Reprise: Developing Problem-Solving Skills to Enhance Task Persistence of Handicapped Preschool Children

Abstract

This manuscript reports on a preliminary study to examine the effect of teaching problem-solving skills on the task persistence of handicapped preschool children. Ten mildly handicapped children completed a series of lessons in which they were taught to use problem-solving strategies to complete fine motor tasks. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected to determine the effectiveness of these procedures. These data indicated that the intervention had a positive impact on the task persistence of some children and that some children became more systematic in their approach to solving tasks. The implication of these results for structuring tasks for children is discussed.