Word Sorts
You may hear your child talking about word sorts or you may be asked to help your child complete a word sort for homework. Below you will find definitions of word sorts and activities your child will be involved with at school and home.
You will need a set of word cards containing the words and the feature being studied.
1. Open Sort: Students sort the word card according to any category that the student can justify. All categories are accepted.
Example:
| fat | fan | can | cat | fun | hat |
These words could be sorted a number of ways in an open sort. Here are a few examples;
 | words beginning with f, c or h |
| words belonging to the at, an or un family |
| words that refer to living things, words that refer to non living things, oddballs [words that do not fit either category] |
2. Closed Sorts: students sort words according to features already decided upon.
Example:
| fat | fan | can | cat | fun | hat |
| c | f | oddball |
Sort these words by the following features:
words beginning with f, c and oddballs
3. Speed Sorts: Students are asked to place word cards face down with cards naming the feature to be studied face up. A signal is given, the timer is started, the students begin sorting word or picture cards as quickly as they can. Repeat the sort trying to "beat" the best time.
4. Blind Sorts: Students have the feature cards in front of them. Words are read to the student and the student points to the feature they hear in the word.
5. Written Sort: Students are given a paper with the feature written on it. A list of words is dictated to the students. They write each word under the correct feature.
6. Word Hunt: Students will hunt for words that contain the studied feature in stories or other text.
7. Write and Draw: Students will write the words being study and draw a picture that describes the meaning of the word.
Ganske, Kathy, 2000, Word Journeys, New York, NY: Guilford Press.