Sorting and categorizing items is an important kindergarten readiness learning skill. Making groups helps the brain deal with large volumes of information. It’s much easier to look at a strawberry, cherry, apple, clown nose, rose, part of a flag, and tongue and remember them altogether as things that are red rather than a long list of 7 items. One bit of information is much smaller than 7.
For adults, we make groups using what we think is the most obvious detail. For kids, what they think is important is often quite different. When they make groups they have to observe details and then evaluate what is the best fit for an item. Just putting something into one group involves making a lot of decisions. Even simple sorting can be very complex for early learners.
While making rock groups may be a science activity it also requires a great deal of language, too. Some words and ideas needed for rock sorting could be smooth, shiny, round, bumpy, small, big, polka dots, colors, stripes, etc. You can support your child by asking a question every now and then and being the ears that listen to explanations and the eyes that watch the work and play. Did you know that when it comes to learning you are your child’s rock?