Queue Arrangement Game

This is a high order thinking game which may be challenging for some students. These children have difficulty in understanding the questions. In fact, this is one of the biggest problems some children face. Some of them find verbal information too difficult to handle.

Others may be familiar with the words used in the questions but may not be able to use the information properly. They may not understand how to relate facts in a question to the other parts of the question.

Problem solving has many steps. The first step is to understand the problem. The next step involves understanding the information given. The third step is to have a good idea of what is to be found out. The last step is to use (manipulate) the information given to solve the problem. Above everything, a positive approach is required to solve problems.

Some children have difficulty in understanding the meaning of words indicating direction such as before, after, behind, first, last, between etc. The exercises in this lesson help them to learn the meaning of these words and the usage of these words.

It is better to attempt the question than ignoring the activity. Repeated trials can make your child understand the problem a little more.

This activity is an introduction to higher order thinking skills. Find out whether your child understands the problem. If the child is not able to do the problem, don’t teach the child how to do the activity. The best form of learning is self-discovery where the child learns to solve the problem by her/his own thinking.

The problems are made easier by the visual presentation. The child can read the information provided and relate them to the visuals.

In this activity, the order of persons standing in a queue is to be found out. The activity becomes progressively difficult and calls for better problem solving skills.

There are seven levels.

Level one to level three deal with the positions in the queue. The order of the queue is to be found out.

Level One has three people standing in a queue. To solve the problems in this level, the child has to understand meanings of these words: last, first, behind, before, end and after.

Level two: Three people form the queue in this level. In addition to the words used in the first level, the words used, to explain the position of people standing in the queue are between, middle, front, from, third, and beginning.

Level three: This level has four people standing in the queue. The additional terms used in this level are third, second, fourth, and ahead.

The concept of time is used to define the arrangement of the queue in levels four to seven. In these exercises, the child gets to know the expressions used with time such as : ten minutes to four, fifteen minutes after, at four, an hour before, an hour after, half an hour etc.

In level four, three people make up the queue.

Level five, four people stand in a queue. In level six, the number of people standing in the queue is five. Level 7 has six people.

This is an activity to make children think. The aim of the activity would be best achieved if parents only help the child to the extent of explaining the meaning of the words used. Nothing more should be taught.

Tips for parents

We should not teach our children everything. They will have to do some activities for themselves. If you teach how to do these problems, then you are robbing your children of the ultimate learning process- the process of self-discovery.

If you find that the child is not ready to understand the problems go to some other activity she/he likes to do. Come back after few days. And when the child is ready to do the problem, she or he will show interest.

Of course, you can help your child to understand the meaning of the words like between, behind, in front of, right behind etc used in this activity. Help with the language aspects but let your child do the thinking. Give your child the pleasure of self-discovery!

  1. Various types of puzzles are available in the internet. You can search for puzzles suitable for your child. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning problems are available. Choose an activity your child can do easily. Slowly raise the difficulty levels.
  2. Buy children's magazines regularly. There are many magazines suitable for children. You can get new ideas to teach your child by reading children’s magazines regularly.