PK.MD.B.3: Sort objects into given categories and self-selected categories. Identify the attribute by which the objects
were sorted. (Limit category counts to less than 5)
Learning Target: Students will develop the ability to recognize that objects have a variety of characteristics or attributes.(i.e. an
object may be blue, round, large)
 Identify and describe the attributes of color among sets of concrete objects
Large Group Ideas
Play, “I Spy With My Little Eye,” something that is red. Have
children look around the room for something that is red.
Continue with other colors.
Show the children an object (ex. Yellow dump truck) and
ask what color it is. Show the children another object that is
yellow (yellow ball) and ask what color it is. Introduce the
word same. Explain that these two objects are the same
color, they are both yellow. Ask the children to find
something else in the room that is the same color. If they
find something that is a different color, introduce the word
different but continue to identify objects that are the same
color. Repeat with different colors.
Give the children 4 manipulatives (1 red, 1 green, 1 blue, 1
yellow) to use as response tools. Hold up a blue object for
all of the children to see. Ask them to hold up their object
that is the same color as your object. Then introduce the
word different by holding up a second object (not blue).
Explain that this object is a different color. Using that object
ask them to hold up an object that is a different color.
Repeat with various objects, asking the students to hold up
an object of the same color and then an object of a
different color.
Small group Ideas
Musical Colors: Lay colored construction paper in a circle.
Play music and have the children march round and round.
When the music stops, children must stand on one color
and when called upon, identify their color. Repeat a few
times.
Color Collages: Provide children with magazines to cut
pictures out of (or already have the pictures cut) and use
them to create a collage of items that are the same color.
Mount red items on red paper, etc.
Color Basket: Put a collection of different colored classroom
objects into a basket. Have children sit in a circle and
begin gently passing the basket around as the music plays.
When the music stops, the person holding the basket pulls
out an object and identifies its color. Repeat several times.
PK.MD.B.3: Sort objects into given categories and self-selected categories. Identify the attribute by which the objects
were sorted. (Limit category counts to less than 5)
Learning Target: Students will develop the ability to recognize that objects have a variety of characteristics or attributes.(i.e. an
object may be blue, round, large)

Identify and describe the attributes of shape among sets of concrete objects and images.
Large Group Ideas
Introduce the shapes, triangle, circle, and square as well as
the vocabulary words round and straight. Have children
work in pairs with the three shape cards, a piece of yarn,
and 7 popsicle sticks. Ask children to use the supplies to
make a triangle, circle and square. Have them describe
the straight and round attributes.
Shape Match: Have the children sit in a circle and give
each child a triangle, circle, or square shape card. Ask
them to lay the shape on the floor in front of them. One by
one, hold up a large shape card of those shapes. Ask
children who have a matching shape to hold it up. Ask,
“How do you know that your shape is the same?” They
should describe it in terms of round and straight.
a. For each shape, sing a version of the Hockey Pokey
using the shape name:
You put your ______ in,
You put your ______ out,
You put your ______ in and you shake it all about!
Simon Says: Hand out triangles, squares and circles (shape
cards, one to each child). Say things such as:
a. “Simon says if you have a square, hold it up.”
b. “Simon says if you have a circle, stand up.”
c. “Simon says if you have a triangle, clap your hands.”
d. “Simon says if you have a square, jump.”
Small group Ideas
Sponge painting with triangles, circles, and squares. Be sure
the children describe the shapes as round or as having
straight sides.
Give children a collection of shapes that have been cut in
half to match up. Talk about the vocabulary words round
and straight.
Look through grocery ads and cut out or discuss things you
could buy that would be square shaped, triangle shaped,
or round like a circle.
Feely Box: One at a time, place a triangle, square or circle
into the feely box or a bag. Have the children reach in and
describe what attributes that feel (round or straight sides).
Ask them to identify the shape that they think is inside. Pull
the shape out to see if they are correct.
PK.MD.B.3: Sort objects into given categories and self-selected categories. Identify the attribute by which the objects
were sorted. (Limit category counts to less than 5)
Learning Target: Students will develop the ability to recognize that objects have a variety of characteristics or attributes.(i.e. an
object may be blue, round, large)

Identify and describe the attributes of size among various dimensions of concrete objects (long, short, thick, thin).
