Any number of objects lend themselves to sorting, for more activities from Judith Stevens
For the rest of a project on similarities and differences, focus on experiences that encourage children to explore collections of objects and to notice features which are the same and which are different.
It is important that practitioners concentrate on the process, encouraging children to tell each other what they have found out, to speculate on future findings and to describe their experiences.
As always, practitioners should promote an explorative, investigative, problem-solving approach which values children's creativity.
In addition to the experiences and activities outlined below, consider developing a 'collections' area. Provide a variety of boxes, bags, baskets and trays filled with collections of objects that are changed on a regular basis - for example, buttons, coins, spoons, socks, postage stamps, shells, pebbles, cones, conkers and pegs.
Adult-led activity
I spy
Organise an 'I spy' game to encourage children to consider similarities and differences among a range of objects.
Key learning intentions
To use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking and ideas
To match some shapes by recognising similarities
To look closely at similarities and differences
Adult:child ratio 1:up 6
Resources
A collection of interesting objects which will promote discussion and can be sorted in different ways, for example, by shape, size, texture, colour, material or use - for example 3 marbles, football, spiky ball, orange 3 wooden, metal, wicker, wool or glass spheres 3 metal, plastic, wooden, fabric cars 3 trains, planes and helicopters 3 skittles, beanbags, quoits, hoops in different colours 3 shells, pebbles, conkers and cones
Activity content
* Place the objects in an attractive wicker basket or tray, or on a piece of fabric. Give the children lots of opportunities to explore the objects and develop a shared vocabulary.
* Introduce and model the use of specific naming and descriptive vocabulary.
* Introduce the idea of 'I spy...'. Begin with something simple such as 'I spy (with my little eye) something which is... red'. Encourage each child to choose one object, and discuss with the group whether it matches the criteria. If one child chooses an object that is not red, use this as an opportunity to discuss the difference - 'all these things are the same colour, what is different about this ball?'
* Extend the description of the object 'I spy something which is red and round'. Encourage the children to look at the object they have chosen to see if it matches both the criteria. Discuss the similarities and differences between objects. Continue until just one object that is being described remains.
* Continue in a similar way, describing different items, until the children are familiar with all the objects. Then encourage the children to take turns to lead in the activity.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Manufactured, natural, wooden, plastic, glass, metal, size, shape, colour, solid, hollow, soft, squashy, silky, rough, hard, round, sphere, circle, square
Questions to ask
* Can you find something that is similar to the ball? What is the same about it? What is different?
* What words do you think we could use to describe the car? Could we use the same words to describe the other car?
* Where do you think conkers come from? Why do you think the conker comes from the sea?
Extension activities
* Make an interactive display with real objects and photos of objects that the children have been using. Where appropriate, act as a scribe to record the children's comments, such as 'These balls are the same because they are red', 'This ball is different because it is blue' or 'All these toys are soft', 'This toy is different because it is hard'.
* Make a book with the photos, speech bubbles and children's own writing and drawing.
* Provide a collection of objects that relate to a forthcoming trip - for example, a day at the seaside. Provide, for example, sunglasses, cap, sun cream, umbrella, flip flops, swimsuit, trunks, towel, bucket, spade, trowel, fork, ball, Frisbee, book, magazine, drink, orange, apple, socks, T-shirt and a rucksack. Encourage the children to look at the various objects and consider their purpose and model the use of specific naming and descriptive vocabulary. Pack the rucksack an item at a time, trying to link each item to previous one packed - for example, they are both red, round, plastic, made of paper and so on.
* Play a similar game with other objects and encourage the children to add to the collection - perhaps a picnic, a treasure hunt, a dinosaur hunt, a trip to a very hot or very cold place.
* Play Kim's Game. Put between six and ten objects in the rucksack, together. Then take the objects out, one at a time. Remove one object when the children aren't looking and ask them to guess what is missing. If they cannot remember, give clues. When the children are familiar with the activity, encourage them to lead the game.
Child-initiated learning
Role play
Additional resources and adult support
* Develop a role-play toy shop alongside the home corner. Include core props such as price labels, till, money, special offer signs, open and closed signs, bags, wrapping paper, string, ribbon, receipts, store cards and sticky tape.
* Provide toys that can be sorted in different ways - wheeled toys, soft toys, dolls, puppets, stacking toys, puzzles, toddler toys, baby toys and rattles.
