coming back to it after a period of time.

This might mean we need to give them fewer problems but go deeper with those problems we give them. We can also speed up processing time when we allow for collaboration and talk time with peers on problem-solving tasks.

5. Ask questions that let Students do the thinking

Questions or prompts during problem-solving should be very open-ended to promote thinking. Telling a student to reread the problem or to think about what tools or resources would help them solve it is a way to get them to try something new but not take over their thinking.

These skills are also transferable across content, and students will be reminded, “Good readers and mathematicians reread.”

6. Spiral concepts so students frequently use problem-solving skills

When students don’t have to switch gears in between concepts, they’re not truly using deep problem-solving skills. They already kind of know what operation it might be or that it’s something they have at the forefront of their mind from recent learning. Being intentional within their learning stations and assessments about having a variety of rigorous problem-solving skills will refine their critical thinking abilities while building more and more resilience throughout the school year as they retain content learning in the process.

Problem-solving skills are so abstract, and it can be tough to pinpoint exactly what students need. Sometimes we have to go slow to go fast. Slowing down and helping students have tools when they get stuck and enabling them to be critical thinkers will prepare them for life and allow them multiple ways to get to their own destination.

Morning Carpool

“Stop Coddling Your Grown Child”: 21 Essential Life Skills That You Should Be Teaching Your Child Before They Leave for College

Posted: February 22, 2024 | Last updated: February 22, 2024

image credit: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock <p><span>The demand for higher education and lifelong learning is soaring, driven by the rapidly changing job market. Universities and online platforms are racing to meet this demand, offering everything from traditional degrees to short, focused courses. This trend is democratizing education but also raising questions about quality, accessibility, and the future of the workforce. As education evolves, it will play a key role in shaping economic opportunities.</span></p>

As your child prepares to leave the nest for college, there are certain life skills they need to master to thrive on their own. From learning how to do laundry to budgeting and cooking, these essential skills seem obvious, but many young adults are sent off to college without them.

image credit: New Africa/Shutterstock <p><span>Washing clothes in cold water can save a considerable amount on your energy bill. Modern detergents are effective at low temperatures, and your clothes will last longer. Switching to a cold water wash is a no-brainer.</span></p>

Doing Laundry

Learning how to do laundry is a crucial skill for any college student. Start by teaching them how to separate colors and fabrics and the right temperature to use for each. Explain the importance of cleaning the lint trap in dryers and how to use laundry detergent properly.

image credit Yuganov-Konstantin/Shutterstock <p>Put on some music and dance while you clean your house. Not only does it make the chore more enjoyable, but it also elevates your heart rate. You’ll get a cleaner house and a workout at the same time. “It feels less like a chore and more like a party,” says a commenter online.</p>

Basic Cooking

Knowing basic cooking skills can save your child from a diet of instant noodles. Teach them how to cook simple, healthy meals like pasta, stir-fries, and salads. Emphasize kitchen safety, including handling knives and managing the stove.

image credit: fizkes/shutterstock <p><span>Microfinance is empowering entrepreneurs in developing countries, offering them the financial tools to lift themselves out of poverty. By providing small loans, savings accounts, and other financial services, microfinance institutions are helping to foster economic development and improve living standards. This trend is not without its challenges, including high-interest rates and the risk of over-indebtedness. However, the potential of microfinance to drive economic empowerment and reduce poverty is significant.</span></p>

Budgeting is key to managing college expenses. Show them how to track their income and expenses and the importance of saving. Discuss the dangers of credit card debt and impulsive purchases.

image credit: Roman Chazov/Shutterstock <p><span>Users created mock vacation scenes, often using household items and clever camera angles. This challenge was a playful escape and showcased the creativity of participants in simulating exotic locations.</span></p>

Time Management

Time management skills are vital for balancing study, work, and social life. Teach them how to prioritize tasks and use a planner or digital calendar. Stress the importance of setting aside time for studying and relaxation. Good time management can be the difference between success and burnout.

image credit: Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock <p><span>Michael Jackson didn’t invent the Moonwalk, but he certainly perfected it and brought it into the mainstream. When he first glided backward during a performance of “Billie Jean,” the world was mesmerized. The Moonwalk became synonymous with Jackson’s innovative and influential style, a dance move that seemed to defy gravity. “Every time I see someone Moonwalk, it takes me right back to when I saw MJ do it live,” reminisces an online fan.</span></p>

Cleaning and Housekeeping

A clean living space is essential for health and well-being. Teach them basic cleaning skills like dusting, vacuuming, and disinfecting surfaces. Show them how to maintain a clean bathroom and kitchen. Cleanliness plays a big role in making a good impression on roommates and friends.

