Sorting Family Fun Pack

Home > Parents Corner > Family Fun Packs > Sorting Family Fun Pack

What Your Child will Learn:

To group items based on given directions
To group items into categories that she or he has chosen
To describe and compare the way items are sorted
To decide which group has more or fewer items.
To understand differences in color, shape, size, or amounts of grouped items.

Tips for Helping Your Child with Sorting

Brain research shows that there are generally three steps in the process of sorting. First, children decide which characteristic to sort by. Then they physically sort the objects. Finally, they are able to describe their reasons for sorting into those particular categories.
Children need to learn how to sort and classify before they are able to move on to work that involves numbers. Understanding classification helps them understand grouping objects for counting.
Describing which sorted group has more or fewer objects usually requires children to count accurately. Help your child point and count each object one at a time. Explain that the last count tells how many there are in the group.

Social and Emotional Development

Learning to sort things in different ways helps nurture more flexible thinking. This can help children adapt more easily to changes in their environment and changing routines at home and at school. Encourage your child to come up with different ways to sort their toys in their bedroom, and have a conversation about how they came up with those ideas.