Word Sorting

What is Word Sorting?

• Word sorting is a way of grouping words together because they are alike in some way.
• It's like sorting your toys: you might put all the blocks in one bin and all the cars in another.
• When we sort words, we look for patterns in how they are spelled or what they mean.

Ways to Sort Words 1. By Sound (Phonics) You can sort words by their beginning, middle, or ending sounds.

• Example: Words that start with S vs. words that start with T.
• Example: Words with a short 'a' (cat, hat) vs. words with a long 'a' (cake, lake).

2. By Spelling Pattern You can look for "word families" that have the same endings.

• The -at family: Cat, bat, sat, mat.
• The -ing family: Sing, ring, wing, king.

3. By Category (Meaning) You can sort words based on what they are. This is great for learning new vocabulary!

• Category 1: Colors (Red, Blue, Green)
• Category 2: Shapes (Circle, Square, Triangle)

How to Do a Word Sort

1. Look at your Header: These are the "title" words that tell you what the groups are.
2. Read the Word: Say the word out loud to hear the sounds.
3. Compare: Does this word match the sound or pattern of Header A or Header B?
4. Place it: Put the word in the correct column.

The "Oddball" Rule Sometimes, you will find a word that looks like it belongs but doesn't sound like it belongs. We call these Oddballs!

• Example: If you are sorting "long i" words like Bike and Kite, the word Give might be an oddball because it has an 'i' and an 'e' but makes a different sound.

Why Do We Sort Words?

• Spelling Secrets: It helps you notice patterns so you can spell new words more easily.
• Reading Speed: When your brain recognizes a "family" (like -tion or -ed), you can read the word much faster.
• Brain Organization: It helps you keep your "mental dictionary" neat and tidy!

Lesson Summary

• Sorting is grouping words that are alike.
• You can sort by sounds, spelling, or meaning.
• Watch out for Oddballs that don't fit the pattern! Would you like to try a "Quick Category Sort"? I will give you four words, and you tell me which two go in the "Fruit" group and which two go in the "Vehicle" group! Words: Apple, Car, Banana, Truck