Object inquiry skills
A toddler sorts animal counters by color.
Jumbo Farm Counter set (see Be Prepared)
Be Prepared: For each toddler, select 2–6 different colors and 2–5 different animals per color from a set of the counters specified in the Materials Needed list. One bucket of 30 counters contains five different animals (cow, horse, rooster, pig, sheep) in each of six different colors (blue, yellow, red, orange, green, purple).
Use two colors and 2–3 animals per color if sorting is relatively new to and/or likely to be challenging for a child (total: 4–6 counters). Example: red cow, red horse, blue rooster, blue pig. Use 4–5 colors and up to five animals per color with a child who can readily sort items. Have more pre-selected counters ready at hand so you can seamlessly introduce additional counters if a toddler is ready to do more sorting. The extra counters may represent an additional color and/or several more animals of the colors already placed on the table.
Invite a toddler to play with farm animal counters at a low table with you. Sit facing the toddler and place the pre-selected counters on the table one or two at a time.
Name the color of each counter as you put it on the table. Emphasize how the colors are the same or different but do not put the counters together by color. It is not necessary to teach or expect a toddler to remember specific color names for this activity. Simply point out the colors are different or the same. Examples: While pointing to each counter, say “the color of this counter is different from the color of this counter.” “Here is another counter. The color of this counter is the same as the color of the counter I just put on the table.”
If the toddler shows interest in the shape of the counter (example: “What’s this?”) or says the name of a type of animal, explain that the counters show different types of animals. Point to and say (or invite the toddler to say) the animal name of several counters. Then draw the toddler’s attention to same or different counter colors, which is the focus of sorting in this activity option. (Sorting by type of animal is Option 3.)
After a set of pre-selected counters is on the table, invite the toddler to put together counters that are the same color. Pause while the toddler figures out how to sort the counters by color. Offer support only after the toddler has been given some time to think about this on his/her own. (See Extra Support tips.)
Describe how the toddler sorted the counters. Example (while pointing): “You put two red counters here. You put two blue counters here. Blue and red are different colors. You sorted the counters by putting together the counters that are the same color.”
Invite the toddler to do more sorting. If the toddler indicates he/she is interested, shuffle the existing counters on the table and add two more counters from your pre-selected collection. You may wish to add a third color (two counters of same color) or two different animals that represent existing colors on the table for the child to sort.
Pay close attention to the ease with which a toddler sorts the counters. See the Scaffolding Tips for possible ways to respond to what you observe. Keep in mind that the number of counters and colors you offer to a toddler represents different levels of challenge. Example: Sorting six counters into three colors is generally more challenging than sorting six counters into two colors. Use the child’s responses to add challenge incrementally and appropriately.
Look for and positively respond to signs of toddler interest in the different types of animals represented among the counters. Talk about a toddler’s interests in the animals, as indicated in the activity description. At the same time, keep in mind that the current option uses color to introduce or provide practice in sorting items. A cognitive challenge of this activity is for the toddler to focus on the color of the counter, not the type of animal it represents. This is a self-regulation skill. The one-to-one setting of this activity offers strong opportunity for you to support a toddler’s efforts to focus on a particular aspect of the counters.
With the counters used for this activity, sorting by type of animal (Option 3) is significantly more challenging than paying attention to color (this option and Option 2) because some types of animals are the same height and look similar upon first glance.
A toddler does not need to recall color names to be successful in sorting. More important is awareness of how the counters represent different and same colors. Avoid reworking the activity as a lesson in color identification that reduces the attention to sorting skills.
Extra support
Enrichment
Change the rule for sorting by color. Instead of putting the same color of counters together, invite the toddler to put together counters that are different colors. This effort can strengthen understanding of different and same.
Problem-solving
Toddlers match counters to a section of paper of the same color.
Be Prepared: Place in the basket 2–3 counters for each child you expect to participate in the activity. Include in your selection several counters for each of the six colors. Type of animal is not a consideration in this option’s sorting activity. (See Be Prepared in Option 1 for a brief description of the Jumbo Farm Counter set.)
[Invite 3–4 toddlers to play a game with animal counters. Arrange toddlers in a circle with the provided paper (with color sections) in the middle of the circle.]
