Category: Classifying/Sorting

Venn Diagram: A "How To" For Young Learners.

3/22/2015

Teacher: Every item in this hoop follows a rule. Each item is the same in some way. Can you tell me how all of these objects are the same?
The rule is, everything in this hoop must be.....

Student: Everything is red.
Teacher: Everything is red? (points to a bear) Is this red? (points to triangle) is this red?
Now we can say that the rule for this hoop is that everything inside this hoop must be red.

What about this hoop? What could be the rule for this hoop? Everything in this hoop must be....

Student: They're all different colors!
Teacher: They are all different colors. That's a way that they are different. Is there a way that they are all the same?

Student: They're red!
Teacher: Yes, some of them are red. Are all of them red? (points to red one) Is this one red? (points to another red) Is this one red? (points to a yellow) Is this one red? (points to a blue) Is this one red?

Are all of them red?

Student: No....
Teacher: Then that can't be our rule. Everything in this hoop is the same in some way. How are they all the same?

Student: They're bears.
Teacher: Are they ALL bears? (points to one) Is this a bear? (points to another) Is this a bear?
Our rule for this hoop can be that everything in this hoop must be a bear.

Teacher slides the two hoops so that they overlap.

Teacher (points to the yellow hoop): Everything in this hoop must be a...
Student: Bear!
Teacher (points to the red hoop): And everything in this hoop has to be...
Student: Red!
Teacher: And here, in the center, it is part of the yellow hoop (teacher outlines yellow hoop with pointer finger). It is also part of the red hoop (teacher outlines red hoop). Since it is part of this hoop, everything in here has to be a bear. It is also part of this hoop (teacher outlines red hoop), which means that it also has to be....
Student: Red!

Teacher: To belong in the center, it has to be a bear and it has to be...
Student: Red!
Teacher: Can you find anything that belongs in the center? Something that is a bear and red?

The products used in this lesson are Attribute Blocks and Counting Bears.

I highly recommend both of these products for their versatility in math instruction.

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Preschool Math Standards: Sorting and Patterning

8/29/2014

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Our goal, as preschool teachers, is to expose each child to all areas of mathematics building a strong foundation for the comprehension of mathematical concepts. There are five fields into which we group our Math Standards: Number Sense, Geometry, Measurement, Sorting and Patterning, and Problem Solving.

This blog entry will cover the Academic Standards that fall under the Sorting and Patterning category.

Sorting and Patterning

Sorting by One Attribute - Sorting by One Attribute is the act of grouping objects into sets by color, shape, size, or another attribute.

Sorting by Two Attributes - Sorting by two attributes is grouping objects into sets by two attributes. When we begin making Venn diagrams, these sets would belong in the middle of the Venn diagram - groups that are red AND round or large AND blue, etc.

Make-A-Rule Sorting - Given a set of objects, a child can make her own rule and group the objects accordingly. The child who sorted the buttons below grouped them by number of holes on each button.

Pattern Copying - Pattern Copying is simply copying a pattern that has already been laid out. A child may need to be exposed to pattern copying many times before he can add on to an existing pattern or create his own pattern.

Adding on to a Pattern

Creating a Pattern

Reading and Interpreting Patterns - The child can read and interpret a pattern in a new way. The children below are reading a visual pattern and interpreting it with their bodies.

Creating a Venn Diagram

Creating a Matrix

Sorting and Patterning is just one small part of preschool mathematics. We have broken Sorting and Patterning into nine standards:

Sorting by One Attribute
Sorting by Two Attributes
Make-A-Rule Sorting
Copying a Pattern
Adding on to a Pattern
Creating a Pattern
Reading and Interpreting Patterns
Creating a Venn Diagram
Creating a Matrix

In our classroom, each lesson, game or classroom material has been intentionally planned and placed in the room to fulfill our Academic Content Standards.

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Matrix Math!

2/20/2014

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Math is much more than counting! Good math instruction should lead your students to higher level thinking and problem solving.

These children are working on matrices (plural of “matrix”).
In a matrix, each row shares an attribute, all the same shape OR all the same color, and each column shares a different attribute.

A matrix is just a very high level of sorting/classifying. It’s kind of like an EXTREME Venn diagram.
These children are figuring out precisely which color/shape goes in a given square.

This was our first time working on matrices, so I helped them think it through by asking questions (What color needs to go here? And what shape? Can you find a card with that shape and color on it?) but these children are doing all their own work.

Impressive, I know!

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Venn Diagram: A "How To" For Young Learners.

Preschool Math Standards: Sorting and Patterning

Matrix Math!

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