One of the first things a parent might notice after their child starts in a Montessori programme is their child’s increased ability to function independently in their environment. Learning to pour their own water, button their clothes, serve and feed themselves food may seem like mundane tasks but for young developing children, these actions help them to master complex motor tasks of pouring and scooping. This area of learning is aptly named “Practical Life”. Practical Life Exercises focus on the care of self and daily essential activities of the children. This in turn teaches them to be independent and develop their self-confidence.
Did you know that children also learn important skills such as sorting in the process as well? Sorting involves making a variety of thinking and decision-making skills. It also enables higher order thinking of the children when they sort objects with two or more attributes such as colours, sizes, or shapes.
It is relatively easy to work on sorting exercises with your child at home using materials that you already have. The colour exercise here can be practiced with children as young as 18 months old. Start with one attribute first (here we are working on colours) and add on more attributes to make the exercise more challenging for older children. Remember to model the activity for them before letting them try it out for themselves.
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Colours Sorting Fun!
Materials Needed
- Containers or bags (colours of your choice)
- Assorted objects of different colours for your child to sort
In this activity, the child is learning to sort objects of different colours.
Steps:
Step 1. Place the coloured bags on the floor or designated space. You may want to discuss with your child the use of the object to build on your child’s vocabulary and understanding
Step 2. Next, place the object on the bag with the respective colour.
Step 3. Let your child continue independently. Remember to give positive encouragement to your child when the object is sorted correctly!
*Activity extension for older children (4 years old and above): Place the sorting bags or containers at a distance from your child. Ask them to run or skip (or pick an action together) to retrieve the object and bring it to the correct coloured bag or container.
Don’t forget it’s all about having fun with your child, as well as an interactive way for your child to work on their sorting skills. Have fun trying this out!
