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Sorting Data into Categories

PROCEDURAL
MathematicsData & Statistics|Ages 6—8|ID: mt_ylXdiVRAYv

Organise and represent data with up to three categories by counting objects in each category and sorting categories by quantity

Mastery Evidence

  • Sort a set of objects into 2-3 given categories and count each group
  • Create a simple table or list showing category names and counts
  • Order categories from most to fewest or fewest to most

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] look at a collection of objects — like different coloured counters — sort them into up to three groups, count each group, and organise the results into a simple chart?”

Curriculum Standards3 alignments

1.MD.4Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
Represent and interpret data

Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

MD
Ma/KS2/Y3/S/2The national curriculum in England
Solve data questions

ask and answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity

Mathematics · Key Stage 2
Maths/Y2/S/2The national curriculum in England
Ask and answer questions by counting

Ask and answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity.

Mathematics · Key Stage 1

Prerequisites3

Show full prerequisite tree
  • How Many in Total? soft

    Counting data in categories requires understanding cardinality

    • One-to-one counting hard

      Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

  • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

    Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary

  • Sorting into categories hard

    Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories

    • Comparing groups: more or fewer soft

      Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities

      • Counting objects to 20 soft

        Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20

        • How Many in Total? hard

          Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

          • One-to-one counting hard

            Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

        • One-to-one counting hard

          Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

    • Counting objects to 20 hard

      Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects

      • How Many in Total? hard

        Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

        • One-to-one counting hard

          Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

      • One-to-one counting hard

        Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence