Sorting Objects

Sorting means putting things into groups based on what they have in common. Sorting is a math skill we use every day — when we put away laundry, organize toys, or arrange books.

What Can We Sort By?#

We can sort objects by many different attributes (features or properties):

• Color — red things in one group, blue in another
• Shape — circles in one group, squares in another
• Size — big things in one group, small things in another
• Type — fruits in one group, vegetables in another
• Texture — soft things vs. hard things

Sorting by Color#

Imagine a pile of blocks: some are red, some are blue, some are yellow.

Sort by color:

• Red group: all the red blocks
• Blue group: all the blue blocks
• Yellow group: all the yellow blocks

Count each group! Which color has the most blocks? Which has the fewest?

Sorting by Shape#

In a pile of buttons: some are round, some are square, some are heart-shaped.

Sort by shape:

• Round buttons: 7
• Square buttons: 4
• Heart buttons: 3

There are more round buttons than any other shape!

Sorting by Size#

You can sort shös by size: small (toddler), medium (child), large (adult).

Same Object, Different Sort#

Here is something interesting: the SAME group of objects can be sorted in different ways!

A pile of toy cars: red small car, blue big car, red big car, blue small car.

• Sort by color: 2 red, 2 blue
• Sort by size: 2 small, 2 big

Both are valid sorts! Sorting can be done in many ways depending on which attribute you choose.