• BRAINSTORM GAME – “What could we use this brick for?” Start with a prop and a question. Learner has to think of as many ways to use that brick as possible. You can’t help, but you can suggest places for his brain to look: “What could we use a brick for in your bedroom? In the garage? In your sandbox?” This builds cognitive flexibility.
• WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? – Use photos, pictures, or the actual game (Webber Photo Cards order here ). Learner guesses by face expression and the props in the picture what the person was thinking.
• PROBLEM SOLVING – Move from math story problems (http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-2 – Try B7, E14, or F9 ) to more and more involved or abstract problems that crop up around the house (Example: “My pots and pans are so hard to get out of the bottom cabinet. What could we do?”). Use brainstorming whenever possible, and use sketch paper to make it more visual.
• CAUSE-EFFECT ACTIVITIES – http://www.quia.com/mc/94601.html The Learner connects possible effects to a given cause, then learns possible causes of a given effect.
• WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN? – Talking with Learners about the worst that can happen is a slippery slope, because the objective should be to show that a disappointment or unmet need might not be all that bad.
• WHAT’S MY PLAN? HOW DID MY PLAN WORK? WHAT WILL I DO DIFFERENTLY? Getting Learners to be strategic (more task-involved, less ego-involved) is a matter of being a guide on the side, constantly reminding the Learner to have a Plan before they start, and reflect on the Plan after they finish. When the Learner realizes that their ego isn’t being criticized and that the focus is on making better and better Plans for things, the Learner’s “Worry Channel” can be used as a “Planning channel” instead. Learners who have trouble getting started aren’t planful; they don’t how to start because they don’t know what it is they need to start.