Most stories are built around a problem that needs to be solved. The main character faces a challenge -- getting lost, making a mistake, needing to help a friend -- and the story follows their effort to fix it. The solution is how the problem gets resolved, which usually happens near the end. Understanding problem and solution helps you follow the shape of almost any story.
After reading a story, identify the problem and the solution. Write or draw them side by side. Try several stories and notice that some problems are solved quickly while others take the whole book. Ask: Did the character solve the problem alone, or did they get help?
Every good story has a problem—something that troubles the main character and must be dealt with. Maybe the character is lost and needs to find their way home. Maybe they want something badly and must work for it. Maybe they are in danger or have made a mistake. The problem is what makes the story interesting and keeps you reading because you want to know: Will the character solve this? How will they do it? What will they learn?
The solution is how the character overcomes or solves the problem. The character might use their cleverness, their courage, help from friends, or hard work. In *The Three Little Pigs*, the problem is that a wolf wants to blow down their houses. The solution is that the pigs build a brick house that is strong enough to keep the wolf out. In *Charlotte's Web*, Wilbur's problem is that he is going to be slaughtered. The solution comes through Charlotte's cleverness—she spins messages in her web that save Wilbur's life.
The best solutions come from the character, not from luck or magic that just happens. When a character uses what they know, who they are, or what they have learned to solve a problem, the story feels satisfying and true. You believe it and respect the character for facing their challenge. If a problem is solved only by magic appearing out of nowhere, the story feels like cheating.
As you read, ask yourself: What is the character's main problem? How are they trying to solve it? Is it working? What else could they try? Sometimes a character's first solution does not work, and they have to try something else. This is realistic and makes the story more interesting. By the end, you learn not just whether the problem was solved, but what the character learned about themselves in the process of trying to solve it. That is often the real lesson of the story.
Topics in reflective domains aren't scored by quiz answers. Read, reflect, and mark when you've thought it through.