Working collaboratively with others is a lifelong skill needed for effective workplace and inter-personal relationships. A resource to facilitate early lessons can be found in this "Parent Toolkit".

Parent Toolkit

Early elementary classrooms are full of opportunities for children to work and play together. Teachers often organize children into small groups to provide an intimate academic and peer experience.

During free time, children create their own groups and participate in activities that build skills like problem-solving, communication, cooperation, active listening, creative thinking, and leadership.

At the elementary age, collaborative skills need to be explicitly taught to children. The best way to teach collaborative skills is to use them. Model how to accept a compliment. Model how to respond positively to a put-down. Then talk about it.

Adults can also:

• Encourage children to interact with siblings or friends by putting on a play or playing board games in teams. Be available to make suggestions as children practice negotiation skills.
• Acknowledge and support children when they work well together.
• Promote communication and active listening. If children are having difficulty working together, take time to talk about different perspectives. Encourage them to discuss their feelings and listen to one another.
• Talk about “stepping into someone else’s shoes” to teach empathy.
• Talk with children the value of having a positive attitude, encouraging other group members and including friends in groups.