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Anna Parker

Prof. Albert

EDUC 2108

14 September, 2022

Critical Analysis Paper

“A key part of becoming a maturing problem solver is learning the shared assumptions

and meanings of our culture – learning what is regarded as a good solution to a problem and

what is not” (Thornton, pg. 94). In Children Solving Problems, Thornton (1995) discusses the

importance of developing children as good problem solvers and how crucial social interaction is

to this development. To support her theory that children become better problem solvers through

guided support and developing confidence in and out of the classroom, Thornton cites the

research of Vygotsky, Bruner, Woods, and Hartley. These researchers have contributed

meaningful ideas about how children learn and how learning can be supported by parents and

teachers. In this critical analysis, I will discuss Thornton’s ideas about the significance of

scaffolded learning – or learning by joining in – and about developing confidence and control in

young learners. Having been both a student and a teacher, I can confidently say that I believe

scaffolded-learning encourages both long term understanding of the content and a valuable

approach to problem solving. I have also had several bad experiences in the Mathematics

classroom being told that I was “behind” in class. Hearing this negatively affected my confidence

and I have had trouble in Mathematics ever since.

Thornton (1995) believes that success in problem solving is heavily dependent on the

social interactions that children engage in while they are learning. She begins her discussion of

learning to problem solve as a whole by citing Vygotsky’s work in collaborative learning.

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Thornton states that “The process of joining in some activity, particularly the experience of

sharing problem solving with a skilled partner, is one of the major ways through which children

acquire their skills” (Thornton, pg. 97). The role of a skilled partner is to scaffold the child – to

model problem solving and give them the tools to problem solve on their own. The term

scaffolding as it applies to education was created by Bruner and Woods, who believed that

through scaffolding, children could learn the specific skill at hand, as well as more general skills.

An example of these general skills is how to cope with persistent difficulties by cooperating with

others. In other words, scaffolding teaches collaboration. Vygotsky’s approach to learning is a

collaborative process dependent on the educational prowess of the skilled individual. It also

involves the withdrawal of support in stages, beginning with a high level of support and then

taking it away gradually and allowing children to support themselves with their new skill set.

Scaffolded relationships are the most rewarding when the skilled partner (most often an educator

or parent) works in the child’s zone of proximal development, focusing on the area of skill that

the child is ready to master next. In sharing decision making, children are gradually more

comfortable taking on responsibility for their problem solving.

Thornton also discusses the importance of confidence and control in learning to problem

solve. She writes that there is “something very special about learning to solve a problem in a

social context” (Thornton, pg. 110). Confidence is crucial to good problem solving, and in many

cases is the difference between a child who is an effective problem solver and one who is not.

Hartley researched how disadvantaged children normally solve problems. He found, in short, that

they were more likely to be impulsive, disorganized, not prone to planning, and less likely to

revise their mistakes. However, when asked to solve like they were the “brightest child in the

class” (Thornton, pg. 110), the children were more successful in their problem solving. Hartley’s
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research demonstrates that children with low self esteem become a self fulfilling prophecy, and

that viewing themselves as smart made a large difference in their performance. Children pick up

messages about their worth and confidence all of the time–both at home and at school. It is very

difficult to convince children that they are better at something than they are, and it often “runs

the risk of patronizing and is unlikely to convince” (Thornton, pg. 112). Therefore, inspiring

earnest confidence in learners inside and outside of the classroom is of the utmost importance.

As an educator, the most important aspect of Vygotsky’s work in guided learning is

educating children within their zone of proximal development. All educators should provide

“enough support to stretch the child’s problem solving just the right amount: far enough to let the

child achieve something new, which he or she could not have done alone, but not so far that the

child cannot comprehend or learn from the experience” (Thornton, pg. 99). Bruner and Woods

thought that the level of skill that children gain in problem solving is dependent on the amount of

support from the environment. This is another crucial takeaway for educators. Without a

positive, supportive, collaborative learning environment, children will not acquire problem

solving to the fullest extent. Woods provided five levels of support for teachers of problem

solving: general verbal encouragement, specific verbal instruction, assisted choice of material,

prepared material for assembly, and demonstrated an operation (Thornton, pg. 100). Learning is

most effective when all of these levels are utilized together, so teachers should pay close

attention to the demonstrations they provide and the quality of verbal instruction. My most

valuable teacher in high school was my Pre Calculus and AB Calculus teacher. He scaffolded our

learning and connected concepts with so much ease that it convinced an entire classroom of tired,

burnt out students that we, too, were actually good at Calculus. He would solve the problem for

us, saying his thoughts aloud. He then gradually pulled back and called on students to complete
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each step of the process until everyone in the room could complete the same process on their

own. I learned more from him than from any teacher I had ever had. He taught me math but he

also taught me a perseverance in problem solving that was brand new to me.

In order to ensure schools are educating confident, competent students, they try to raise

morale and self esteem overall. Like Thornton (1995), I disagree with the position that success in

athletics promotes self esteem overall. This may be true for some individuals, but definitely not

for all. Rather, I believe that because children are constantly learning from their environment, it

is important that every environment they are in is not making them feel inferior or unimportant.

Deciding to let children help with and tackle problems sends a clear message to even very young

children that they are valued problem solvers. Educators should value confidence because “the

powerful impact the confidence, or the lack of it, can have on a child’s problem solving and the

difficulty of improving a child’s self-confidence in helpful ways pose a problem for teacher and

parent” (Thornton, pg. 113). Educators should ensure they are providing the most positive

feedback possible and are praising what can be praised. Criticism is also very important, but

praise should outweigh criticism. As a student, I had several math teachers who praised only the

correct answer and never the thought process or effort that I had put in. In one instance, I could

not solve a math problem in my head in front of my entire class. As everyone was watching me,

my teacher told me that it was my fault that I did not know it because all of my classmates

seemed to know the answer. I began to cry in front of my entire class, and only then was I

allowed to sit down and let another student say the right answer. This experience convinced

10-year-old me that I was terrible at math and that I should never raise my hand in class. I have

always wondered if I would have more confidence in math if my teacher had just helped me
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solve the problem or let me pass on it. After reading what Thornton (1995) has to say about the

importance of instilling confidence in students, I could not agree with her more.

Thornton (1995) believes that success in problem solving is born from the quality of

social interactions that children have. Thornton’s ideas about the importance of scaffolded

learning and about developing confidence and control in young learners have inspired me as a

future educator. I have always understood the importance of quality instruction and student

support, but until reading Thornton’s position on it and the research of Vygotsky, Woods, and

Bruner, I had never been able to envision how I would actually scaffold my students’ learning.

Reading chapters five and six of Children Solving Problems has helped me consider mathematics

in a new light. Approaching teaching mathematics as an opportunity to teach young problem

solvers how to be persistent, determined, and confident has reframed a once daunting subject into

an exciting one.
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References

Thornton, S. (1995). Children Solving Problems. Harvard University Press.