Concept Picture Sort

Concept picture sorts provide primary students with the opportunity to classify  and categorize, adding new information to their existing understanding of word knowledge.  This lesson will give students the ability to classify grade appropriate categories of words and the ability to identify and sort common words from within basic categories.  This can be used with kindergarten or first grade students.  This lesson can be used whole group, small group or with pairs.

The components of the concept picture sorts are:

1. Prep time - Divide a bulletin board into two sections.
2. Read a story -  The story should contain vocabulary that can put into each of the two sections.  This step is not necessary but will make the vocabulary more meaningful for the students.
3. Teach/Model - Define the meaning of each of the two sections and place an appropriate picture in both sections.
4. Guided practice - Ask students what other pictures could be placed in each of the sections.
5. Independent practice - Give students old magazines and ask students to cut out pictures that would fit into one of the two categories.
6. Extend word knowledge - Have students sort things within the sections into smaller or more distinct categories.