Materials
none
Instructions
1. Place several similar trinkets on a table, for example, a toy train, car, andairplane. Then add one trinket that is very different from the others,such as a toothbrush.2. Ask the children to look at the items on the table.3. Point to each item and help them name it. Then ask the children to tellwhat the item is used for. Give lots of time for each response and askadditional questions if needed.4. Ask the children which of the four items is different than the others.Some toddlers might need help with this cognitive skill so lead them tothe answer by asking questions. For example, ask "Can you ride in acar?"; "Can you ride in a train?"; "Can you ride in an airplane?" and "Canyou ride in a toothbrush?" The children will answer with a resounding"Yes!" to the first three questions and a laughing "NO!" to the fourth.After they answer the question about the toothbrush, say, "Then thistoothbrush must be ... (pause to give the children a chance to fill in theword) different than the rest!"5. Emphasize the discovery by grouping the three similar items togetheron the table and saying "We can ride in all of these. They are the same."Point to the different item, in this case the toothbrush, and say "We can'tride in a toothbrush. It is different than the rest."6. Continue with sets of other items, such as:* Pencil, pen, crayon, bell* Shoe, sock, glove, apple* Glue, scissors, hole punch, LegoMore to do Let the children freely play and experiment with all the trinkets. Notice ifthey start to sort the items naturally. Comment on what they are doing, forexample: "Tony, you have the car, the wagon, and the bicycle togetherhere. How are they all the same?"