Sorting and Classifying

Students benefit from having lots of experiences sorting, comparing and classifying objects before participating in patterning activities as part of the kindergarten math program. These activities require children to organize items into groups based on a common characteristic such as shape, size, number or color and explain why they grouped the items as they did.

In class we have started sorting by color. You can practice at home by using everyday items to create simple sorting games. Start by introducing a group of four items in which all items but one share a common characteristic. For example, you could line up three of your shoes and one of your child’s shoes and ask him which item does not belong with the others. Once your child has picked the one that does not belong, ask him to explain why the other three items go together.

You can also try the color sorting game by clicking the image below.