Lesson 1: Loose parts play

Children sort and categorise objects

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Before the lesson

Learning Objectives

  • To understand how to sort and categorise objects.
  • To explain how items have been sorted and categorised.

EYFS outcomes

Communication and language

  • Articulate their ideas and thoughts in well-formed sentences
  • Use talk to help work out problems and organise thinking and activities, and to explain how things work and why they might happen

 

Mathematics

  • Count objects, actions and sounds
  • Subitise
  • Count beyond ten
  • Compare numbers
  • Understand the ‘one more than/one less than’ relationship between consecutive numbers
  • Continue, copy and create repeating patterns
  • Compare length, weight and capacity

 

Characteristics of Effective Learning

  • Playing and exploring
  • Active learning
  • Creating and thinking critically

 

Outcomes taken from Development Matters, 2021.

ELGs taken from the Statutory framework for the EYFS, 2021.

Activity

Teacher notes

Key vocabulary

Prompts for learning

Observations

Next steps

To understand how to sort and categorise objects.

To explain how items have been sorted and categorised.

Make a note of any specific next steps for individual children.

Created by:
Sophie Pickles,  
Computing specialist
Sophie is an expert Early Years consultant. She has spent many years both teaching in Reception and leading, in her role of Head of Early Years and senior manager at an outstanding-rated, child-led setting. Sophie now works with many national educational…
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