New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) Early Childhood Practice Test

Cooperative games in early childhood education primarily promote experiential learning. This type of learning is characterized by active engagement and participation in meaningful activities that allow children to explore their environment and understand concepts through direct experience. When children participate in cooperative games, they engage in problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, developing social and emotional skills alongside cognitive understanding.

Experiential learning is especially important for young children, as they learn best through doing rather than through passive observation or traditional rote memory. In the context of cooperative games, children learn to share, negotiate, and work collaboratively to achieve a common goal, which reinforces their learning experiences and helps integrate new knowledge in a practical, hands-on manner.

The emphasis on cooperation and interaction in these games also contrasts sharply with independent learning, where children might work in isolation, as well as with passive observation, where they may not actively participate. Similarly, online learning typically does not apply to the hands-on, social nature of cooperative games in early childhood education settings.