Sorting and classifying are vital parts of life. Sorting is a basic thinking skill that helps children organize and understand their surroundings. In order to sort and classify a group of objects, a child must recognize what is called an attribute. This is an idea describing a particular property which a group of objects have in common. For example, a child might sort and classify a group of buttons by the color, the size, or the shape of the buttons.
Talk about the shapes and colors of objects. These will be two of the first sorting rules your child will use. (See list below.)
Involve your child in everyday sorting activities. Let your child help you sort the laundry into piles, sort the silverware into the drawer, or sort coins to be counted.
Let your child begin a collection, such as rocks, coins, or bugs. Collections naturally lend themselves to sorting and classifying.
Take your child to the grocery store. Talk about how products on the shelves are sorted and classified. For example, all the apples are sorted from the other fruits and vegetables and put into the produce section of the grocery store. They are further sorted by color (green or red), size (single or bags), and brand (Red Delicious or McIntosh).
Two of the first attributes that children will begin to focus on for sorting are color and shape. Below are books, board games, and computer programs that will help children learn about colors and shapes.
Books with Sorting
The Shape of Things, by Dayle Dodds
Shape Up Curvy Snake, by Babs Hajdusiewicz
Shapes and Things, by Tana Hoban
Color Farm, by Lois Ehlert
What Am I, by N. N. Charles
Computer Programs
Millie's Math House, by Edmark Corporation
Trudy's Time and Place House, by Edmark Corporation
Jump Start math, by Knowledge Adventure
Peter's Numbers and Adventures, by Apple Corporation
Math Blaster, by Davidson Associates
Math Blaster Plus, by Davidson Associates
Thinkin' Things Collection, by Edmark Corporation
Board Games
Perfection