image credit: Drazen-Zigic/Shutterstock <p><span>ShopSavvy is designed to help users conquer their impulsive spending habits. With alerts and reminders, it keeps temptation at bay. For those struggling with impulse buys, this app is great for price comparison to stop spendthrift tendencies.</span></p>

Grocery Shopping

Teach them how to make a grocery list based on planned meals, compare prices, and select fresh produce. Explain the benefits of buying in bulk and choosing store brands to save money. Show them how to read nutrition labels to make healthier choices. “Grocery shopping on my own was a reality check on adulting,” shared an online commenter.

image credit: Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock <p><span>The Virtual Travel Challenge took viewers on digital tours to different locations, all from the comfort of their homes. Participants shared their local sights, cultures, and hidden gems. It was a window to the world during a time when travel was limited. “This challenge took me to places I’ve never dreamed of visiting,” said @ArmchairExplorer.</span></p>

Public Transportation

Understanding how to navigate public transportation is essential in many college towns. Teach them how to read transit maps, use apps for schedules, and understand fare systems. Discuss the importance of being aware of their surroundings and personal safety while commuting.

Basic First Aid

Basic first aid knowledge can be a lifesaver in minor emergencies. Teach them how to treat cuts, burns, and sprains and when to seek professional medical help. Show them how to create and maintain a basic first aid kit. This skill is not just for them, but for helping others too.

image credit: TORWAISTUDIO/Shutterstock <p><span>The beauty industry is increasingly catering to a wider range of skin tones and types. Young adults are demanding more inclusive products, and brands are responding. This inclusivity is not just about shades but also about considering different skin concerns. It’s a significant step towards a beauty industry that serves everyone.</span></p>

Personal Hygiene

Good personal hygiene is crucial for health and social interactions. Discuss the importance of regular bathing, oral hygiene, and clean clothes. Teach them about skincare and the need for regular haircuts. As a commenter says, “Good hygiene goes a long way in making a good first impression.”

image credit: LightField Studios/Shutterstock <p><span>John Travolta’s leather jacket in</span><i><span> Grease</span></i><span> epitomized the cool, bad-boy image of the ’50s. Its sleek design and association with rebellion influenced a wave of leather jacket trends. The jacket was a statement of non-conformity and individualism.</span></p>

Communication Skills

Effective communication is key in both personal and professional life. Teach teens how to communicate respectfully and assertively, both in person and online. Discuss the importance of active listening and empathy in building relationships.

image credit: shutterstock <p><span>The DIY (Do It Yourself) trend has gained momentum, encouraging personal creativity in fashion. Customizing and upcycling clothing has become a popular way to create unique, personalized pieces. This trend is not only cost-effective but also allows for a deeper connection with one’s wardrobe. “DIY fashion lets me express my unique style,” comments a fashion enthusiast on a budget.</span></p>

Basic Sewing

Knowing how to sew a button or fix a minor tear can save time and money. Teach them basic sewing skills and how to use a sewing kit. This is not just practical but also a great way to be self-reliant. Plus, it’s a useful skill for costume parties!

image credit: John-roman-images/shutterstock <p>The regulation is anchored in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, a law designed to combat the nuisance and potential harm of unsolicited automated calls. By extending this law to include AI-generated voice messages, the FCC aims to close a modern loophole that has allowed fraudsters to impersonate individuals and mislead the public.</p>

Dealing with Emergencies

Teach them how to respond to various emergencies, like power outages, fire alarms, and severe weather. Discuss the importance of knowing emergency contacts and evacuation routes. “Being prepared for emergencies gave me peace of mind when I lived on my own,” says an online commenter.

image credit: Monkey-Business-Images/Shutterstock <p><span>Helping others brings perspective and fulfillment. Volunteer in your community or lend a hand to a friend in need. Giving back makes your problems seem smaller. Acts of kindness boost your mood and build connections.</span></p>

Understanding Insurance

Understanding basic insurance concepts like health, auto, and renter’s insurance is important. Teach them how to read and understand an insurance policy and the importance of keeping documents safe. This knowledge is crucial for protecting themselves and their belongings.

image credit: Look Studio/Shutterstock <p><span>Social interactions can increase your lifespan and improve your mental health. Engaging in regular, meaningful conversations can reduce feelings of depression and stress. Never underestimate the power of a good chat.</span></p>

Networking and Socializing

Teach teens how to network and the importance of socializing in a healthy, balanced way. Discuss how to approach professors, join clubs, and attend campus events. Networking can lead to friendships, mentorships, and even job opportunities.

