Introducing Sorting to Toddlers
Meet your toddlers desire for order by introducing sorting activities on their shelf! Also, an exciting announcement, and one amazing resource!
L recently entered the sensitive period for order. I knew it as soon as I saw her putting away her own toys on her shelf for the first time. Around that same time she started lining up her stuffies at the end of the bed before going to sleep and insisting that her crayons go in the box in a certain way.
The Sensitive Period for Order
The sensitive period for order usually shows up in toddlers somewhere between 18-21 months. It’s very exciting as toddlers are very interested in similarities and differences, routines, and actively participating in cleaning up! With this stage usually also comes more tantrums and big feelings, especially when their sense of “order”, especially around routines, is thrown off.
In a world that is so much bigger than them, order gives toddlers a sense of security and control. There is comfort in knowing that after bath time comes putting on pajamas which is followed by reading a book with Mama and then going to sleep in the same way every day. Similarly, there is comfort in know where each toy on the shelf belongs or where each stuffy goes at the end of the bed.
Using Sorting Activities to Satisfy This Need
One way toddlers satisfy their need and desire for order is through sorting. Have you ever found your toddler separating their blocks into different piles based on color and wonder why? T hey are practicing this need for order. We can help our toddlers exercise this need in constructive ways by helping them with beginning sorting activities. We can also help them explore new kinds of categories in which to sort.
I decided to start by introducing sorting by color as L already showed an interest in colors (her favorite is blue). I started with three different colored bowls and matching colored rings. You could use any object, but it is important that the only difference between the object is the color. This clarifies to the toddler that what we are sorting by is color and not any other characteristic.
How to Introduce Sorting
Keep it simple at first. I started with just three colors and two rings of each color. You could easily start with just two if you observe three is too confusing of challenging to begin with.
To introduce this to L, I put the bowls down on the floor in front of me and put the rings randomly on the floor in front of the bowls. Ideally, the bowls would be on a tray and the rings would be in a separate basket. I began by picking up one ring and identifying it by stating the color “yellow”. I then gave a pause and stated the color again “yellow”. I then slowly put he yellow ring in the yellow bowl. I repeated this with all of the rings. L couldn’t quite wait until I was finished, and that is okay! She decided to experiment with the materials a little, and that is perfectly okay and normal for toddlers.
I chose to let her play with them in any way she wanted for awhile. I then modeled the activity again and she stuck with it and put a few rings in the right bowls. This shows me that she is ready for this activity! When she did make a mistake, or started just playing with the bowls, I didn’t correct her in that moment. I made a note to model the activity again another time. If your toddler seems disinterested, walks away, or puts the rings in random bowls, they might not be ready for this activity and you can try again at a different time.
What Comes Next
Once they have mastered this skill, you can more on to other objects or more colors. Eventually, you can introduce other characteristics to sort. For older toddlers, more complex sorting ideas can be introduced such as animals by habitat. Sorting can be done in practical life ways too. Such as sorting silverware, cups, or socks.
Our Exciting Announcement!!!
I am so happy to share with you that we are expecting our second baby in November 2021! I can’t wait to see L become a big sister with all the joys and challenges that will bring both her and me! I can’t wait to expand our family and see where this new chapter takes us! I plan on including newsletters related to siblings, pregnancy, and infants on here as well. Be sure to share this newsletter with any expecting parents you know!
One Amazing Resource! “The Montessori Baby” Book
On that note, I have one GREAT resource to share with you this newsletter. Simone Davies, the author of “The Montessori Toddler” just released a new book with Junnifa Uzodike called “The Montessori Baby”! I got my copy the day it was released and I am almost through it (I found out its difficult to focus on reading too much with a toddler around). So far, it is wonderful and I highly recommend it for any expecting parents or parents of infants under 1 year old. It reinforced so many important concepts and reminded me to slow down, trust my instincts, and parent with respect. You can find it on Amazon here. Just like her first book, Simone and Junnifa include so many helpful illustrations, photos, and informational charts (which are so great to copy and hang up for reminders).