Cooperative Learning Situations

Placing students in small groups of two to six students is an excellent instructional strategy for promoting reflective thought and for maximizing student involvement and interaction.

The attached set of social skills was developed for use with third graders across a given school year. A sample small group recording/evaluation tool was developed to support the acquisition of social skills and development of working, cooperative groups.

Targeted Social Skills and Thinking Process
Third Grade

FIRST QUARTER

Moving towards independence -
individual responsibility

Staying in group
Contributing/Sharing ideas
Using quiet (6") voices
Accepting all ideas
Eye contact
Knee to Knee
Moving "Quickly and Quietly"
Role-Responsibility

SECOND QUARTER

Independent

Comparing ideas
Asking for help within group
Taking turns
Listening
Disagreeing in a nice way
Compromising
Encouraging
Accepting responses
Nonverbal responses

THIRD QUARTER

Moving into interdependence -
"sink or swim"

Clarifying by asking questions
Piggy-backing off of ideas
Active listening
Rephrasing
Giving multiple answers

FOURTH QUARTER

Interdependence

Extending ideas
Justifying ideas
Self-confident
Alternative answers
Enriching