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Let's Sort!

Maria Montessori saw the importance of teaching children how to sort. Not only that, but I'm sure she quickly noticed children's natural tendency to sort things on their own. She noticed their desire to create order in an otherwise chaotic environment. Before I even knew about Montessori, I noticed my toddler sorting his building blocks by color. I was really surprised and honestly thought that he must be the smartest kid ever. He is a few years older and still sorts everything! It's definitely his personality to have things neat and in order.

My second boy is the opposite, he doesn't often sort his toys. He prefers running and more physical games. I make sure to have a few sorting works on his shelf to encourage him to appreciate order. I look forward to seeing what their little sister is like!

Although it's great to teach order, sorting also helps children:

• Cognitive Development: Sorting helps kids classify items based on attributes like color, shape, size, or texture. This skill is foundational for later math and reading skills since it trains them to notice details and patterns.

• Improves Focus and Concentration: Sorting requires children to pay close attention to details and stay focused on a task, which helps build longer attention spans over time.

• Builds Vocabulary: When kids sort, they naturally talk about what they're doing (especially if you join in!). Phrases like "big and small," "smooth and rough," or "red and blue" give them new vocabulary to express their observations.

• Strengthens Fine Motor Skills: Picking up, handling, and placing objects improves those little muscles in hands and fingers, which are essential for writing and other precise movements down the road.

• Encourages Independent Thinking: Sorting is inherently child-led. They make choices, decide how to group objects, and come up with their own rules. This is great for fostering a sense of independence and decision-making.

The following is a super simple DIY work and is really up to your imagination and resources! This one is really easy to incorporate in your monthly themes as well. We used an old candle holder with 4 holes and 4 different colored buttons.

You can also use this work to sort by shape or size.

DIY Sorting Work

What you need:

• Container/bowl/basket to put items in.

• Containers/bowls/baskets to put sorted items in. As mentioned, we used a candle holder, but anything can work here as long as it will fit in your tray. Think: muffin tin, egg carton, serving bowls, you could even draw circles on a paper!

• Items to sort. For this specific work, we wanted the child to sort by color. We found matching buttons of different colors, however, beads, blocks, or almost anything, could also be used as items to sort.

Place the items in the first bowl or container, then place it and the 4 (or however many you chose) other bowls on the tray. Then place it on the shelf.

Presentation

1. Bring the sorting tray to the table.

2. Place the bowl of items to be sorted in front of you to the left and the candle holder in front of you to the right.

3. Take one button and place in one of the spots on the candle holder. Take another button, if it matches, places it in the same spot, otherwise in the next.

4. Repeat step 3 until all the buttons have been sorted.

5. Return the buttons to the bowl, put everything back on the tray as it was.

6. Stand up, push your chair to the table, and return tray to the shelf.

Variation

To make easier, use less colors or use very different colors.

To make harder, use different shades of the same color.

Child-led: grab a basket of different objects and have your child decide how to sort them.

Example, if you bring in a basket of rocks, they might sort them by size, color, texture, or which they like the most and which they like the least!

Or bring a basket of animals and see how they decide to sort those! (predator vs prey, nocturnal vs. diurnal, farm vs. wild, water vs. land, etc.)

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I will say that while none of her trays are labeled as 'sorting' you will see that some of her scooping or tonging works also include sorting. So you actually get double the benefit in those!!