I never let my villagers work on the hut until after the dam is built. I usually have one fishing and 2 researching (then 3 when the first kid turns 14). I also don't start breeding until there is a growing food supply, and I usually never need the coconuts to feed my tribe, but they are there if things get dicey.

You can find a lot of strategies in this thread, which was started by a person who had trouble keeping villagers alive.