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What
is Categorizing?
Categorizing
involves grouping objects or ideas according to criteria that describe
common features or the relationships among all members of that group.
This procedure enables students to see patterns and connections;
it develops students' abilities to manage or organize information.
What
is its purpose?
- to
provide an opportunity to share existing knowledge and understanding
- to
extend students' thinking and understanding by requiring them
to organize ideas and incorporate new ones
- to
encourage students to practice acceptance and understanding of
diverse ideas and viewpoints
- to
demonstrate that information can be grouped or classified in more
than one way
How
can I do it?
- Introductory
categorization procedures should focus on concrete objects such
as toys or materials readily available in the classroom.
- Initially,
the teacher will provide the criteria by which objects are to
be grouped such as size, colour, shape or use. Students will later
develop their own classification guidelines.
- Encourage
students to explain their reasons for placing items in particular
categories.
- Ensure
that all students see and understand the relationships.
- Encourage
students to question each other's categorizations.
- Provide
opportunities for students to categorize their objects according
to criteria of their choosing.
- Demonstrate
this strategy with the whole class, then progress to small group
and individual categorizing activities.
- Students
should move from concrete objects to categorizing pictures, labels,
words and information.
How
can I adapt it?
- In
kindergarten and grade 1 classrooms, categorize students' names,
their preferences, objects and classroom labels .
- Categorizing
activities should be used in all subject areas.
- Categorizing
can follow listening and brainstorming
sessions. After a quantity of ideas has been shared, students
can categorize those ideas.
- Story
grammar, story mapping,
and webbing are forms of categorizing
information.
- Categorize
books by
drawing attention to the similarities and differences of formats,
language use, authors' styles, and
comparing characters and events in various selections.
- Categorize
related ideas for writing paragraphs.
Assessment
& Evaluation Considerations
- Monitor
students' ability to understand relationships among items.
- Observe
students' ability to categorize items using more than one criteria
or category.
- Note
students' ability to categorize items independently.
Teachers
Resources
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