Large Group Ideas
Small group Ideas
Introduce the vocabulary words, thick and thin by showing
Explore thick and thin using pay-doh and rolling pins.
the word thin in thin writing and the word thick in thick
writing. Show pictures or objects of things that come in
both thick and thin varieties (pizza crust, pencils, yarn,
noodles…) and discuss the pictures or objects using the
words thick and thin.
Introduce the vocabulary words, long and short. Show
Use attribute blocks to explore thick and thin. Try sorting
pictures or objects of things that come in both long and
based on thick and thin only, not color, shape or size.
short varieties (pencils, yarn, noodles, hair…) and discuss the
pictures or objects using the words long and short.
Explore with connecting cubes to make trains that are long
and short.
PK.MD.B.3: Sort objects into given categories and self-selected categories. Identify the attribute by which the objects
were sorted. (Limit category counts to less than 5)
Learning Target: Students will sort objects by one attribute such as shape, color, size, weight, and length and explain the sorting rule.
 Recognize a given attribute in a group of objects.
 Recognize when an object does not have the given attribute.
 Place objects in a group based on a given attribute.
 Self-select and sort physical objects into their own categories.
 Sort a group of objects by an attribute and explain how they sorted.
Large Group Ideas
Dump a whole assortment of math manipulatives (all mixed
up) in the center of the circle. Say to the children, “Ahh!!
Someone mixed up all of our math tools! What can we do?
How can we organize or sort them?” Give children time to
think of possible solutions for how to sort the items. Discuss
ideas and sort the items as a group.
Read The Button Box and give the children a collection of
buttons to sort in different ways. Have them explain how
they sorted after each sort.
Small group Ideas
Color Basket: Use a basket filled with a collection of
classroom objects and construction paper color samples to
have children sort the items in the basket by color. Place
the construction paper color samples on the floor. One at
a time, a child can pull out an object and then place it on
the construction paper that matches.
Rubber Manipulatives: Use the animals, dinosaurs, vehicles,
etc. to sort. You can have them sort by color or by “shape”
where you have given them the attribute to sort by. You
can also have the children sort how they want and then
have them tell you the attribute they used to sort.
What’s the Rule? Ahead of time, put objects together
based on a certain attribute. Ask children to identify the
rule. “How did I sort these items? What attributes did I
match? You may want to have additional objects on
hand (some that would fit and some that would not fit) and
ask the students if they can find other objects that would
follow your rule.
Size Sorting: Use attributes blocks and/or teddy bear
counters to sort by size.
PK.MD.B.3: Sort objects into given categories and self-selected categories. Identify the attribute by which the objects
were sorted. (Limit category counts to less than 5)
Learning Target: Students will compare two items or sets of objects and explain how they are alike and different
Large Group Ideas
Introduce the vocabulary words alike and different. Arrange
the group in a circle and give each child an attribute button
(some round, some square, some hearts, some flowers, some
big, some little, various colors). Ask children to find a partner
that has a button that has an attribute that is the same as
their button. Go around and have the partners tell you how
their buttons are alike (same color, same size, same
shape…) Ask the children to switch again and find another
partner with a button that has an attribute that is the same
as their button. Have the new partners explain what is alike.
Repeat as desired.
Small group Ideas
Coin Comparisons: Give one child a few pennies, another
child a few nickels, another a few dimes and another
some quarters. Ask the children how their group of coins
are alike and different from the others in the group. (alike:
all round, persons picture on one side, two sided…
different: color (copper/silver), size, ridges/no ridges on
sides…)
Animal Sorting: Give each child a collection of animals to
sort. Allow children the freedom to start sorting any way
they would like. Discuss with the children how each of their
piles is sorted in comparison to the other children in the
group. Identify children that sorted using the same
attribute/different attribute.
Discovery Education Links
Sorting and Grouping (full video)
Sorting by touch segment
Alike and Different segment
Sorting by taste and smell segment
Using your senses segment
Sorting by more than one attribute segment
Sorting by sight segment
Different ways to sort and group segment
Sorting by sound segment