2.1.3.5: Fostering Cooperation of Three- to Five-Year-Olds

Programs should foster a cooperative rather than a competitive indoor and outdoor learning/play environment.

RATIONALE

As three-, four-, and five-year-olds play and work together, they shift from almost total dependence on the adult to seeking social opportunities with peers that still require adult monitoring and guidance. The rules and responsibilities of a well-functioning group help children of this age to internalize impulse control and to become increasingly responsible for managing their behavior. A dynamic curriculum designed to include the ideas and values of a broad socioeconomic group of children will promote socialization. The inevitable clashes and disagreements are more easily resolved when there is a positive influence of the group on each child (1).

COMMENTS

Encouraging communication skills and attentiveness to the needs of individuals and the group as a whole supports a cooperative atmosphere. Adults need to model cooperation.

TYPE OF FACILITY

Center, Head Start, Large Family Child Care Home, Small Family Child Care Home

REFERENCES

1. Pica, R. 1997. Beyond physical development: Why young children need to move. Young Child 52:4-11.