July - Cooperation and Teamwork
Starting April 2021 and lasting for one year, each month the Scappoose Public Library will spotlight a new social-emotional skill for early learners. From empathy to responsibility to resiliency, we'll focus on some most important skills for your little one to practice. We'll have books to read together, activities for kids to explore, and information for parents. Thank you to the NW Early Learning Hub for a generous grant which will help fund this endeavor! July's theme is Cooperation and Teamwork.
In July we read about Cooperation and Teamwork.
Books about Cooperation and Teamwork:
- The Bear Must Go On by Dev Petty
- Big Big Rescue by Chris Gall
- Daniela Y Las Chicas Pirata by Susanna Isern
- Every Little Letter by Deborah Underwood
- Fly, Fly Again by Katie Jaffe
- The Fort by Laura Perdew
- The Golden Acorn by Kate Hudson
- Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
- Hoy Volare by Mo Willems
- The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol
- Ninja Camp by Sue Fliess
- Red Yellow Blue by Lysa Mullady
- Rex Wrecks It! by Ben Clanton
- Scout the Mighty Tugboat by Charles Beyl
- Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
- Thomas and Friends 5 Minute Stories
- Tow Truck Joe by June Sobel
- Tractor Mac: New Friend by Billy Steers
- The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers
- Today I Will Fly by Mo Willems
Activity - Storybook Drawing
From The Inspired Treehouse. Here is a PDF with the instructions and space for the activity.
What to do:
Start with a blank piece of paper (you can use the backside of this paper!) and some colored pencils or crayons, and let the story begin! Instruct one child to draw a picture of an object on the paper. Give suggestions such as a person, flower, animal, sun, or house. The second child then makes one addition to the picture that expands on what the first child has drawn. The children continue to take turns back and forth, building on the picture and adding to the story until they have a finished product!
How to change it up:
- Provide prompting, such as “what details could you add to the house?” or “what else do you see in your yard?”
- Once finished, the children can tell a story about their picture to a parent, friends, or classmates.
- Give the kids a starting point by drawing the first object on the page.
- Give the children a theme topic such as zoo, farm, or school.
Skill areas addressed:
cognitive skills, social skills, fine motor skills, visual motor integration, prewriting skills
Engage with your child about Teamwork and Cooperation:
- Good communication is a key component of cooperation. When you ask your child to do something make sure you have their attention, set clear expectations and encourage them to ask questions if they have any.
- Home is the first place your child gets to work on building their teamwork skills. Give them opportunities to help out. If you're baking they can collect the ingredients from the cupboard, if you're playing a game give them directions to set up the gameboard. When they are done talk about how every person on a team, even your family team, plays an important role.
- Remember it's not always easy to be a part of a team. Sometimes your child will be frustrated or upset, be sure to acknowledge how they are feeling and talk about the best ways to address their concerns.
- When you read a story together point out times that characters cooperate to get something done. Discuss how working together makes the characters feel and how much easier it is to get things done when we have someone to help us!
