Word Sort
Definition and Purpose
Children use word sorts to examine and categorize words according to their meanings, phoneme-grapheme correspondences, or spelling patterns. The ability to consider relative relationships between and among words is an important skill in acquiring vocabulary. Developing an understanding about words that are related to one another helps students to develop word consciousness as well as to expand their vocabulary and content knowledge.
Teachers use word sorts to teach phonics, spelling and vocabulary. Word sorts can also be effective for English learners because children build skills to understand how English differs from their native language. Word sorts can be done in small groups, which allows for teacher to choose words for the sorts that are appropriate for children’s developmental levels.
Steps
1. Teachers choose a language skill or a content-area topic for the word sort and determine if they want to use a closed or open sort. There are benefits to both and most teachers use both regularly. In a closed sort teachers present the categories as they introduce the sorting activity while in an open sort, children determine the categories themselves based on the words they’re sorting.
2. Teachers then compile a list of 6 to 20 words, depending on the grade level, that exemplify certain categories. The teacher will then write each word on its own small piece of paper. Each student, or group of students will need the complete set of words.
3. The teacher will then introduce the sorting activity to the students. If it is a closed sort, teachers present the categories and have children sort word cards into these categories. If it is an open sort, children identify the words and look for possible categories for them to fit into. Children will be given the opportunity to arrange the cards until they have sorted them. Lastly, the children will add category labels.
4. Children will then keep a record of their sort by gluing their word cards onto a large sheet of paper or writing their words onto a sheet of paper or in a notebook.
5. Children will share their word sorts with their classmates, explaining the categories that they used if it was an open sort.
Application and Examples
An example of a word sort activity would be an activity where students are asked to cut and paste the words at the bottom of the page under the correct category. This word sort is used to distinguish words containing “au” and “aw”.
Children use word sorts to examine and categorize words according to their meanings, phoneme-grapheme correspondences, or spelling patterns. The ability to consider relative relationships between and among words is an important skill in acquiring vocabulary. Developing an understanding about words that are related to one another helps students to develop word consciousness as well as to expand their vocabulary and content knowledge.
Teachers use word sorts to teach phonics, spelling and vocabulary. Word sorts can also be effective for English learners because children build skills to understand how English differs from their native language. Word sorts can be done in small groups, which allows for teacher to choose words for the sorts that are appropriate for children’s developmental levels.
Steps
1. Teachers choose a language skill or a content-area topic for the word sort and determine if they want to use a closed or open sort. There are benefits to both and most teachers use both regularly. In a closed sort teachers present the categories as they introduce the sorting activity while in an open sort, children determine the categories themselves based on the words they’re sorting.
2. Teachers then compile a list of 6 to 20 words, depending on the grade level, that exemplify certain categories. The teacher will then write each word on its own small piece of paper. Each student, or group of students will need the complete set of words.
3. The teacher will then introduce the sorting activity to the students. If it is a closed sort, teachers present the categories and have children sort word cards into these categories. If it is an open sort, children identify the words and look for possible categories for them to fit into. Children will be given the opportunity to arrange the cards until they have sorted them. Lastly, the children will add category labels.
4. Children will then keep a record of their sort by gluing their word cards onto a large sheet of paper or writing their words onto a sheet of paper or in a notebook.
5. Children will share their word sorts with their classmates, explaining the categories that they used if it was an open sort.
Application and Examples
An example of a word sort activity would be an activity where students are asked to cut and paste the words at the bottom of the page under the correct category. This word sort is used to distinguish words containing “au” and “aw”.