Sorting

For ages: 2, 3, 4, 5

Skills: hand-eye coordination, coordination, independence, order, concentration

Materials:

Tray or basket containing:

• 3 identical containers

• 1 large container

• equal amounts of objects to be sorted (in larger container)

Presentation:

1. Carry the tray to a table in the accepted manner.

2. Place the tray gently in the center of the table. Sit down in the accepted manner.

3. Using the thumb and first two fingers of the dominant hand, pick up one object from the larger container.

4. Carefully look at the object. Place it gently into the empty container on the far left.

5. Choose another object. Examine it. Check to see if it is the same as the first object. If so, place it with the other object in the first container. If not, place it into the next container moving left to right.

6. Continue to pick up objects one at a time and place them in a container in which identical objects have been placed.

7. When the larger container is empty, check each small sorting container to see that it contains identical objects.

8. Starting with the small container on the left, remove all of the objects, one by one, and place them back into the larger container.

9. Continue emptying the smaller containers until all three containers are empty.

10. Return the tray to the shelf in the accepted manner.

Points of Interest:

Beauty of the containers, seeing different objects to be sorted, seeing color, shape, size or texture contrasts of the items to be sorted, seeing the large container become empty, the sound of the objects being placed or dropped into the sorting dishes, using a 3-finger grasp, seeing like objects in each dish after sorting, and mixing the sorted objects back into the common container at the end of the activity.

Control of Error:

• The color, shape, size, or texture of the objects in each sorting dish, similar kinds of items in each sorting dish (all pasta or all beads), equal number of objects in each sorting dish, seeing objects on table, tray or floor.

Language:

• same, different, identical, similar, match, compartment, language for size, shape, color, or quantity of the objects being sorted.

Variations:

Sorting a variety of materials (beads, nuts, tiles, marbles, shells, pasta, etc.), using different kinds of containers, sorting by color, shape, or size, choosing all of one kind of object first, returning objects to the larger container by pouring from smaller sorting containers.

Extensions:

Using a spoon, tongs, or tweezers to pick up objects and move them to the sorting containers, sorting silverware after dishwashing, sorting beads before stringing, sorting laundry before washing, sorting ingredients - dry vs wet before baking

Comments: