- large sheet of paper
- marker
- masking tape
- plastic fruits and vegetables or laminated pictures of each
- ruler
- fruit
- sort
- vegetable
MA Standards:
Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners during daily routines and play.
Mathematics/Counting and Cardinality/PK.CC.MA.4: Count many kinds of concrete objects and actions up to ten, using one-to-one correspondence, and accurately count as many as seven things in a scattered configuration.
Head Start Outcomes:
Logic and Reasoning/Reasoning and Problem Solving: Classifies, compares, and contrasts objects, events, and experiences.
Science Knowledge/Scientific Skills and Method: Observes and discusses common properties, differences, and comparisons among objects.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
Mathematics/Number Sense 2: Connect many kinds/quantities of concrete objects and actions to numbers.
Mathematics/Patterns and Relations 8: Sort, categorize, or classify objects by more than one attribute.
Fruit and Vegetable Sort
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
Skill Focus: Compare and Contrast, Counting, Sorting and Classifying, Vocabulary
On a large piece of paper, make a grid with squares large enough for sorting purposes. Tape the paper to the floor. Ask children to sort the fruits and vegetables on the grid.
- Demonstrate by picking up an apple and placing it on a square as you say, This is an apple. I will put it in this square.
- Repeat with another apple, putting it in the same square. Say, This is an apple, too. So I will put it in the same square as the other apple.
- Next choose a different fruit and say, This fruit is a pear. It is not an apple. I will need to put this in a new square. Ask children to find another pear and place it in the correct square.
- Let children continue sorting and, after they have finished sorting, ask them to count the number of fruits and vegetables on each square.
- Encourage children to describe the different shapes and colors of each type of fruit or vegetable. (“This apple is big and red.” “This apple is small and green.”)
Adaptation: You may want to change the sorting focus and have children sort by characteristics such as size, shape, color, etc.
Adaptation:You may want to have a box to contain all the materials for this Learning Center. You can easily pull the box out and put everything away quickly if you need to transition the area for another learning time.