An early childhood classroom teacher integrated academic goals with the acquisition of social skills by using a specific teaching strategy of co-operative learning. The teacher of 5- to 7-year-olds experienced a classroom environment which lacked respect, fairness, and tolerance in the following dynamics: (1) boys toward girls; (2) older children toward younger children; (3) more academically able toward less academically able; and (4) boys toward teachers and adults. The goal of the cooperative learning program was to implement explicit academic and social skill expectations whereby children are positively interdependent, feedback is constructive in manner, and reflection is encouraged utilizing a detailed eight-step, progressive methodology. The implementation of this approach resulted in four commonly encountered problems described in the literature of this subject--passive uninvolvement, active uninvolvement, independence, and taking charge. A fifth unanticipated problem, parent resistance, was addressed via a parent informational workshop. The other problems required modification of the methodology. The use of cooperative learning in this classroom resulted in positive outcomes in the areas of cooperation and collaboration, decrease in competitive behavior, improvement in communication skills, increase in tolerance and respect, growth of self esteem, and a more productive classroom. (SD)