Cooperative Language Skills Made Simple!

As teachers, we know that group work doesn’t always go as smoothly as we’d like! There are students who talk over others, those who insist their idea is the best, and those who don’t say anything at all! 

Cooperation and group work are skills that must be explicitly taught, and the first step is teaching the language that should be used in these situations. To help your students learn how to communicate effectively in collaborative settings, Teach Starter has created this clear and age-appropriate classroom poster. The poster outlines the foundations of cooperative language, including how to:

• Initiate a topic
• Change the topic
• Affirm others
• Build on comments
• Ask questions
• Provide feedback
• Prompt and encourage
• Check understanding

The poster gives teachers an effective visual tool to display in the classroom as a constant reminder of how to communicate respectfully and collaboratively. By using this resource, teachers can promote positive classroom interactions, enhance group work success and build students’ confidence in their social and speaking skills.

This resource is available as a PDF or editable Google Slides file. You can access and print either a full-color or black-and-white version, depending on your needs.

Use This Cooperative Language Anchor Chart in Your Classroom

This cooperative language anchor chart is a versatile teaching tool that can be used in multiple ways to support your curriculum and classroom culture. Here are some ideas from our team to get you started:

• Discussion Warm-Up – Use the poster as a prompt during morning meetings or circle time to discuss how students can use cooperative language with their peers.
• Group Work Support – Provide a smaller copy of the poster whenever students are working together as a reminder of how to speak to each other.
• Reflection Tool – Use the poster as a self-assessment tool, asking students to reflect on which cooperative language skills they used during an activity.

Download This Cooperative Language Poster Today!

Use the Download button to access your preferred version of this cooperative language resource. Please note that you will be required to make a personal copy of the Google Slides file before you can access it.

Once downloaded, print the poster in color for classroom display or in black and white for student handouts. 

We recommend enlarging the size of this poster for enhanced readability.

This resource was created by Kaylyn Chupp, a teacher in Florida and a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Resources for Fostering Cooperative Group Work

Click below to browse more curriculum-aligned resources for teaching cooperative group work to your students. 

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