What is one benefit of cooperative learning in elementary classrooms?

Cooperative learning is an instructional strategy where students work together to accomplish a common goal, and one of its primary benefits is that it builds teamwork and peer support. In elementary classrooms, students are often at the stage of developing social skills, and cooperative learning provides an excellent opportunity for them to practice working with others.

As they collaborate on tasks, students learn to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and appreciate diverse perspectives. This teamwork experience fosters a sense of community in the classroom and encourages students to support one another, enhancing their social and emotional development alongside their academic learning. By working together, students can help each other understand concepts better, encouraging a collaborative learning environment that benefits everyone involved.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of cooperative learning. For example, increasing individual competition runs counter to the collaborative environment that cooperative learning seeks to create. Similarly, reducing communication among students would negate the core benefit of this approach, which thrives on interaction and group dialogue. Focusing solely on academic achievement overlooks the holistic developmental benefits of teamwork and peer support inherent in cooperative learning.