Taskbox Time: Basic Sorting Tasks

Basic sorting tasks can be a great way to teach foundational skills such as colors, shapes, or visual attention. They can also be a great independent task for students. When first introducing a structured work system, we often recommend that teams use basic fine motor or sorting tasks as the assigned work so that effort can be focused on teaching the sequence of the structured work system and less effort is needed for the tasks. Today's Taskbox Time has a variety of basic sorting tasks that can easily be replicated for use in your classroom!

Button Sorting
Kirsten Johnson
Greene INC, Greene County

Colored Peg Sorting
Kirsten Johnson
Greene INC, Greene County

Colored Counter Sorting
Jamie Minnish
Prass Elementary, Kettering

Lakeshore Magnetic Cookie Sorting
Debi Gnau
Mad River Early Childhood Center, Mad River

Ocean Animal Sorting
Jamie Minnish
Prass Elementary, Kettering

Letter Bead Sorting
Kirsten Johnson
Greene INC, Greene County 

Plastic Link Shapes Sorting
Kirsten Johnson
Greene INC, Greene County 

Color Swatch Sorting
Taylor Ruef
Stevenson Elementary, Mad River

Colored Tile Sorting
Annette Black
Springfield High School, Springfield

For more sorting task ideas don't miss our previous posts:

Taskbox Time: Sorting by Color, Size, and Shape

Taskbox Time: Life Skills Sorting

Most of these taskboxes can be made simply with common household and office supplies. The Target dollar bins and Dollar Tree also offer affordable materials for easy taskbox assembly. Other organizations provide donations. In the Miami Valley, many teachers volunteer at Crayons for Classrooms or attend the Montgomery County Material Reuse Facility's Teacher Shopping Days.

For more ideas check out some of our favorite structured work system books.

 
 

Organization Station-- Multisensory Morning Work

Arrival is a busy time in many classrooms. Students are busy unpacking their backpacks, checking in for the day, and adjusting to a new school day ahead. Teachers are busy taking attendance, collecting homework and paperwork, and getting everyone settled. Sometimes when students come in at staggered times due to different transportation drop off times or some eating breakfast it can make this morning time especially hectic.

Many teachers use the strategy of assigning morning work worksheets for students to complete as everyone is transitioning and finishing up various stages of their arrival routine. This can be an effective routine for many, but what happens when you have a student who is resistant to paper-pencil tasks or who struggles with work demands first thing in the morning? Starting off the morning with a worksheet can sometimes lead to some interfering behaviors which is not ideal for building positive behavior momentum each day. We have found that multisensory morning work tasks are often more engaging and lead to fewer interfering behaviors which gives teachers one less thing to juggle. Check out the ideas in today's Organization Station below for multisensory morning work ideas we have seen throughout the Miami Valley.

In this self-contained classroom, each student has a bin of individualized multisensory tasks that they can take back to their desk to work on each morning.

Brittany Bush
Spinning Hills Middle School, Mad River

This classroom uses a drawer system with tasks that can be taken back to the students work area. Students rotate tasks throughout the week and the rotation is communicated to students through the numbers on the pocket chart. Staff knows what to assign from the reusable dry erase chart also pictured. 

Brittany Sword
Valley Elementary, Beavercreek

Multisensory morning work can also work in a general education classroom. For this class, each table of students rotates tasks as shown in the rotation schedule. Many of these tasks are practice activities related to their math content.

Kathy Timmerman
Fairbrook Elementary, Beavercreek

Like the example above, this general education classroom rotates tubs between tables of students.

Megan Kelly
Beavertown Elementary, Kettering

Need more ideas for smoother morning transitions? Check out our morning routine post here:

Organization Station-- Morning and Afternoon Routines

Around Town Round Up-- Anchor Activities

We have found that "down" time can be extremely challenging for our referral students. They often struggle with how to fill the time appropriately and too much unstructured time can sometimes lead to increased anxiety and/or behavior issues. 

In today's Around Town Round Up, we will provide some ideas for anchor activities (Tomlinson, 2001) that can be used throughout the day to provide additional structure during otherwise unstructured times. 

What are anchor activities?

Anchor activities are specified ongoing activities on which students work independently which may include ongoing assignments that students can work on throughout a unit or previously determined activities the student has mastered or enjoys doing. 

Why use anchor activities?

• provide a strategy for teachers to deal with “ragged time” when students complete work at different times
• they allow the teacher to work with individual students or groups
• provides ongoing activities that relate to the content of the unit or IEP goals
• allow the teacher to develop independent group work strategies

When can you use anchor activities?

• at the beginning of the day
• when other assigned work is completed
• at times when there is unanticipated “down” time
• at the end of the day before going home
• while waiting for assistance from the teacher

Examples:

Having individual student book bins provides students with books that they can read independently. 

Kim Hampton
Broadway Elementary, Tipp City 

This "Construction Zone" is an area of the classroom where students can place unfinished assignments to work on later.

Heather Balkcom
Springcreek Primary, Piqua

When waiting during transitions, students in Rachel Hatton's class wait in their individual chairs and can read books or play with fidgets provided under their waiting chair.

Rachel Hatton
Normandy Elementary, Centerville

These students have individual clipboards of unfinished work to complete as an anchor activity.

Alexa Willis
Snyder Park Elementary, Springfield

These fine motor bins are an fun activity for students to work on each morning. The assigned bin rotates regularly to keep kids engaged.

Kathy Timmerman
Fairbrook Elementary, Beavercreek

This "Finished Choice" bin has reinforcing activities for students to work on if they finish early. It is portable and provides quick clean-up for transitions.

Taylor Ruef
Stevenson Elementary, Mad River

Similar to the two examples above, these early finishers tasks provide a variety of fun activities for students. 

Chalk One Up For The Teacher

For more great ideas on anchor activities visit our Pinterest Board: Anchor Activities and Early Finisher Tasks