The Button Game
The child sorts the buttons into piles. (The child should be encouraged to think of his own criteria by which to sort )
Several similar work jobs can be made with different sets of buttons. One might have buttons similar in color,style,and size but different in texture. Another set might be buttons of the same color but a different size, or style. Still another might be a random set that the child may sort according to shape or size or whatever criterion he chooses.
A child also could sort by texture if blind folded. In this case only a new buttons should be included.
The teacher might discuss the activity as follows : “Tell me something you notice about these buttons,Isaac.”(Color,size,shape,material,number of holes,etc.) “Will you put all the buttons like that together ? What will you do with the ones left over?”
Tell me how you grouped these buttons. Why did you put these buttons here? And here? Could you heve put this button here? Why? Why not? How many button are in this group?
I mixed these buttons up,what else besides their color ( or whatever criterion the child has used in sorting) could you tell me about these buttons? How else could you group them?