We define cooperation with early learners as, “I work with others, as a team, and I am willing to lead or follow as needed.”  As we think about preschool as a way to prepare early learners for the K-12 experience, we plan and implment purposeful cooperative learning experiences.  We want students to be prepared for working in a variety of settings cooperatively: with peer groups, one-on-one, in front of an audience, in large and whole group, and with people of all abilities.  We focus on helping students to use their words during disagreements, we begin to explore that people, with all their variety, have different perspectives.  We encourage our students to speak with a purpose, communicate their ideas, seek out and understand the ideas of other students, and contribute to group work. 

Ways to Promote Cooperation At Home through Reading

·       Allard, Harry. Miss Nelson is Missing! Houghton Mifflin,1977.

·       Brown, Marc. Perfect Pigs An Introduction to Manners. Little, Brown and Co., 1983.

·       Brimner, Larry Dane.  The Messy Lot.  New York: Children’s Press, 2001.

·       Lionni, Leo. Swimmy. Scholastic, 1989.

·       Lionni, Leo. Frederick. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1967.

·       Mahy, Margaret. The Seven Chinese Brothers. Scholastic, 1990.

·       McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider: A tale from the Ashanti. Henry Holt, 1972.

·       McQueen, Lucinda. The Little Red Hen. Scholastic, 1985.

·       Rathman, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1995.

·       Williams, Vera B. A Chair for my Mother. Greenwillow, 1982.

·       Young, Ed. Seven Blind Mice. Philomel Books, 1992.