Today we are going to take turns pulling one counter from a basket and putting the counter on the paper that is in front of us. Our paper has six different colors on it. We can put our counter on the paper color that is the same as the color of the counter. We call this matching. We will match the color of our counter to the color on the paper.
Let’s look at the colors on the paper in front of us. What colors do we see?
[Lead children in saying the color of the paper sections as you point to each.]
Now let’s look at the color of some of the counters in our basket.
[Pull one of each of the six colors of counters from the basket, one at a time, and lead children in saying the color of the counter. Display and name six different colors only, not all counters.]
Now let’s do some matching of colors. I will go first so we can see how to do the matching.
[Take a counter from the basket, express excitement about the color you pulled, and place the counter on the paper section of the same color. Describe what you are doing. Example: “My counter is yellow. I will put my counter on the same color on our paper. I will put my counter on the yellow part of our paper. Yellow and yellow match.”]
Would we have a match if I put my yellow counter on a different color on our paper?
[Put your counter on a highly contrasting color, such as a yellow counter on the blue section of the paper.]
Is this a match?
[Explain why this is not a match. The color of the counter and the color of the paper section are different. Yellow and blue are different colors. They are not the same. A match means the colors are the same.]
We can take turns by going around the circle we are sitting in. We will pass the basket to the person sitting next to us after we take our turn.
[Pass the basket to a toddler sitting next to you and provide verbal guidance for the activity. See Scaffolding Tips.
Engage toddlers in 2–3 rounds of pulling a counter and putting it on the matching color section of the paper. Consider reversing the order of a round (example: move around the circle beginning on your left instead of your right) unless you anticipate this might create too much confusion.
Tell toddlers when the activity is over. Encourage toddlers to help put the animals back in the basket.]
We did some matching today. We matched the color of a counter to the color of a section of our paper. Our counter and paper matched when they were the same color.
This activity is more challenging than Option 1 because it involves matching the color of two different types of objects (counter and paper section) and occurs in a small group setting, which promotes taking turns and consideration of others.
Pay attention to the ease with which toddlers identify the appropriate color section on the paper. One of the activity’s challenges is to consider six different colors, two of which are similar (purple, blue). You may wish to offer fewer colors or separate the colors on the paper. See suggestions in Scaffolding Tips.
As with Option 1, toddlers are likely to differ in their skill in focusing on one aspect (color) of a counter that has other appealing features. Supporting toddler’s focus on color can be beneficial to self-regulation skill development. Toddlers who find it particularly challenging to focus on one characteristic of a counter may be more appropriately supported with an opportunity to explore the counter characteristics in a playful manner. See the second Extra Support tip in Option 1.
Although color names are part of this activity, color recall is not necessary for a positive experience in matching. Support a toddler’s attention to whether colors are the same or different. Same and different are important concepts to promote in discussions with toddlers.
Extra support
Enrichment
Encourage toddlers to close their eyes when pulling a counter from the basket. This can add an element of uncertainty and surprise to the activity. Using a cloth or paper bag instead of a basket can also add some uncertainty about the color.
Problem-solving, Object inquiry skills
A toddler sorts animal counters by type of animal.
Jumbo Farm Counter set (see Be Prepared)
Be Prepared: For each toddler, select 2–5 different types of animals and 2–6 different colors per animal type from a set of the counters specified in the Materials Needed list. One bucket of 30 counters contains five different animals (cow, horse, rooster, pig, sheep) in each of six different colors (blue, yellow, red, orange, green, purple).
Use two types of animals and 2–3 colors per animal if sorting is relatively new to and/or likely to be challenging for a child (total: 4–6 counters). Example: red cow, blue cow, green rooster, yellow rooster. For a toddler’s initial sorting experience, select animal types that are different in shape, such as a cow and a rooster. Some animal types look similar upon first glance, such as the cow and horse. Use more animal types and colors of the selected animal types with a child who can readily sort items.
Have more pre-selected counters ready at hand so you can seamlessly introduce additional counters if a toddler is ready to do more sorting. The extra counters may represent an additional animal type and/or several more colors of the animal types already placed on the table.
Invite a toddler to play with farm animal counters at a low table with you. Sit facing the toddler and place the pre-selected counters on the table one or two at a time.