image credit: prostock-studio/shutterstock <p><span>Lau v. Nichols was a groundbreaking case that addressed language discrimination in schools. The Supreme Court ruled that schools must provide English language learners with appropriate measures to help them overcome language barriers. This case laid the foundation for bilingual education and additional resources for non-English speaking students. It’s a key decision in the realm of educational equity and language rights.</span></p>

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential in and out of the classroom. Encourage them to think independently, question assumptions, and approach problems logically. These skills will help them navigate complex situations and make informed decisions.

image credit: NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock <p><span>The next decade will witness a significant youth movement in politics. Young leaders under 30 will be elected to prominent positions, bringing fresh perspectives and addressing issues like climate change, mental health, and digital rights. Their approach will challenge traditional political structures and encourage a more participatory form of democracy.</span></p>

Digital Literacy

Teach teens about online safety, using search engines effectively, and managing digital files. Discuss the importance of a professional online presence. As one commenter said, “Digital literacy is as important as reading and writing.”

image credit: 4 PM production/Shutterstock <p><span>Schools are accommodating the delay in receiving critical FAFSA information in different ways. Many are pushing back their deadlines out of necessity, including the general May 1 college decisions deadline. After all, a worst-case scenario would be having students and families change their minds and unenroll after submitting an acceptance due to the emergence of new information. </span></p>

Personal Safety

Personal safety is paramount. Teach teens about situational awareness, trusting their instincts, and basic self-defense. Discuss the importance of staying safe in social situations and understanding consent.

image credit: Teechai/Shutterstock <p><span>Job flexibility is on the rise. Employers are offering more part-time, freelance, and job-sharing options. This flexibility accommodates different lifestyle needs and preferences. “Flexibility has allowed me to pursue my passion projects,” shares a worker in a forum online.</span></p>

Stress Management

College can be stressful, so knowing how to manage stress is key. Teach them relaxation techniques, the importance of exercise, and healthy coping mechanisms. Discuss the value of seeking help when needed. Managing stress effectively can enhance their college experience.

image credit: Dean Drobot/Shutterstock <p><span>Lower your utility bills by conserving energy. Simple changes like turning off lights, reducing water usage, turning down the thermostat, and sealing drafts can lower your monthly expenses significantly.</span></p>

Laundry Etiquette

In shared laundry facilities, etiquette is essential. Teach teens about respecting others’ laundry, not leaving clothes unattended, and cleaning up after themselves, which will keep the peace and foster a sense of community responsibility.

image credit: MilanMarkovic78/Shutterstock <p><span>Cook more meals at home. Home-cooked meals are often healthier and more balanced than dining out. You control the ingredients, portions, and preparation methods—a delicious way to better health.</span></p>

Cooking for Special Diets

Knowing how to cook for special diets is helpful if they or their friends have dietary restrictions. Teach them about vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly cooking. This skill is not only considerate but also expands their culinary horizons.

<p><span>Eastern Pennsylvania’s “Latino Belt,” a critical battleground in the upcoming 2024 elections, provides a case study of the profound demographic and political shifts underway in the United States. In a marked change of political expectations, Hazleton, PA’s Hispanic voter population has increasingly embraced Republican candidates and priorities. While this case study is not indicative of other Hispanic populations in Pennsylvania, the trend will cause both parties to carefully consider efforts to court the broader Latino vote ahead of the 2024 election.</span></p>

Voting and Civic Engagement

Understanding the importance of voting and civic engagement is crucial. Discuss how to register to vote, the basics of local and national politics, and the importance of staying informed. “Voting for the first time made me feel like a true adult,” shared a commenter.

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What Data Analytics Can Do for Your Business

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While many business executives and entrepreneurs have an idea of what data analytics is, we have an idea of what the term means and it’s definitely not crunching numbers for the sake of crunching numbers. To us, data analytics is the creative use of data and statistical modeling to tell a compelling story that not only drives strategic action, but also results in business value.

Recognizing the value of adding a data professional to your business now could save you time and money in the long run. Let’s look at some state employment data to dig deeper.

Looking at Tennessee, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the Volunteer state has roughly 2,100 data professionals working in the state, but expects the profession to grow by 35% over the next decade. Expected growth, plus the growing tech industry in Tennessee , means demand for data professionals will only continue to rise.

Now that we see there’s real demand for professionals working in the field, what exactly does data analytics mean?

Types of data analytics

In the business and academic world, we speak about four types of data analytics.

