FOUND ON A TEACHER'S DESK • CLARA DENIES INVOLVEMENT
This was unexpected. Apparently a book about secretly fixing grown-ups can also be used for reading, writing, research, argument, vocabulary, and actual problem solving.
NOTE FROM CLARA
Lorri Horn wrote a curriculum guide for Parent Problem Solver. It was made for grades 3–5 and also points to the book as useful for older struggling readers.
CLARA: I put it somewhere safe.
DEWEY: Where?
CLARA: On the teacher's desk.
DEWEY'S OBJECTION
The guide asks students to do what Dewey does anyway: notice a problem, collect information, compare ideas, use evidence, ask other people what they think, and make a plan.
BEFORE ANYONE OPENS THE BOOK
Clara calls these "activities." Dewey calls them "preliminary investigation." The teacher may use either term.
Write down something private, shred it, and talk about the feeling of not wanting to be discovered. Conveniently, Dewey knows something about that.
Compare everyday parent or guardian problems. Which ones only happen in one family? Which ones seem to happen everywhere?
Research recipes, decide what counts as a good cookie, compare results, and—if permitted—conduct a taste test. Clara has requested a seat on the review panel.
Pick a favorite candy and investigate where it came from. Dewey has never objected to research with snacks nearby.
Write from a pet's point of view or describe the relationship between a person and an animal. Wolfie is available but not especially reliable.
Use the cover as evidence. What can you infer before the first page? What looks important? What looks suspicious?
DEWEY'S INVESTIGATION BOARD
Point of view. Characterization. Simile and metaphor. Imagery. Strong verbs. Plot. Flashback. Juxtaposition. Friendship. Inference. Evidence. Dewey would like to point out that he was simply trying to solve cases.
FORM DF-CLASSROOM • PASS IT LEFT
One guide activity starts with Dewey's problem-information-form idea. A student writes down a problem. Classmates each propose a solution. Then the file comes back and the original investigator gets to compare the plans.
Another activity asks students to pick a real problem, collect evidence from texts and people, and work toward a solution. Dewey considers this normal office procedure.
CLARA'S WORD DRAWER
The guide tracks more than fifty words in context, including hue, plight, composure, symbiotic, meticulous, compassion, grit, percolate, and sabbatical.
DEWEY: Is "cookie" on the list?
CLARA: You already know that one.