Name the type of animal each counter represents as you put counters on the table. Draw attention to animal features, such as the ears of the cow or the tail of the rooster. Emphasize how animal types are the same or different but do not put the counters together by type of animal. Acknowledge that there are different colors of the same type of animal.
Explain that today we will pay attention to the type of animal. We will not pay attention to the color of the animal.
After a set of pre-selected counters is on the table, invite the toddler to put together counters that show the same type of animal. Explain that we will sort the counters by type of animal. Pause while the toddler figures out how to sort the counters by type of animal. Offer support only after the toddler has been given some time to think about this on his/her own. (See Extra Support tips.)
Describe how the toddler sorted the counters. Example (while pointing): “You put two roosters here. You put two cows here. Roosters and cows are different types of animals. You sorted the counters by putting together the counters that are the same type of animal.”
Point out how the toddler did not pay attention to color in putting together the same types of animals. Example: “One of the roosters is yellow. One of the roosters is green. The colors are different. But the type of animal is the same. You put together counters that show the same type of animal.”
Invite the toddler to do more sorting. If the toddler indicates he/she is interested, shuffle the existing counters on the table and add two more counters from your pre-selected collection. You may wish to add an additional animal (two counters of the same animal) or two different colors of an animal type already on the table.
This activity is more challenging than individualized sorting by color in Option 1 because the animal features require more careful attention (visual discrimination) than color. Providing types of animals that are high in feature contrast, such as a cow and a rooster as suggested in Be Prepared, is important for a toddler’s initial attempt to sort by type of animal.
Pay close attention to the ease with which a toddler sorts the counters. See the Scaffolding Tips for possible ways to respond to what you observe. Keep in mind that the number of counters and types of animals you offer to a toddler represents different levels of challenge. It is generally best to begin with a smaller number of counters, as suggested in Be Prepared, and gradually increase the number of counters a toddler is given to sort.
To help a toddler notice differences in the features of the animals, provide more than a label (“this is a pig, this is a horse”). Point to and describe key characteristics of each type of animal. In addition to helping the toddler attend to animal features, a brief description of each animal helps the toddler look beyond color. Remind the toddler that today we are sorting by type of animal, not by color.
Some toddlers may want to talk about the animal. They may want to hear or make the noise the animal makes, such as the mooing of a cow. This can be a helpful way for a toddler to focus on type of animal.
With the counters used for this activity, sorting by type of animal (Option 3) is significantly more challenging than paying attention to color (this option and Option 2) because some types of animals are the same height and look similar upon first glance.
Extra support
Enrichment
Increase the challenge of sorting by offering two types of animals that can look similar, such as the pig and sheep, or the horse and cow.
Materials Needed: chunky vehicles, boxes, construction paper, packing tape, solid color toy dishes
In different areas of the room, promote the idea of matching objects. Arrange the toy vehicles in rows by color. Cut the end from several boxes and wrap them in solid color papers. The boxes can serve as garages for the colored cars and trucks. Cover the garages with packing tape.
Arrange animal figures that are the same where toddlers may reach them. Another day, sort the animal counters by color and place each color group in a clear cup. Put the cups of sorted animals on a table with felt squares. Provide an assortment of items in a basket for toddlers to match. In dramatic play, emphasize matching by providing sets of dishes children can sort and match.
Cut paper circles of two colors that are favorites among toddlers in your room. Give each toddler a sheet of sturdy paper and glue to fasten the circles. Some toddlers will create a design with one color, and other children may glue circles of both colors.
Materials Needed: large and small paper circles in two colors, glue stick, matching card games, variety of red and blue toys, felt squares of different colors, wooden beads and string
Preschool-age children may be ready to match color and size. Provide paper circles, large and small sizes, in two colors. Give each child sturdy paper and their own glue stick. Preschool and older children will enjoy simple cards to match, such as “Go Fish.”
Put a variety of red toys in a red bin for mobile infants to explore. Another day, provide two bins of mixed play materials, both red and blue. Create groupings of toys the same color on a low table. Children of all ages will enjoy playing with eight-inch felt squares of different colors.
Sit with toddlers to string wooden beads. Talk with toddlers about finding two beads that are the same. Emphasize characteristics that are the same.
© 2024 The Trustees of Purdue University | All Rights Reserved