We sort and classify every day whether we realize it or not. We sort when we put the silverware away, when we match socks, when we line up the shoes, when we pack our summer clothes and take out our winter clothes, when we clean the closet and when we put the toys away.
How do we sort and classify? Often we look at shape, color, size, use...
Deciding which attribute to sort by is an important reasoning skill. It is also important to understand that objects can be sorted in many different ways. For example, I can sort a pile of shoes by who they belong to, what they are used for, how old they are, or what they are made from.
What can we sort and classify? Just about anything....
- math words
- scientific terms
- geography words
- words that go with a people group
- words that go with a country
- words that go with a civilization
- vocabulary words of any type
- pictures of....
- animals
- plants
- events
- clothing
- foods
- crops
- houses
- literary terms
- technical terms
- etc.
Once we have decided what we are going to classify, our next step is to determine the attributes that we will sort by. Here are a few examples:
- math words - functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication..... strategy such as
- descriptive words - adjectives, adverbs...
- words that go with a people group - male, female, jobs, relationships...
- words that go with a country - options are endless
- words that go with a civilization - options are endless
- vowel sounds, patterns, or placement
- consonant sounds, patterns, or placement
- ABC order
- numerical order
- size
- animals - homes, physical attributes, habits....
- events - ordinal, relational, cause and effect...
- words that begin with capital letters
- words that begin with small letters
- choose sorting rules that reinforce skills that are currently being worked on
- etc.
We can classify verbally or concretely. We can use lists, charts, and/or graphic organizers to show our selected classification groups and what we have put into those groups.
Classify Objects printable primary worksheet
Free Ready to Use Primary Sorts pdf by by Katherine Scraper