TEAM Skills Research

Numerous reports have revealed that students completing cooperative learning group tasks tend to have higher academic test scores, higher self-esteem, greater numbers of positive social skills, fewer stereotypes of individuals of other races or ethnic groups, and greater comprehension of the content and skills they are studying. (Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec 1993; Slavin 1991; Stahl and VanSickle 1992).

The TEAM-Building programme is an example of how effective co-operative learning instruction is for young children. The TEAM approach was designed for the Think2Read Comprehension programme in 2007 to help mixed ability groups of 5–7 year olds to explore reading material more collaboratively and effectively together.

"When you deliberately set up teams of children - before they begin working together – it increases the potential for sustained focus, high creative performance, and for mutual accountability during the task.’ The European Centre for Modern Languages, 2006

Language and Literacy expert Professor Ros Fisher, Exeter University, evaluated the impact of Think2Read’s scheme of work on classes of 6–7 year olds in two large Devon primary schools in 2008. Her report highlighted how the teaching of interpersonal skills and team roles helped mixed ability groups of children to respond to challenging tasks together with confidence, a sense of common purpose, mutual consideration and respect for one another.

Ros Fisher observed that 'teachers liked the group work in which children were given specific group roles and worked in teams.' 'They felt that they would do more of this' because the ‘team role’ structure was so supportive for the children. She enthused about the teaching approach and quality of the resources and concluded that 'the lessons were fun and most children seemed really actively engaged'.

Since then the Think2read TEAM-Building and Comprehension Programmes have been developed for generic use across the curriculum for all primary ages and abilities. Following the earlier pilots for ages 5–7 years and 9–11 years, Dartington Primary School trialled the programmes in every classroom across the school in 2009–2010, spent a year embedding the skills from 2010-2011 and plan to establish the TEAM and Think2Read Programmes within the school curriculum from September, 2011.