Teaching Sorting to Preschoolers: Fun and Engaging Math Activities

Hey, preschool teacher, do you want to know how I teach sorting in my classroom? Teaching sorting to preschoolers is a fundamental concept for little learners. It’s a crucial skill that helps children understand the world around them and develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and math skills.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to teach sorting to preschoolers with ideas that promote exploration and creativity. I’ll also share a detailed lesson plan that takes you step by step through each activity, helping you make the most of your teaching time.

All the printable activities you see shown in this blog post can be found here.

Hand-On Math Center Ideas for Teaching Sorting

Math centers are a great way to engage students in sorting activities while encouraging independent learning and exploration. Here are some math center ideas that you can use to teach sorting to your preschoolers:

1) Sorting Mats

Enhance your students’ sorting skills with a versatile and engaging sorting tray! Packed with objects of different shapes, sizes, and colors, this sorting activity will captivate your students’ attention. Encourage them to explore and experiment as they sort the objects by various categories, such as size, shape, or color. Watch as their critical thinking and organizational skills thrive!

2) Sorting Station

Create sorting printables for students to categorize by size, color, or type. Check out my Preschool Shapes and Sorting Unit, where you’ll find sorting station printables covering these criteria.

3) Sorting Learning Toys

Discover my top learning toys for teaching sorting in the math center. Combining teacher-created activities with interactive toys, your child will stay engaged and excited while learning.

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan for Teaching Sorting

Enhance your math learning experience by incorporating dedicated math teaching time alongside exploring the math center.

1) Math Movement

Start your math teaching time with movement. In my classroom, we love playing a game called Find and Go. It’s simple: I give a command, like “walk on your tiptoes to something big,” and the students find a “big” object in the classroom and stand by it. Then, I might say, “Frog jump to something small.” We keep playing, using math vocab, and getting those wiggles out with gross motor skills.

2) All Together Lesson

After the math movement, we will start off with a group discussion to understand what sorting truly means: putting things into groups using specific rules. We’ll explore different ways to sort objects, from colors to shapes, sizes, and textures. Next, to keep everyone engaged, we’ll play a fun sorting game, like categorizing animals into a jungle or farm. Finally, we’ll wrap up our lesson with a captivating storybook focused on sorting.

3) Teacher Table

The next part of my math lesson plan is at the teacher’s table. I have dedicated time for students to engage in focused table activities with a teacher. This opportunity allows students to explore the math concept further, either independently or in small groups, depending on each student’s ability. During this time, students will actively practice the concept they have just learned. For instance, they may be given a set of buttons to sort by shape. Following this activity, students will also have a worksheet to complete where they can further apply their understanding.

4) Concluding the Math Lesson

End the lesson by quickly reviewing the sorting rules and highlighting the students’ achievements. Then, encourage them to continue practicing sorting skills by exploring the math center in your classroom.

Preschool Math Activities

To summarize, teaching sorting to preschoolers can be fun and engaging with hands-on math activities and games. Incorporating math centers into your teaching plan allows students to explore and learn through play while developing critical math skills. The lesson plan I shared above offers a structured approach to teaching sorting and guarantees that your little learners will stay motivated and engaged throughout the lesson. Don’t forget to check out our preschool math activities main page for many more creative ideas!

More Preschool Sorting Math Ideas

Math Sorting Unit (lesson plans, center games, activities, and more)

Top Ten Books for Teaching Sorting to Preschoolers

Teaching Sorting to Preschoolers YouTube Video

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