* Encourage the children to act in role as a store keeper or shop assistant, and to sort the toys in different ways and make appropriate labels - 'dolls', 'cars', 'baby toys'.
* Observe, and where appropriate, extend children's imaginative role play.
* Model the use of specific resources and act in role as a salesperson or customer who has bought a toy thatis broken. What do you say, what do you do?
* Ask open-ended questions which encourage the use of imaginative and descriptive language.
* Encourage children to add additional resources or use equipment in creative ways to support their play.
Play possibilities
* Retelling stories about visits to shops that sell toys or making up their own stories
* Buying toys to take to the home corner
* Filling and emptying bags and boxes
* Wrapping parcels and presents
* Playing birthdays, parties or other celebrations
Possible learning outcomes
Forms good relationships with peers
Uses language to recreate roles and experiences
Shows curiosity, observes and manipulates objects
Uses imagination in role play
Interactive display
Additional resources and adult support
* Ensure children are familiar with the rhyme 'The Keys to the Castle' from Twinkle, Twinkle, Chocolate Bar (see Resources, page 18).
* Use shiny or glittery fabric as a drape from the wall to cover the table or other horizontal surface. Add a large shiny padlock, a chain, a treasure chest and a collection of different keys.
* Encourage the children to explore the keys and other items, noticing similarities and differences.
* Where appropriate, act as a scribe to record children's comments about the keys and add these to the display.
Play possibilities
* Exploring the resources
* Acting in role as an explorer, treasure hunter or locksmith
* Making maps to support own imaginative role play
* Trying to fit the keys into the padlock
Possible learning outcomes
Persists at an activity of own choosing
Responds with enjoyment to rhymes
Uses developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve problems
Handles tools and objects with increasing control
Creative workshop
Additional resources and adult support
* Provide thick card in different shapes and sizes, small boxes, twine, string, thread and assorted beads and buttons.
* Ensure that the glue provided will fix the beads and buttons securely.
* Encourage children to explore the resources, sorting and matching them using their own criteria.
Play possibilities
* Sorting and matching the beads and buttons by shape, size and colour
* Fitting them into the boxes
* Counting the beads and buttons
* Threading
* Sticking the beads and buttons on to the boxes and pieces of card Possible learning outcomes
Displays a high level of involvement in activities
Experiments with the use of new vocabulary
Talks about patterns
Questions why things happen and gives explanations
Explores colour, texture, shape and form
Gingerbread Sort and Snap
Additional resources and adult support
* Provide the Gingerbread Sort and Snap game and/or make a matching game, as follows: draw the outline of a gingerbread person and photocopy it 24 times. Then add different attributes to create 12 pairs of gingerbread people - for example, red hat, three yellow buttons and a blue bow tie; yellow hat, two red buttons and a green bow tie. Laminate for durability.
Encourage the children to turn all the gingerbread people over and take turns to find a matching pair.
* Support the children as they sort the gingerbread people, play the game or make up rules for their own games using the resources.
Play possibilities
* Making connections with previous experiences - eating gingerbread biscuits at home or in the setting, making gingerbread
* Making connections with books and stories such as 'The Gingerbread Man'
* Retelling the story of 'The Gingerbread Man'
* Sorting the pieces using own criteria
Possible learning outcomes
Persists at an activity of own choosing
Shows an understanding of the elements of stories
Sorts objects using own criteria
Comments and asks questions
Demonstrates increasing skill and control when manipulating equipment
Sand tray treasure boxes and maps
Additional resources and adult support
* Add treasure boxes/chests, assorted 'treasure', sieves, 'aged' paper (try screwing up paper which has been stained with tea and drying it), plastic bottles and a treasure map.
* Support children as they discuss the buried treasure and the contents of the treasure boxes.
* Introduce and model the use of comparative language.
* Ask questions about what the children are doing and why.
* Support children as they consider similarities and differences.
Play possibilities
* Sorting the treasure
* Sieving the sand
* Filling and emptying the treasure chests
* Reading the map and making their own maps
* Engaging in role play as treasure hunters
Possible learning outcomes
Shows increasing independence in selecting and carrying out activities
Initiates conversations and takes account of what others say
Ascribes meaning to marks
Sorts objects using own criteria
Manipulates materials to achieve a planned effect
Judith Stevens is an early years adviser in Lewisham, London
Areas of learning
Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge & understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development