Descriptive analytics – examining data to determine trends and see what happened or is currently happening (think “BI,” or what’s traditionally referred to as business intelligence).
Diagnostic analytics – comparing trends and determining causal relationships to answer the question, “Why did this happen?” (think “statistical analysis”).
Predictive analytics – analyzing historical data and current trends to make informed predictions about what might happen in the future (think “AI” and its subset, machine learning).
Prescriptive analytics – considers possible factors and scenarios to help make data-driven decisions about what to do next (think “action”).

Regardless of if you run a small startup or multinational company, data analytics can help your business:

Inform and enhance decision making
Streamline and improve operational efficiencies
Manage risks
Provide greater insights into target markets
Identify new product/service opportunities

Key players on your team

To incorporate this function into your business operations – and hopefully see the direct benefits – the first step is to hire qualified data analytics professionals. Our colleagues in this field like to say that data analytics is a team sport. Don’t just hire someone and leave them on a proverbial island only to be consulted when someone has a question. Make them part of the team!

The best way to work with data analytics professionals is to embed them into your project teams. Let them collaborate with your employees with different areas of expertise. We also recommend hiring a variety of skillsets. Some professionals specialize in technical skills like programming languages, while others excel at statistical analysis or data wrangling and cleanup.

Your company should provide opportunities to enhance empathy and storytelling among your team members, so they can better see, hear and feel the human impact of the data they are studying. Finally, use their findings and recommendations to drive actions for your business.

To help train more experts in this fast-growing field, accredited online Western Governors University has introduced a new Bachelor of Science degree in data analytics . This degree program combines a surgically balanced, three-level approach including programming, math and business influence, with practical hands-on projects. WGU focuses on helping students learn to take data and turn it into meaningful stories that help leaders make decisions. The curriculum includes dedicated courses in storytelling, design thinking and change management, in addition to industry certifications like CompTIA’s Data+ & Project+, AWS’s Cloud Practitioner, and a custom Udacity Nano Degree. This intentional design ensures that students graduate knowing how to effect change in the workplace.

If data analytics is the combustion engine that can drive your business forward, consider incorporating or enhancing this function in your business operations and upskilling your staff. Your employees and your bottom line could realize the benefits sooner than you think.

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COMMENTS

Benefits of Sports to Students
Studies have shown that exercise increases blood flow to the brain and helps the body build more connections between nerves, leading to increased concentration, enhanced memory, stimulated creativity, and better-developed problem solving skills. In short, playing sports helps your brain grow and makes it work better. From a social standpoint ...
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Ability to be nonjudgmental. Detailed knowledge of psychology theory and techniques. Ability to understand people's responses. Understanding and sensitivity. Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills. Patience, understanding, and the ability to motivate others.
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As kids solve more problems, they gain more self-confidence, and in turn see themselves as successful people, not weak kids who lack life skills. Problem-solving steps. If you are a sports parent or youth sports coach, help kids develop their problem-solving skills by reviewing the following basic problem-solving steps: Properly frame the problem.
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6. Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills. The challenges presented in sports help children develop effective problem-solving skills since they have to learn the strategy in overcoming obstacles. These skills become transferable to academic and real-life situations. 7. Leadership Skills. Within a sports team, opportunities arise for children to take ...
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By naming what it is they did to solve the problem, students can be more independent and productive as they apply and adapt their thinking when engaging in future complex tasks. After a few weeks ...
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Make students articulate their problem solving process . In a one-on-one tutoring session, ask the student to work his/her problem out loud. This slows down the thinking process, making it more accurate and allowing you to access understanding. When working with larger groups you can ask students to provide a written "two-column solution.".
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Secondly, sports activities serve as a communication tool for developing other life skills, such as social and coping skills . Sports activities provide a suitable and flexible environment, helping children and teenagers interact with all kinds of people and actively explore various life skills, such as teamwork , problem-solving , and goal ...
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2. Consistency, consistency, consistency. Yup, you guessed it. You can't just teach problem solving skills once or twice, and expect students to have it perfect. Just like with a new math or reading skill, problem solving takes time. LOTS of time- and lots of practice. Any time you can, have students practice their problem solving skills.
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Represents all or most of all the leading insurance companies. Engaging in sports can help develop your creativity and writing skills by providing an outlet to release stress and increase brain activity. Sports teach problem-solving skills at all ages and help develop the ability to think on your feet, translating into better writing skills.
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Resolve Conflicts. In addition to increased social and emotional skills like self-efficacy and goal-setting, problem-solving skills teach students how to cooperate with others and work through disagreements and conflicts. Problem-solving promotes "thinking outside the box" and approaching a conflict by searching for different solutions.
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