Feb 13, 2025
Children develop classification skills by learning to understand the attributes of objects (such as colour, shape, size, and function) and by acquiring the vocabulary to name and describe those attributes.
Classification is an essential cognitive skill that helps children make sense of the world around them and build a strong foundation for problem-solving, mathematics, and language development.
Name three items for your child, two alike and one different, such as, ‘banana, apple and broccoli’ or ‘lorry, football and motorbike.’ Ask your child which item doesn’t go with the others.
As you do this activity, encourage your child to explain why they think one item is different, helping them refine their reasoning and communication skills. You can make the activity progressively harder by using more abstract connections, such as categorizing based on size, use, or location (e.g., “pencil, eraser, ocean”).
Make sure that you ask your child why, as they may be eliminating or grouping objects based on an attribute that you may not have considered.
Swap roles and ask your child to name the three items and you have to guess the odd one out. Ask your child to name groups of items from different categories, such as things that are small, big, delicious, animals, the same colour, or begin with the same sound.