Sort and Compare

What You Need

Any set of items that can be sorted into two different groups, such as different color blocks, items of clothing, or fruits.

What To Do

Ask your child to sort the items by a category such as type or color, and then compare the groups. For instance, when you are putting laundry away, you could have them sort their socks by solids and stripes, and ask them, “Do you have more solid color socks or striped socks?”

What To Know

Even if your child is still learning to count and doesn’t know all the numbers yet, they still might be able to compare groups just by looking at them without counting. Talking about “more” and “less” now will help your child be ready to compare numbers later on. And if your child doesn’t quite understand it yet, that’s okay. Maybe today, you just say, “Look, there are more oranges than bananas!” Try asking your child again another day and see if they are ready to answer themselves.